A FORMER Colour Sergeant in the Royal Marines, baker Ron Mewis was never late – whatever the weather – in his 15 years working for Grasmere Gingerbread.
Having finally retired at the age of 76, he explained that he always gave himself a 75-minute cushion to drive the 40-mile route to the village from his home in Morecambe.
“I was usually there 20-25 minutes early but there are four sets of traffic lights on the route so if I hit red on every one of them that could add 20 minutes to the journey,” he said.
He put his enviable punctuality down to not so much army discipline but learned forward planning.
Having served abroad in Cyprus, Borneo and alongside the British Antarctic Survey Team, “being aware of everything around you” was crucial.
“For my job in Grasmere I would always get up at 4.30am and I still wake up at that time as I’ve not settled into a retirement routine just yet,” said Ron.
After leaving the army, Ron became a baker for many different companies before joining Grasmere Gingerbread in 2003, initially full-time but latterly three days a week.
A whisky connoisseur, he was thrilled with one of his retirement gifts from shop owners Joanne and Andrew Hunter – a special bottle of Dalmore single malt whisky.
“Every night I have a dram of whisky and some cheese and crackers,” he said.
“I’ll be reserving the Dalmore for special occasions.”
Ron will be spending retirement in his garden, growing his own flowers from seed and spending time with his wife Elaine.
Remembering his years at Grasmere Gingerbread, Ron said he would particularly miss the “camaraderie of the team as it was more like a family than a working environment.”