Portrush woman, 86, has worked in same pharmacy since 1951

For over seven decades Saddie has served customers with a smile on Portrush's Main Street

It's not often you stay in your first job forever.

But for one 86-year-old woman from Portrush, County Antrim, her first job in a pharmacy, aged 15, proved to be her job for life.

She enjoyed it so much that she's still there 71 years later.

Sadie Jefferson began working at the pharmacy on 5-9 Main Street back in 1951, and while the name at the top of the pharmacy building has changed over time, she has been a constant.

She has now been serving customers there for over seven decades, always with a smile.

Mrs Jefferson now works one day a week in what is now Gordons Chemist.

Sadie Jefferson (then Douglas) pictured in September 1951 with pharmacist John W. (Jack) McConaghy

"It was J.G.W. Boggs Medical Hall when I started, then it changed to RG Macaulay's, then it went to Herons and then for a short time to a Lloyds pharmacy and now Gordons," Mrs Jefferson told BBC News NI.

"I remember my first day - I was 15-and-a-half. I started in the shop, the next day I was told to work in the dispensary and ended up working there for what is now a very, very long number of years."

Mrs Jefferson said she never had any concerns she would lose her job when the pharmacy changed ownership over the years because she "always seemed to know somebody from the company that took over".

"I don't think I ever could have left or went to anywhere else, I was lucky in that I always got on with everyone I worked with there, the managers and just everybody.

"I always think if you do your job properly you'll never have any bother anyway," she said.

Mrs Jefferson says she was fortunate to get along with everyone she worked with at the pharmacy over the years

Mrs Jefferson said she has witnessed both the pharmacy itself and the town of Portrush change so much over the years.

"Funny, when I first started I was the only girl in pharmacy for years and years. It was always all men."

Mrs Jefferson told BBC News NI she has enjoyed seeing more women, like herself, join the profession at an early age and flourish there as the years went on.

She said that although they still get the odd busy day in the pharmacy, in years gone by it was consistently very busy.

Mrs Jefferson says the seaside town used to be busier

"In the 50s, 60s, 70s and even in the 80s Portrush was booming, it was always really busy. Sometimes it would be so busy we wouldn't be closing until 11 o'clock at night.

"In the summer time you would be on your feet from morning until night, but you never really felt it though because you were always on the go."

'A real trailblazer'

Lyndsay Sinclair, manager of Gordons' Portrush branch, described Mrs Jefferson as "a real trailblazer" in community pharmacy.

"I joined here back in 2007 and have had the privilege of working with Mrs Jefferson for over 15 years now.

"Even though she has reduced her hours now, she still brings all of that vast experience when she comes in on Tuesday and still keeps up to date with everything new on her iPad and her smartphone."

Ms Sinclair said they still regularly get holidaymakers coming into the store, asking for Mrs Jefferson.

"They would be people who have been visiting the north coast for years, and make a point to take time out of their holiday to come and say hello to her.

"She has a great rapport with people, and it's been a real honour to call her a colleague over all these years."

Mrs Jefferson's advice to anyone thinking of a career change is to ask yourself: 'Do you enjoy what you're doing?'

She said when she looks back on her career from when she was a young teenager to now, she can honestly say that she loved - and still loves - every single minute of it.