The world’s oldest barmaid has become a great great grandmother - and is hoping to one day pull a pint with the world’s youngest bargirl.
Dolly Saville, 98, said it was ‘absolutely wonderful’ to find out her great granddaughter, Phillipa, had given birth to little Darcey Mae.
Mrs Saville has been working at Wendover’s Red Lion for 74 years and is sure Darcey Mae will be introduced to her home-from-home one day.
She joked: “We’re going to train her up. We’ll have the world’s oldest and the youngest barmaids together.”
Over the years Mrs Saville, who will be 99 in April, has served famous faces from former Prime Minister Ted Heath and footballer Sir Stanley Matthews to wartime singer Dame Vera Lynn and actors Piers Brosnan and Peter Cushing.
But it is Mrs Saville herself who has become a celebrity, with many people recognising her in the street and customers unable to believe she is still going strong.
She said: “There are some people I have seen grow up from babies. They come in and say they used to come in with their parents.
“People always say hello to me but I don’t always remember who they are. I’ve just met so many people over the years.”
Mrs Saville has overseen a great deal of change in the Red Lion and Wendover down the years, but she says the people are still as friendly as ever.
Her hours were reduced to three shifts a week when she was 94 but has no plans to quit, not even when she turns 100.
She said: “They will have to carry me out from the Red Lion.
“I love the people, that’s what keeps me going.
“I didn’t think I would stay for such a long time but I’ve never thought about leaving.”
The pensioner is well loved and revered by those who work alongside her. Sam Hughes, Red Lion deputy manager, said: “She’s still full of energy and has a good sense of humour. She keeps us all in check half the time.
“It’s a credit to her that she’s still going. It’s a shame we don’t have more people like her.”
