Lift-trap ladies joke their way to freedom

Reporter: ALEX CAREY
Date published: 08 September 2014


FIVE members of Failsworth Townswomen’s Guild cracked jokes to keep their spirits up getting stuck in a lift for more than half an hour.

And their knock-knock jokes were most effective: one of the women banged on the doors with her walking stick to attract attention!

The lift was taking the ladies up to their monthly meeting at Failsworth Town Hall when it stopped between floors. The five pensioners — the eldest Betty Griffiths (81), the youngest Ray Burns (74) — had only each other’s company to keep them going. Also stuck were Barbara Bevington (76), Beryl Reid (80) and Lillian Halliwell (76).

Barbara laughed as she relived the experience: “Suddenly the lift stopped between floors. We didn’t really panic. We laughed and joked to keep each other going as we were in there for quite a while.

“All of us have a great sense of humour, which helped — we just cracked jokes while we were in there.”

The lift had stopped close to the meeting room and they could hear everyone talking. Ray began to bang on the doors with her walking stick and shouted: “Don’t forget we’re in here. Don’t start without us!”

Firefighters freed the group using a lift key — at which point their meeting could begin: “We didn’t even have time for a cup of tea,” Barbara said