Hull widower, 85, says return to full-time job is 'magic'

A widower who has returned to a full-time job at the age of 85 has said going back to work felt like "magic".

Trevor Bottomley, from Hull, retired in 2017 but said he became lonely and unhappy after his wife Maureen died.

When visiting his former colleagues at EYG Home Improvements, he was offered a sales job and said he leapt at the opportunity to return to work.

The company said he had already boosted business and Mr Bottomley said he felt like he was "30 years old again".

Mr Bottomley, who works five days a week for the firm, said he hoped to keep working until he was "90 and beyond" and added: "Age is just a number, it's how you feel inside that counts."

He stopped working six years ago to become a carer for his wife after she had a stroke.

"When Maureen died, I would stay up until maybe 02:00 BST, watching the telly, not getting up until 10:00," he said.

"I was unhappy. I was so lonely. I can't believe the difference in having somebody in the house with you and then not, it's not very nice at all.

"So when the job came along, it was like magic."

Mr Bottomley and his wife were together for 65 years and he said: "I still miss Maureen of course, I don't think that will go away for a long, long time."

But he said going back to work as a garden room salesman for EYG, based at Langlands Garden Centre in Shiptonthorpe, had given him a reason to get up in the mornings.

He said the best part of the job was meeting people.

Mr Bottomley keeps himself healthy by eating well, not smoking and keeping fit.

"Routine is very good for the soul. I look forward to the day, which I never did before, I dreaded the day," he said.

"There shouldn't be ageism in the workplace. Older people who have a skill never lose that skill, unless it's physical."

Lisa Baxter, marketing manager at EYG, said it was "very difficult" to find an employee with Mr Bottomley's knowledge and experience.

"He is like no-one I have ever met, the energy and enthusiasm. He is an expert in his field.

"We are very lucky to have him back, he is a legend."

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