Barmaid Ann still loving her job after 50 years at city pub
AN octogenerian barmaid who has served beer in the same pub for over 50 years has spoken of what drives her on in the industry she loves.
Ann Wilson, 82, has been pulling pints and making punters smile for decades at The Journey’s End pub in Yardley.
Lovingly nicknamed ‘Nanny Ann’ by regulars, the grandmother is beloved by customers for her warm nature and relentless work ethic.
Coming from a family in the pub trade it made sense for her to spend a lifetime surrounded by beer.
“I was brought up in a family in the trade and my grandad worked in a pub during the war,” said Mrs Wilson, the oldest barmaid in M&B’s Sizzling Pub chain. “My mum worked in a brewery and my sister and brother also worked in pubs. I married into the trade with a fatherin-law who worked for a company delivering beer. I have always been connected to the service industry.”
Ann first worked at a brewery in 1964 before switching to the Journey’s. Years later her children and grandchild also worked at the same venue, continuing the legacy.
She said: “There are so many memories. It’s strange after so many years, my Journey’s babies are now grandparents. I had a young lady working with me who is the granddaughter of one of the lads who used to come here. This is a family community pub.
“All this social media, you have to have it as it’s the way of the world. But we need face-to-face conversations so you can read people’s faces, know if they are alright or suffering. I love to talk and listen to what people say, I always tell people I am there to listen. They are guests not customers. It all rubs off where someone laughs and then everyone else laughs. We all take the mick out of each other but it’s all light banter, and we love it.”