On Monday, Joyce was invited to her favourite shopping centre, intu Watford, for a Christmas afternoon tea party with her daughter, Joy, at Loaf & Bloom in Debenhams.
Having lived in Watford in the same house for over 60 years, Joyce, visits the shops regularly to get her retail fix and a visit to her favourite shops, including John Lewis and, now, the new Debenhams.
As a token of appreciation for her loyal custom and to mark her milestone birthday, intu Watford’s general manager, Vicki Costello presented Joyce with a gift card worth £104, a selection of early Christmas presents and a stunning bouquet of flowers. Centre duty manager, Miguel Da Silva baked a hat-shaped cake especially for the former Milliner and made from Joyce’s favourite victoria sponge.
Visiting on the same day that Hollywood Bowl opened in intu Watford, Joyce said she would be delighted to ‘give it a go’, and now plans are in place to bring her and her family for a special visit to the 14 lane bowling alley.
“What an incredible and remarkable woman she is,” said Vicki. “Joyce is full of life, laughter and an energy that is so infectious and inspiring. We are honoured to have met her, listen to her stories from the past and tell her about the exciting changes happening in the town centre.”
Joyce gave her appreciation for the centre’s new £180m development and was delighted to learn of the new cinema, restaurants and more shops for her to browse. Joyce has vowed to be back to the centre for some last-minute Christmas shopping and to spend her gift card, promising to treat herself to a small tipple of Sherry.
