AN 89-year-old woman has checked out from her final shift after 47 "lovely" years at Sainsbury's.
Joan Pearson, 89, from Oakley, known as 'Queenie', has spent nearly half a century working at Sainsbury's in Basingstoke's town centre.
To celebrate her final shift on Wednesday, March 19, her colleagues, past and present, organised a surprise party in the staffroom. Cakes, cookies, balloons and more were laid out for guests to enjoy.
"I wasn't expecting a party," Joan said, " I thought they had asked me down for a sandwich and a coffee.
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"There are all these people I know from years back, it's like a big family."
Joan began her career on February 3, 1978 when she worked in the butchery department, packing up the produce at the town centre's original Sainsbury's store which was in the same spot that Iceland is now located.
Since then she has held various positions in the store, which eventually moved to its current location in The Malls, where she finished her career working as a cashier on the checkouts.
She said: "I've seen big changes working here, when I first became a cashier it was much simpler, you had to put the price in yourself and there was no scanning barcodes.
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"I spent three years in the old building where Iceland is, started in the butchers but moved around to all sorts of different jobs.
"I used to love doing the food demonstrations. I just love meeting new people."
Joan explained how some of her favourite memories from her time at Sainsbury's were at the Christmas parties.
She said: "We used to have a proper kitchen where we would have lovely hot meals together and at Christmas time all the managers would serve meals to staff.
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"They would put on a show as they served dinner to us."
Joan said that she "decided overnight" that she was going to retire before she turns 90 in June, and wants to "enjoy the summer, if we get it."
She added: "It really is a lovely place. I love the people, which is why I stayed this long.
"The customers brought me presents, lots of them, and people made the effort to be here. It's been memorable."
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Joan's colleague, Jackie Taphouse, helped to arrange the day.
She said: "She's an amazing woman, just brilliant.
"It's fantastic, it has been an honour and an absolute pleasure to have worked with her for nearly eight years.
"We're going to get her tickets to see Russell Watson, he's her favourite musician."
In a speech at the party, store manager Matt Cook added: "47 years, approaching half a century, loyal service to Sainsbury's is something to be proud of.
"I've worked for Sainsbury's for 27 years and you started four years before I was born. To put that into perspective, the level of service is something to be proud of.
"I've worked out that you have served over 100,000 customers over the years. It really does deserve a lot of recognition.
"I want to say a massive thank you on behalf of Sainsbury's, your colleagues and most of all, on behalf of your customers."
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