Report by NICK SMITH

LEGENDARY Middlewich shopkeeper Lilian Brocklehurst waved a long goodbye to 70 years behind the counter last week.

She has become a landmark in her small shop on Lewin Street, which she closed down on Friday.

On the day the shop closed, the shelves were stripped bare and lined with countless cards, flowers and presents.

Born in Congleton, 83-year-old Lilian has been happy to base her life on the ethic on which she was brought up - hard work.

She began the business as a 13-year-old alongside her mother in 1929.

"I've been getting up at 5.30am every morning, seven days a week, since I was 13. It's the nicest time of the day," she said.

"I don't feel like it's been 70 years because I enjoy the work and meeting people. When I was younger I had no choice, I had to work so it's a way of life.

"You might get tired and worn out but you never get bored."

Lilian's only break from her marathon run in Middlewich was when she ran Clifford Thomas newsagents in Northwich - later to become WH Smith - during the Second World War.

Although she has always been happy with the single life, Lilian has built up her own special family in the form of her long line of paper boys.

However, she might find it hard to spend more time with the family in her retirement.

Lilian explained: "Some of my news boys are still in contact, but live in places like South Africa, Canada and Australia, where they have asked me to go and see them when I'm retired.

"I travelled a lot when I was younger but there's nowhere like England. I'll be content to be at home, and if I can do some travelling around England, that will do me.

"They are like a family. A lot of them come in and see me, others send me things. It's nice to think they still go out of their way to remember me."

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.