Doncaster pharmacy Weldricks helps former employee celebrate 100th birthday

Staff from Doncaster-based pharmacy Weldricks visited a former employee and colleague to celebrate her 100th birthday.
Una celebrated her 100th birthday on Christmas Day!Una celebrated her 100th birthday on Christmas Day!
Una celebrated her 100th birthday on Christmas Day!

Una Hancox from Maltby turned 100-years-old on Christmas Day.

Una began her working life as a nurse in Rotherham, working on the fever and diphtheria wards but wanted a job closer to her home and her parents in Maltby.

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In 1938, when George Eastwood who then owned a pharmacy on the High Street in Maltby asked Una to come and work for him, she jumped at the chance.

“The rest is history, as they say,” comments Becky Spindley, marketing supervisor from pharmacy Weldricks, one of the people who went to visit Una for her birthday.

“Una continued to work at the pharmacy through its various changes of ownership and ended up working for Weldricks in 1980 when it joined our family owned business. She spent her last few working years at our branch in the old Health Centre, before finally retiring at the age of 70.”

Becky added: “Una told us all about the changes she experienced over the years, from the birth of the NHS to how tablets arrived loose in large bottles and had to be counted out by hand for the patient and how lotions and potions were made in the pharmacy.

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"She also recounted that, when she first began work, a kettle had to be boiled over a fire in the back room to make a cup of coffee so she and her colleagues “didn’t have a lot of drinks.”

“I told Una that we now have robots to assist our pharmacy teams to dispense medicines and she was quite amazed. She went on to say how much she enjoyed working in the pharmacy and that she “loved every minute.

“Just before I left, Una told me the secret to her long life. She said it was down to “being very satisfied with my life”.

"Wise words for all of us from an incredibly inspiring lady.”