ST HELEN'S Hollinfare said goodbye to two members of staff at the end of the school term, when assistant cook Dorothy Hodson and caretaker Gordon Bannister retired.

It was a sad farewell to the two popular staff members. Dorothy, aged 62, retired on health grounds after helping to serve up dinners at the school for the past 25 years.

She said: "I've seen lots of changes in my 25 years here. I've seen a lot of different children come through the doors and now I'm serving food to children of children who used to come to school here.

"I'm really going to miss everybody at the school."

Dorothy hopes to be able to spend more time pursuing her hobbies of flower arranging and painting.

The most popular dinner served up in her 25 years at the school is the cook's cheese flan with rice.

But she doesn't think she'll be able to say goodbye to the school that easily. She said: "I'm sure I'll pop into school from time to time to say hello and see how things are getting on."

Leaving on the same day as Dorothy was 75-year-old caretaker Gordon Bannister. Although Gordon had been at the school for only two years, he was just as sorry to be saying goodbye.

"I don't want to leave," said Gordon. "But at 75 I'm too old and I've got to retire."

Gordon is the father of former QPR footballer Gary Bannister, while his daughter Julie represented England in the women's hockey team.