I’m retiring after working at Boots in South Shields for 50 years

Ingrid Wright, from the Whiteleas area, is set to call time on her Boots career - 50 years after she joined the King Street branch as a Saturday job when she was 16-years-old.

The now 65-year-old first started working at Boots in South Shields on August 14, 1975, when her dad told her to get a job just weeks after she had left school.

Now Ingrid is set to have her final shift at the King Street store on Thursday, April 17, and she has told the Shields Gazette how it all started for her 50 years ago.

She said: “I actually can’t believe that I’ve done 50 years here as it doesn’t actually feel like it has been that long.

“It wasn’t a job that I originally wanted but my dad encouraged me to apply for it and the manager at the time, George Mitchell, gave me the job on the spot.

“I was told to start the following week which I was devastated by because I’d just left school and thought I should have my six weeks holidays.

“Obviously retail as a business is quite different to what it used to be but the shop is still very lively and very busy, I love the busy buzz that we get in the store all the time.”

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Since joining as a Saturday job, Ingrid went on to become the No7 consultant at the store - helping countless women over the years in South Shields and beyond with their skincare and makeup choices.

Ingrid has revealed what she will miss most about working in Boots and also gave an insight into what her plans are for retirement.

She added: “Working with some fabulous people has been a highlight and I will miss my colleagues an awful lot.

“I’ll also miss the lovely customers as we still have a lot of them who I’ve served over the last 50 years and they’ve grown to become friends.

“Following my retirement, I’m off the Algarve for a couple of weeks just to relax and take it all in.

“Then after that, I’ve got lots of friends to catch up with and a few trips planned so up until around September, I’m going to be really busy.

“I don’t get a lot of time to spend with my daughter, who is a nurse, so I’m looking forward to being able to spend more time with her as well.”

Joanne Hayes, Ingrid’s colleague, says that she will be a big miss at the South Shields branch once she retires later this month.

She commented: “Ingrid has been the face of No7 for a long time now and she has helped a lot of women to look and feel better about themselves - she gives them a lot of confidence.

“I’ve worked with her for nearly 30 years now and she is a lovely person to work with.

“She is very generous, kind, and she is always there with a bunch of flowers or a hug if it is your birthday or you’re feeling a bit low - she is just a one off person who will be sadly missed.

“She thoroughly deserves her retirement.”

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