At the ripe age of 83, Richard Brown, a stalwart at Boston’s Pilgrim Hospital in Lincolnshire, shows no signs of hanging up his work boots. ‘I relish the work and there’s no chance I’ll be vegetating in front of the telly all day,’ he affirmed. Despite a hip replacement, the spry nonagenarian clocks nearly 20,000 steps—equivalent to roughly 10 miles—on an average shift. Brown, originally a Grantham lad, has been an integral part of the hospital’s orderlies for over two decades, assisting medical staff and keeping the cogs turning. ‘Retirement? I occasionally mull it over, but then I think, what on earth would I do? Probably hunt for another job,’ he chuckled. After a sales career in West London, he returned to his Lincolnshire roots and has been at the hospital ever since. ‘The faces may change, but the camaraderie remains the same. We’re a cracking team,’ he said. ‘And the patients, they’re from all walks of life, and I enjoy the chats.’ Brown, residing near Horncastle, puts in three days a week at the hospital. ‘There’s never a dull moment,’ he said. ‘I’m always early, like to be prepared, stay ahead of the curve.’ Outside work, he maintains his fitness by walking his dogs with his wife Lyn, ensuring the step count never dips.
This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.
