Andy Cooke: popular bus driver approaching final stop on Carrickfergus town service after quarter of a century
A very popular Translink driver is preparing to park his bus for the final time after working on the Carrickfergus town service for 25 years.
Andy Cooke, who is retiring from the public transport provider on June 30, is a well-known face around the east Antrim town.
He has watched his passengers grow from being school children to adults with their own children in turn now using the service.
Over the past quarter of a century, he has earned a reputation for not only looking after all his passengers but going above and beyond, helping them with groceries in bad weather and asking for wellness checks if he hasn't seen them for a few days or so.
Andy says there are people he “knows very well from being on the bus every day” and a lot of them being of an older generation would often give him "a packet of sweets or biscuits”.
Therefore, it is hardly surprising, when asked what he will miss most about his job, he replies his “passengers”.
When Andy is not driving, he looks after his team of show budgerigars. He has a shed where he breeds them and last weekend took first, second and third place in a Co Antrim show.
And while he will be taking his foot off the pedal professionally, he will be moving up a gear on his hobby pursuit. Andy’s goal for next year is to attend the World Budgerigar Show with the aim of bringing home the title – now, that would an open-top bus occasion!