Britain’s oldest lollipop lady has been helping generations of children cross the same road for 51 years and says she has no plans to retire – AGED 90.
Pat Hunting has spent more than half a century patrolling the same stretch of street in Wolverhampton since starting out in 1964.
The OAP is estimated to have crossed the road more than a MILLION times helping pupils to nearby SS Mary and St Johns Roman Catholic Academy.
One child she helped cross the road many years ago is now a teacher at the nearby school and it’s believed she’s clocked up more than 3,500 miles on the job.
And Pat, of Wolverhampton, says she has no plans to hang up her stick just yet and will keep on going for “as long as God lets me”.
She added: “I have loved working here down the years.
“But the best part of it has been getting to know everyone and they often come back to see me when they have left the school.
“One of the former pupils is even a teacher there now and it was lovely to see her.
“People ask me why I haven’t retired or what the age limit is for school crossing patrols but I have never thought of putting my lollipop away and I think they must have forgotten about my age.
“I have made many long term friends including with one of the teachers at the school who I used to help across the road as a pupil so it has been a lovely way to spend my time over the years.
“I just love the job. I love the children. You feel good for doing a good job, it makes you feel better, you feel like you’re doing something good.”
Pat is still doing two morning and afternoon shifts a day, five days a week, along the street she first patrolled for the police for three years from 1964.
She has since worked a further 48 years for the council at the crossing on Vicarage Road near the junction of Derry Street in the Parkfields areas of the city.
And Pat is not only believed to be the oldest lollipop lady in the country – but also the longest-serving.
Last Friday (12/4) friends, family, staff and pupils all turned out to celebrate ahead of Pat’s 90th birthday on Sunday (14/4).
They surprised her with a cake, boxes of chocolates, flowers outside the school, which was decorated with banners and balloons.
Pat, who lives yards from the school, added: “I was overwhelmed, I had no idea any of this was going to happen I just thought it was going to be a normal shift.
“But it was lovely, I got so many gifts, flowers and chocolates and one of the boys from the school gave me a five pence piece he had in his pocket.”
It was partly organised by great niece Karly Round and attended by Pat’s 87-year-old sister Joyce Evans.
Karly said: “It is the least Aunty Pat deserves, to my knowledge she hasn’t missed many if any days in 51 years though she probably knows exactly how many.
“She is a remarkable woman and it was great to see so may people turning out to surprise her.”
Pat said she celebrated her 90th birthday by going to church with family and friends before a gathering at one of their houses.
