A Perthshire woman who worked in the same job in Pitlochry for almost 50 years has retired from the chemist shop.
Betty Black (65) was born and bred in the Highland Perthshire town and began with a Saturday job at what was Savoury & Moore’s chemist in 1973.
“I thought, ach weel, I’ll give it a try. And I never looked back,” Betty confided.
First based at 124 Atholl Road (now a cafe) the pharmacy has branches at number 65 and 112.
She has been Davidsons’ longest-serving employee.
Bar one year working in the old Pitlochry Co-op, Betty spent her whole working life selling creams and throat sweets, soaps and nail varnish.
It’s hard to estimate how many prescriptions packages have passed through her hands.
The chemist shop went through several owners, it starting out with Savoury & Moore which then became T Gordon Drummond before it became Lloyds until Davidsons took over on January 1, 2010.
And all through that time, Betty was the friendly face at the till.
“I was hoping to make it to the full 50 years,” Betty told the PA.
“But with COVID, those were very hard years to be working and I decided I would stop this year.”
She said ever since her first boss of five years Les Simms treated her well, she has enjoyed working for a series of able pharmacists, adding: “Everyone has been very good to me.”
Betty remembered how, during the pandemic, staff were kept extra busy because doctors were not seeing people face to face and the chemist was the first port of call.
Many staff got ill with COVID but Betty stayed well. That was until just three weeks before she was due to retire when, typically, she caught it just as she used up her last days of paid holiday.
“I took it awful bad, what bad luck to get it right at the end.”
When Davidsons took ownership of the pharmacy in 2010 and moved premises to 65 Atholl Road, although Betty enjoyed the retail side, she found a new passion in making up monitored dosage weekly trays for the elderly in her community.
Betty, now at retirement age, came to work for the last time on August 7 and was celebrated for her long service by all the staff in the area.
Davidsons managing director Allan Gordon visited Betty to thank her for her service and dedication.
He came to present Betty with flowers and balloons and to underline how much she would be missed.
“Since I finished, it has been like being on holiday,” said Betty, who never stopped frontline work during the pandemic.
“With the good weather I have enjoyed time out in the garden. I love my garden.
“When other people were laid off in the lockdown, I was extra busy. I needed to get my house straight, so now is my chance.
“I would love to travel but after not going anywhere for three years, I feel a bit daunted.
“I’m going to have to give some thought to how I will fill the extra hours I have now,” she concluded.
