92-year-old refused whisky after failing to provide proof of age

A 92-year-old woman was refused a bottle of whisky because she couldn’t prove that she was over 18.

Great-grandmother Diane Taylor, of Harlow, Essex, initially believed that the cashier serving her at the local One Stop shop was complimenting her when she was asked for ID.

However, after realising the female member of staff was serious, she had no choice but to find identification documentation to prove her age, her pensions card, bus pass, a blood donors card and even her pacemaker.

However, none of them were enough as they didn’t show her date of birth and she was not allowed to buy the bottle of whisky for her son.

Speaking to the Harlow Star newspaper, she said: “I was in a hurry and it caught me off guard when she asked to see some ID.

“When I asked her exactly what she wanted she said proof of age. But I don’t have a passport or driving licence so what did they expect me to do?”

Responding to the incident, a spokesperson for the shop said they had to enforce the ID policy or risk losing its licence, regardless of how old the customer looks.

He said: “Although we are very sorry for the inconvenience caused, staff at the store are required to ask all customers for ID as a condition of its licence to sell alcohol.”

The pensioner, who was born when Lloyd George was Prime Minister and George V was on the throne, had no problem buying a bottle of whisky elsewhere after being turned away.

 

Poundland backs down over poppy ban

Poundland backs down over poppy ban

(UK)

Budget retailer Poundland has been forced to review its dress code after a row erupted on social networking sites following claims that it had banned staff from wearing remembrance poppies.

In a statement on Facebook, Poundland said it was not against employees wearing a poppy, but they were not allowed to do so on the shop floor because it is not part of staff uniform.
But the company said that it will now allow workers to “use their own discretion in wearing poppies” after hundreds of customers threatened to boycott its stores.
It had been claimed on Facebook that one member of staff was sent home from work and faced losing her job after refusing to remove her poppy.
But in a statement Poundland said: “On Friday 28th October a situation in Northern Ireland was brought to the company’s attention where a store colleague was politely asked to remove a poppy by our store manager in order to comply with company policy.
“The store colleague decided to walk out and stated that she would return on Monday next wearing her poppy.”
The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day and is worn as a mark of respect to servicemen and women who have been killed or injured fighting for their country.
The claims that Poundland had banned staff from wearing them sparked the row on Twitter and the store’s Facebook page, with hundreds of people expressing outrage at the policy.
Comments included “disgusting” and “shameful”, and some customers said they would no longer shop at the store, describing it as a “disgrace”.
One Poundland employee, Vicky Hill, left the message: “I don’t think this is right. It’s a sign of respect. Everyone has the right to wear a poppy”

A boycott could cost Poundland Millions in lost revenue in the run up to Christmas.

Poundland has decided to review its policy on poppies after customer backlash on Facebook and Twitter.