Incredible Sheffield grandma to retire at 92 after decades of service at Kenwood Hotel and Crucible Theatre

A much loved Sheffield grandma who has spent decades working in hospitality and the entertainment business will retire this year aged 92.

Violet Garratty, of Manor Park Close, Sheffield, will sign off from her waitressing role at the Kenwood Hotel after 32 years next month, after noticing her mobility had reduced after recent hip surgery.

"I'm disappointed actually because I was hoping to go back for a little while," she told me. "I was looking forward to going back."

'Vi', as she is affectionately know, sat facing me in her living room. She had taken position in a comfy armchair, opposite the door, and I had sat on her sofa, underneath the window.

The room is covered with photographs of her children and grandchildren, dressed in army uniforms and graduation gowns. On a small table near the door, proudly stood a portrait from the day she got married.

"HR phoned last week," she said. "They were asking when I was coming back to work. Staff were asking and customers were asking when I was coming back."

Despite all the celebrities she's met during her time at the Kenwood Hotel, Violet is the one who has built herself a fanbase.

She was 60-years-old when she started there and, with son, Shaun, rattled off some of the many famous names she had waited on over the years.

Henry Cooper, Flavia Cacace, Neil and Christine Hamilton, and a whole host of snooker players, including Dennis Taylor, Stephen Hendry and Ken Doherty, had the pleasure of meeting Violet - either at the Kenwood or at the Crucible Theatre, where she worked for over decade before her first attempt at retirement.

"I didn't work for 21 years," she said as I asked about her working life. "In them days, you stayed at home and looked after the children."

After getting married, Violet had eight children, only returning to work when her youngest was eight-years-old, at the Crucible Theatre.

"I was there for 16 years. You had to retire when you were 60," she told me. "I'd only left the theatre for two weeks when I was told there was jobs going at the Kenwood Hall, so I rang up and made an appointment.

"The supervisor was called Nancy and she led me into the hall and took me to a table that was set out for the afternoon tea.

"She said 'Vi, I'm going to tell you two things and two things only. You serve from the left and take from the right."

A grin grew across Violet's face as she told me this story, clearly very fond and proud of her time there.

"At the end, I asked her 'have you enjoyed your meal?' and she said 'yes love, can you start tonight?'"

The rest, as they say, was history.

"I would go to work for half five in the morning. Breakfast while half nine and then we had our breakfast - it was a silver service which was lovely," Vi said. "It was such a happy atmosphere and you looked forward to going to work because you got enjoyment from it.

"It was wonderful. I really enjoyed it. The staff are absolutely fantastic and every one of them has been pleasant and it has been a pleasure to work for them."

Violet plans to retire after her 92nd birthday, which is just a few weeks away, on February 20, 2023.