A street cleansing operative is celebrating over 40 years in the job and has no plans to stop working anytime soon.
Martin Beck, known as Elvis amongst his work colleagues, joined the Council when he was 18 in 1978.
Starting on a six month temporary contract, he was assigned to emptying the bins around Cleethorpes for what was then called Humberside Council.
Following the creation of North East Lincolnshire Council in 1996, Martin was transferred to Street Cleansing where he has spent the last 28 years litter picking Grimsby town centre.
However, despite his long service, he won’t be stopping anytime soon.
Martin said he’d tried a ‘number of other jobs’ before coming to the council, including a bedding shop and a pop factory in Grimsby.
“I went on to get a six month trial with the Council and have been here ever since.” Martin said.
He added: “This is by far the best job in the world and I’m the happiest I have ever been. Everyone here is great and we all get on with one another.“
Additionally, the job keeps me physically fit as I’m always walking around town and I love talking to people too. The interaction with others is one of my favourite things.
“Some people come up to me just to say how good a job I’m doing and that I’m keeping the town clean.”
Martin spends most of his shift litter picking around the town centre, but is often helping out elsewhere across the borough.However, despite over four decades in the job, he has no plan of stopping anytime soon.
“I’ll keep going here until I’m at least 90 if I can, nothing will change my mind on that.
“If I could do this for 24 hours a day everyday I would, I just love the job and everything it involves.” Martin said.
Reporter.
Part of the Gi Grimsby News team since 2021.