Birthday celebration for twins

Twins and long-standing employees Mary Bennet and Irene Jackson recently celebrated their 70th birthday at Jay-Be® where they have worked alongside each other for more than four decades.
Landmark day: Mary Bennet and Irene Jackson during their 70th birthday party at Jay-Be®.Landmark day: Mary Bennet and Irene Jackson during their 70th birthday party at Jay-Be®.
Landmark day: Mary Bennet and Irene Jackson during their 70th birthday party at Jay-Be®.

Friends and colleagues celebrated Irene and Mary’s birthday by hosting a tea and cake party in the factory where they work in Dewsbury.

Roger Durrans, managing director at Jay-Be®, said: “Irene and Mary are well-loved members of the team. Everyone at Jay-Be® would like to wish them a wonderful 70th birthday and thank them for their valuable contribution over the years.”

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The pair started their careers together, originally working as seamstresses at an underwear company before Irene left for a job in upholstery.

Irene and Mary were reunited again at Jay-Be® when they joined the sewing room team in the same year, where Mary learned most of her upholstery skills from Irene.

They currently work 20 hours a week, sometimes offering to do overtime.

Irene said: “We start work at 6:30am every day. We like to get in early, have a cup of tea, do a bit of chatting.

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“No two days are the same. Every day you come in and you don’t know what job you’re going to be doing.”

When asked what they liked most about working at Jay-Be® Mary said: “Everything! Everybody is friendly. It’s the social aspect too, having someone to talk to and having something to make the days go quicker.”

Despite not being identical twins, the girls admit that they see the funny side when colleagues sometimes get them mixed up. “It doesn’t bother us that we’re known as ‘the twins’ laughs Irene.

“Sometimes people say ‘morning Mary’ when I know they mean me, but I just go with it, everybody means well.”

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