A dinner lady who has worked at the same school in Cwmbran for 30 years has retired and hung up her apron.
Lynette Brimble, 65, had her last day at Blenheim Road Community Primary School os Wednesday. The school opened in 2007 on the same site as Fairwater Junior and Infants, where she started work in 1994.
Cwmbran Life asked her what she loved about the job.
She said: “Well, just the children, you know, they’re different every day and funny. They make me laugh and it gives me a break out of the house. The staff have always been brilliant. It’s been a lovely school and I’ve loved it.:
“I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’ve loved it. I don’t if I want to go now.”
Her retirement plans include more midweek lunches with her husband, Terence, and being able to go away on holiday during term times.
Work colleague Danielle McCarthy said: “She was one of my dinner ladies when I was in primary at this school many, many years ago. She is a loyal, caring, compassionate, lovely lady with a heart of gold.
“She was dinner lady to all three of my children. And if ever there was a problem, she would take care of it like she would for me all those years ago.
“We would joke about how she hasn’t changed a bit since I was younger, and she’ll say that she would have.
“And some of the children even say to her, ‘you were my nan’s dinner lady and my mum’s dinner lady’ which tells us that she’s done her time and it’s time to hang up that overall.
“But things are just not going to be the same. nothing is too much trouble for her. It’s not going to be the same without her here.”
Paul Keane, the executive headteacher of the Federation of Blenheim Road Community and Coed Eva Primary School’s said: “Mrs Brimble has been a pillar of our school and community for over 30 years, and has touched the lives of thousands of children (many of whom are now parents at our school) in her long decades of service to Blenheim Road.
“We would like to wish Mrs Brimble the very best of happiness and health for her well-deserved retirement and hope that she gets to enjoy more time with her family and friends. We also hope she will not be a stranger and will pop by to see us whenever she can so that she keeps in touch with our Blenheim Road family, of which she will always be such an important part.”