AFTER 39 years of working for chief executives at Stroud District Council, PA Hazel Smith has bid a fond farewell to her colleagues.

Hazel, of Nupend near Whitminster, first joined SDC in March 1977, aged 26, to work under chief executive Dennis Collins.

"Things were very different then," remembers Hazel, 65, who moved to the Stroud area from the West Midlands aged 12.

"I remember we used typewriters and there was no spell check so we were not allowed to make one mistake.

"I have been fortunate to work under three very fair chief executives, it has been an absolute delight."

After 13 years at SDC Hazel nearly left to work for a computing firm in Gloucester.

She was offered a job, but then reconsidered and decided to stay on at SDC.

From 1990 she worked as PA to Richard Ollin until 2001 when David Hagg became the new chief executive.

A farewell party attended by Mr Collins, Ollin and Hagg was held at Ebley Mill last Tuesday, August 23, before Hazel's last day on Friday.

"It was nice to see old faces," said Hazel, a mum of two and grandmother of five.

"I shall miss the job.

"There was no urgency to retire but it just felt like the right thing to do.

"It is a bit surreal, it has not really sunk in yet."

She is planning to spend more time on a project researching the history of the Stroudwater Navigation Archive Charity in her retirement.