WHEN Margaret Lawrence started out as secretary at St Nicholas Priory Junior School in Great Yarmouth the typewriter was still in use and phones were of the chunky black variety, with large receivers.

WHEN Margaret Lawrence started out as secretary at St Nicholas Priory Junior School in Great Yarmouth the typewriter was still in use and phones were of the chunky black variety, with large receivers.

The 68-year-old Newtown resident recalled the days when teachers conducted lessons in a “chalk and talk” fashion using blackboards rather than the modern use of PCs connected to whiteboards.

But today, the school's longest serving employee will be switching off her PC for the last time when she retires after 30 years involvement with the school.

The mother-of-two, who is currently the school's part-time financial officer, decided to call it a day because new systems were being introduced to her position and she did not want to learn another way of working.

But she said: “I have taken the decision with regret and I will miss the children and the staff.”

However, she will take away many happy memories of her time with the pupils, particularly the school holidays she went on to Cornwall and other parts of the country, as well as the friendships she has made.

When she became the school's secretary in 1972 her family already had an association with the school as her youngest son attended while she worked there and two of her grandchildren - Staci and Amanda Lawrence, 17 and 13 - have since been pupils.

As a parting gift, she received flowers and a card signed by 70 staff members and on Wednesday the school organised a special celebratory lunch for her in the staff room.