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A 90-year-old has been awarded “Woman Of The Year” for 1．(be) Britain’s oldest full-time employee—still working 40 hours a week. Now Irene Astbury works from 9am to 5pm daily at the pet shop in Macclesfield, 2． she opened with her late husband Les. Her years of hard work have 3．(final) been acknowledged after a customer nominated(提名) her to be Cheshire’s Woman Of The Year.

Picking up her “Lifetime Achievement” award, proud Irene 4．(declare) she had no plans 5．(retire) from her 36-year-old business. Irene said, “I don’t see any reason to give up work. I love coming here and seeing my family and all the friends I 6．(make) over the years. I work not because I have to, 7． because I want to.”

Granddaughter Gayle Parks, 31—who works alongside her in the family business—said it remained unknown as to who nominated Irene for the award. She said, “We don’t have any idea who put grandma forward. When we got a call 8．(say) she was short-listed, we thought it was 9． joke. But then we got an official letter and we were blown away. We are so proud of her. It’s 10．(wonder).”