Newsome lollipop lady Iris still going strong at 80

Jul 8 2009 By Katie Campling

AT 80 years old, most people want to take life easy.

But not Netherton woman Iris Lancaster.

Iris, 80 on Friday, still works as a school crossing supervisor in Newsome.

She is at the zebra crossing on Newsome Road at 8am and 3.15pm to see pupils from Stile Common Infant School, Stile Common Junior School and Newsome High School safely across the busy road.

And she even gives the occasional adult a helping hand too.

To get there, Iris has to catch two buses from her Netherton home in the morning and another two on the route back home.

As her pensioners’ bus pass only covers off-peak journeys, she has to pay for the privilege of going into work on a morning.

But Iris says it is a small price to pay for the job she loves.

“I love it. It’s nice to see such lovely children every day.

“It’s the children that appealed to me really, I love them. You get very fond of them and get to know them all. It’s like extended family.”