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Case Study: Constance Brown MBE

While most of us will be looking forward to retiring at the age of 65, Constance Brown is keeping herself busy running a fish and chip shop in her 99th year.

She still serves behind the counter the large queues that gather at Brown's Café in the main street of Pembroke in West Wales.

Mrs. Brown, who has been awarded the MBE for services to business and to the community, first opened the café with her late husband in 1928.

The couple quickly built up a reputation over the years for providing good food in a cheerful atmosphere.

During the Second World War she continued to provide this service even though her husband was away serving in the RAF. When her husband died in 1964 she kept the business going, gaining public respect for doing so.

In 2004 she was crowned 'Oldest Fish Fryer in Great Britain' and after 76 years in the business she has no plans to stop serving up the nation's favourite dish.

In fact, she says the work gets easier and easier.

"It's easy compared to what it was a number of years ago when we had to do everything by hand," she said, "you had to clean the potatoes by hand and chip them."

Mrs Brown told us she was "delighted" at the news of her award.

"Fish and chips have been my life. I like nothing better than serving a good fish supper to locals and I swear a good serving of fish every week has helped me maintain my youthful outlook on life."