Ref. 11832/3CATERING assistant Margaret Hayward has retired after 25 years of serving up lunch to pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School, in Great Cheverell.

Mrs Hayward, 69, said a sad farewell to the pupils and staff just before Christmas. "It was a hard decision to retire and I am going to miss it," she said.

"I have loved getting to know the children and being in touch with all that was going on at the school. It's a friendly school."

Mrs Hayward, who lives in Great Cheverell, has four grandchildren who are pupils at the school and her daughters work at the school. Daughter Ann Heath is a teaching assistant and Jane Andrew is a midday supervisor.

Headteacher John Bridges said: "Margaret is an absolute gem and she is incredibly knowledgeable about the village.

"She is very friendly and has helped me enormously in my five years at the school.

"She is so reliable that it will be quite odd when we return to school and she is not there serving dinners."

On her final day of term Mrs Hayward was presented with flowers and chocolates. A leaving celebration for Mrs Hayward will be held at the school on February 4.