Dudley Zoo trainee keeper, Hannah Follows, discovered she is continuing a family tradition when her great grandmother handed her an old photo.
The black and white image reveals 93-year-old Emily Evans, who lives in Gornal, at the Castle Hill site on the day the zoo opened to the public in May 1937.
Iconic
Emily, then 18, was employed as a cook in the Queen Mary Restaurant and the photograph shows her and two colleagues taking a rest outside the iconic Tecton building.
Sixteen-year-old Hannah said: “My great gran was so proud when
I started at the zoo – I’m the site’s youngest apprentice – and she couldn’t wait to show me the photograph of her at work on the day the zoo opened.
“She’s still very interested in everything that goes on at the zoo and she’ll be coming along to our 75th anniversary celebrations in May to have a good look around, particularly in the Queen Mary Restaurant.”
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Visit Dudley Zoo’s website for more information.
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