Boots in Llandudno won’t quite ever be the same after the retirement of it’s longest serving member of staff who has worked there for nearly half a century.
When Christine Jones first started working at Boots in Llandudno in 1969 the first man landed on the moon on the Apollo 11 mission and Neil Armstrong and Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon and the Beatles performed their last public performance, on the roof of Apple Records in London.
Christine’s first uniform at the pharmacy included a miniskirt that were very much in vogue at the time, and said the store’s most popular make-up items were black eye liner, pale pink lipstick and lashings of hairspray, in order to achieve the 60s signature beehive look with heavy eye make-up.
“I came to work here when I was just 15-years-old, straight after secretarial college,” said Christine, 65.
“I was known at the time as Chrissy Chips to my customers and lots of the staff as my father had owned Tribells fish and chips in Llandudno.”
Christine continued: “Boots has changed a lot over the years, all the staff I started working with have left.
“When I first started the store would sell things like dog food, handbags and suitcases.”
She continued: “I’ve worked here all this time as the girls are like family to me, they look after me.
“When I lost my husband John nine years ago, they were wonderful. It’s been hugely emotional for me to make the decision to leave but I think I’ve done my stint.
“But I’ll not only miss the girls, I’ll miss my customers some of whom I’ve known for many, many years.
"I’ve been overwhelmed by gifts that have been given to me by the girls and my customers.”
Christine, who doesn’t have any children, says she will spent her retirement on seeing family in Shrewsbury, gardening and meeting friends for “nice coffees and lunches”.
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