89-year-old veteran who placed ad seeking work starts new job

LONDON -- An 89-year-old army veteran who made national headlines in Britain with a newspaper ad seeking work has started his new job.

The Cantina Kitchen & Bar in the seaside town of Paignton in southwestern England announced on its Facebook page that Joe Bartley was starting work Sunday.

“He’s a really super guy and it seems like he’s going to fit right into our lovely bunch of staff,” the restaurant wrote on Facebook. “He is coming along for his first shift this Sunday. He’ll also be sharing our family (sic) christmas day with us.”

The widower, whose wife died two years ago, placed the ad because he was “dying of boredom.” He says his building has a community area but “not a soul comes in,” and when he returns home, there’s “nobody to talk to.”

The local cafe made him an offer and the Herald Express newspaper posted a video of Bartley walking in to applause.

Bartley told the BBC he was “overwhelmed by all the attention” and was looking forward to “getting down to the job.”