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Retirement? Not for Charles who notches up 20 years at Co-op
A shop worker has celebrated 20 years in his job - two decades after most people retire.
Former RAF flight lieutenant Charles Clark marked both two decades at the Co-op in Locks Heath and his 85th birthday this week.
He originally took the job to give him something to do after retiring from Barclays Bank at 65.
Mr Clark, from Locks Heath, said: 'I met our manager Mr Taylor when he was just a trainee manager and he asked me one day what I was going to do with myself now I was retired, and did I want a job?'
He initially did five days a week at the store and is now stock date controller.
But a heart operation four years ago has forced him to slow down, and he cut down to two days a week.
He added: 'My wife says to me: "Why don't you have a rest and give it up?". But I'll keep doing this as long as they will have me.
'It keeps me out of the wife's hair a couple of mornings a week.
'It keeps my brain active and I'm working with younger people, which keeps me on my toes. And I get to chat with a lot of people - but not too much, or I'll get the sack.'
And it has even helped rekindle old friendships with people Mr Clark hadn't seen for decades.
'I met my old squadron leader in the shop,' he said. 'He came in here one morning and I thought to myself "I recognise the back of that head".
'I shouted to him: "Navigator to pilot" and he turned around looking amazed, realised who it was and asked what I was doing there.
'I saw him quite regularly after that but unfortunately he passed away a few months ago.'
Mr Clark was born in Portsmouth but grew up in the far east after his navy sailor father was posted to Hong Kong.
He served in the RAF for 24 years before joining Barclays and retiring from there as the coin supervisor for the whole south of England.
Store manager Geoff Taylor said: 'Charles - or Nobby as we call him - is a truly remarkable man. He served in the Second World War, where he was a navigator, flying in Canberras - the first British jet bombers.
'He has been working very hard here for the last 20 years, just when he should be putting his feet up.'
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Weather for Portsmouth
Thursday 16 February 2012
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