'I started working here at 15 - now I'm retiring after 75 years '

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. 'I started working here at 15 - now I'm retiring after 75 years '17 minutes ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleMike McBrideBBC News NILyndsay SinclairSadie Jefferson said she has many great memories from her years of workingFor more than 75 years, customers in a small seaside town have been greeted by the same familiar face behind the counter at the local pharmacy. Now, Sadie Jefferson, who began working in the shop in 1951, has decided to call time on a career spanning more than seven decades in the very same building. She started working at the pharmacy aged 15, and has cherished memories and friends from her decades of toil.

"I met so many wonderful pharmacists through the years, but for me it was always the people - some of the families in this town that I know span four generations. "Ray McConaghySadie Jefferson (then Douglas) pictured in September 1951 with pharmacist John W. (Jack) McConaghyWhen Jefferson first began working in the pharmacy in Portrush, County Antrim, it was known as JGW Boggs Medical Hall.

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Over the decades, the ownership changed several times, becoming RG Macaulay's, Herons, Lloyds Pharmacy and, eventually, Gordons Chemists. But despite the name above the door changing, Jefferson has remained a constant presence, serving generations of local families with a smile. Speaking to News NI, she admitted that retiring after so many years felt quite strange, but said she had absolutely loved every minute of her time in the shop.

Sadie Jefferson started her pharmacy job at the age of 15 in 1951Talking about getting her first job, she said: "The pharmacist was looking for someone to work for him, and it was actually my sister who told me to apply. "To tell you the truth, it was quite hard work back then. "You had to make up all the medicines, prepare the tablets, and have them ready to go very quickly.

"GordonsSadie Jefferson being presented with flowers by the manager of the Gordons branch in Portrush, Lyndsay Sinclair, on her retirement Jefferson believes the reason she stayed so long was because of the people she worked with, and so many of the lovely customers she got to speak to on a regular basis. "I've known so many of them since they were born, and now some of them are retiring as well," she said. Ray McConaghySadie Jefferson says she was fortunate to work with some fantastic people at the pharmacy over the yearsSkydiving landings can be a bit toughJefferson said a real highlight of her time was the many fundraising opportunities she had.

"I did a skydive when I was 80, well I did two skydives actually, to raise money for the Northern Ireland Hospice," she said. "It was fantastic, just an amazing thing to experience, it's a bit of a shock to the system when you're up in the plane looking down. "You just need to watch your ankles, because the landing can be a bit tough.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.