While some people look forward to a quieter pace of life in retirement it certainly won’t be the case for medical support worker Peter Jolley.

Peter has a busy schedule ahead of him as an internationally renowned dog judge and will be at Crufts for the 14th successive year from March 8-11 when he will be commentating for the International Junior Handlers.

He retired from the National Health Service on his 65th birthday, March 1st.  That Peter has continued to work for so long is an achievement in itself as he underwent a five artery heart by-pass in 1994 at the age of 53.  At that time he was at work at St. Peter’s Hospital when he felt ill, was sent to A & E and then had four days in the hospital’s coronary care unit after an angina attack had been diagnosed.

Said Peter: “I gave up smoking there and then in readiness for heart surgery at St. Georges’ Hospital, Tooting, and I haven’t smoked since.  I didn’t want to die; I had too many things to do!”

Just 12 weeks after major heart surgery he was in Scotland showing dogs for a friend. He was able to return to work as part of a special medical support team on the coronary care ward and since then his role has expanded to the care of the elderly medical wards.

Said Peter: “I think my experience helped me to reassure patients that it is possible to regain confidence and regain a useful and interesting life after having heart surgery.  I felt so well after my operation I really felt as energetic as I had been in my 20s. My work at St. Peter’s has been very interesting and I hope I have been able to make the patient’s path a little smoother while they have been with us.”

Peter joined the NHS 20 years ago after setting up and running a retirement home, following a period in the hotel industry. But his most colourful memories of his working life go back to the early 1960s when he trained as a ballroom and Latin American dancer, and worked as a male model. This led him into the world of Mecca Ballrooms and by 1966 he was their manager at Tiffany’s in York. A year later Mecca was taken over by Eric and Julia Morley and Peter became personal assistant to Julia working alongside her for three years in a major organisational role for both the Miss World and the All Nation beauty competition titles.

Said Peter: “They were exciting days.  I had the role of compare as well as being involved in the judging and it was then that I learnt the importance of using cards for all your notes - something I still do now when I am commenting on the junior handlers at Crufts.”

His doggy diary for this summer is already filling up with Pekinese judging in Oxfordshire in March, Crufts at the NEC inBirmingham followed by judging the Toy Breed section in the Dog of the Year competition. Mid-summer sees him heading for Sweden to judge Great Danes and Leonburgers.

Said Peter: “The National Health Service gave me my health back so that I could work long enough to retire, and I will never loose sight of that fact. Of course I shall miss the quick wit and repartee of life on the wards but I am looking forward to having more time for my commitments in the world of judging and commentating. Wherever I go I am an ambassador of both the NHS and the “Give up smoking, improve your health” message – and I’m hoping to be going to lots of places for a long time to come!”

Peter will be Guest-of-the-Day on Hospital Radio Wey on Monday 2 April from 18.00-19.00hrs when he will be talking about his life and selecting his choice of music.  One of his first requests will be Ave Maria, reminding him of the first solo he sang which was in St. Theresa’s Church, Morden, where he was a choirboy.  Peter was the first baby to be baptised there and went on to make his 1st Communion and his Confirmation.