Doreen Burns, for 13 years the ace receptionist at the Langworthy Cornerstone community centre, retired on Friday as friends and colleagues threw a big tea party in her honour.
"It's been a joy working with Doreen" said Maureen Skillander, centre co-ordinator "She's the stalwart of the Cornerstone; clients lover her, we love her, she's kind, she's funny, she's feisty. There isn't anything she wouldn't do for anybody..."
Over the years, as well as the day to day help she gave to local people, Doreen has joined in enthusiastically with the centre's fun days, ranging from mad bush tucker trials to a wacky World Cup cavort, Tudor and art happenings.
At the retirement party, centre manager, John Phillips, read out a list of words that colleagues had used to describe Doreen, which included `friendly, generous, caring, intelligent, thoughtful, fabulous' and `slightly regal'...
...There's nothing regal in Doreen's plans for retirement. Shunning world cruises, she says she'll be back at the Cornerstone volunteering...
"No travel, I want to make myself useful, volunteering for the Cornerstone" she explained "When I first came to work here it was an NHS building and we had to pass everything we did by the NHS; what we put on the walls, what we did in the building...but now it's just a brilliant community centre that everyone can use.
"I've really enjoyed it" she added "It's been more than a job; absolutely more than a job. The people have made it; the people I work with, and the people who come in the building are just the best. I'm thinking of this as a beginning, not an end..."
The Salford Star gets the feeling that we'll be seeing plenty more of Doreen in the years to come...