'I have no plans to retire at 82, but I never thought I would still be working here 40 years on'

Published on Saturday 31 December 2005 01:46

A POSTMISTRESS and a cleaner are among the less-celebrated figures to receive awards.

Barbara Nicolson has run the tiny post office in the village of Lemreway in South Lochs, Lewis, for almost 40 years and has received an MBE for her services to the Royal Mail and the Western Isles.

She said she was "thrilled" to receive the award - and insisted that she has no plans to retire, despite the fact she will be 82 next September.

Mrs Nicolson, who began working in the post office on 1 April, 1966, said: "My brain is still alert so there's no reason for me to stop.

"I never thought I would still be working here 40 years on, but a lot of my customers are quite elderly so they need my help."

Sheena Grant, a cleaner at Aberdeen University, initially disregarded her letter from the Prime Minister's office informing her that she was to receive an MBE in recognition of her services to education.

Mrs Grant, who has worked at the university for 22 years and chairs its branch of the public services union Unison, said: "The letter arrived in November, but because I'm a Labour Party member I've seen letters from the Prime Minister before so I put it to one side.

"I got a lot of mail that day and it was actually the last letter I opened. My first reaction was that it was a wind-up, but once I'd read further I realised it wasn't.

"I'm still in a bit of shock, but it means I can have a double celebration for New Year."