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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Louie Smith

Man, 83, works for the same company for 70 years without a single day off sick

Britain’s most dedicated worker has clocked up nearly 70 years at the same company without a single day off sick.

Brian Chorley began working at the original Clarks shoes factory in 1953 when he was aged just 15.

When the premises was converted into a shopping centre he retrained to work in customer services.

Brian, now 83, still has no plans to retire and says David Attenborough, 95, is his role model.

The grandfather-of-six said: “I’ve just passed a health check with flying colours and I want to go on as long as I can - I want to be like David Attenborough.

“I lost my wife eight years ago so at home I don’t see anyone. I want to be out, I want to see people and I just love working.

Brian began working as a young man during the school holidays (Courtesy Brian Chorley / SWNS)
Brian pictured as a young man working at the Clark factory (Courtesy Brian Chorley / SWNS)

“I don’t want to sit down in an arm chair all day - it’s boring. I always look forward to work.”

Brian took a job at the C&J Clark factory in Street, Somerset, to earn some extra money for his family in the school holidays.

He explained: “My father said ‘son, you’re 15 and it’s the school holidays, you’ve got to go to work’.

“And I wanted to do it. We were quite poor after the war and dad was in the army. I wanted to go to work and earn some money.

“Going from school to a place like that was overwhelming. I still remember getting my first brown envelope.

“After working 45 hours a week, I earned two pounds and three shillings – I gave one pound of it to mum.”

The man has no plan to retire (Courtesy Brian Chorley / SWNS)

Brian continued working for Clarks until the 1980s when he was in his mid-50s.

The original factory eventually closed and was redeveloped into the premium Clarks Village shopping outlet.

Brian started working for the shopping centre when it opened in 1993.

He said: “I go out of my way to help people. I do everything I can to give them a good service and treat them with respect.

“I’ve been told so many times what a wonderful service they’ve had and they feel so happy, and that’s all I want.

“I was furloughed for a time in lockdown and I didn’t like it at all - I love it here.”

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