100 up for queen of The Barn

For nearly half a century Inez Voisey has been the smiling and familiar face of The Barn charity shop.

Today Mrs Voisey will celebrate her 100th birthday with a trip to the SPCA and an evening meal at Fourways to enjoy her favourite food: a double portion of dessert soufflé’.

But despite becoming a centenarian the popular volunteer has no plans on giving up the day job.

She told the Bermuda Sun she would continue to devote her time to The Barn because she simply ‘enjoyed helping other people’.

She added: “They can not fire me! I have told them they are not allowed to.

“I have always liked being here.  This is where I belong for two days a week.

“I get to meet and speak with people all the time and I enjoy looking after my department and keeping it up-to-date.

“I have worked here so long that when people ask me when I started, I just say I have worked here forever. 

“I always look forward to coming here in the morning.”

Mrs Voisey, who was born in Canada on May 15, 1913, first came to Bermuda on holiday in 1946.

She met a young man name by the name of Ernest Voisey during the trip and the pair stayed in contact after she returned home.

Just a few years later Mr Voisey proposed to Ms Moore, as she was then, and the couple married in Bermuda in 1950.

Mrs Voisey added: “I had worked for the Canadian Telephone Company all my life until I met Ernie.

“But when he asked me to marry him I did not hesitate in coming back to Bermuda with him.

“My mother thought he was the nicest person she had ever met and she always introduced him as ‘my beloved son-in-law Ernie’. I have always loved Bermuda, ever since I first came here all that time ago.

“It is one of the most beautiful places on earth.

“I would never, ever want to live anywhere else.

“People accepted me here and I had many, many friends.

“The good Lord has caught up with a lot of them now and I seem to be the only one left. I miss them all, especially Ernie.”

Mrs Voisey, who still lives in the Smith’s parish home she shared with her late husband, spent much of her early days in Bermuda wandering the Botanical Gardens learning about gardening techniques.

She often helped out at the Hospital as well as The Barn and developed an affinity for cats and dogs.

She said: “Some people knew me as the ‘cat woman’ because I would always take in other people’s cats.

“There were times I had more than 20 cats in or around my home. I just love animals especially my Golden Retriever who won obedience competitions all over the world.

“I can not keep cats these days because I live alone but I love going to the SPCA to see all the pussy cats.”

Mrs Voisey worked at old The Barn before it moved its present spot in Devonshire and still comes into work every Monday and Friday to help out.

Manager at The Barn, Ann Ross, said: “We all call her the Queen of the Barn.

“And when we are at work I just refer to her as ‘momma’. She has been a great inspiration to me and is always full of wisdom.

“She really is an incredible lady and still puts in six-hour shifts at The Barn. We all love having her around.”