A HARD-WORKING Worcester woman has been honoured by employers at a champagne reception after notching up four decades of loyal service
Diane Repton was recognised by Marks & Spencer at a ceremony in London after working at one of Britain’s best loved retailers for 40 years.
Diane, who lives in Worcester, began her career at M&S Worcester in 1975 when she was 25 years old.
At that time, stock was kept under the counter and crimplene fabric was all the rage.
Starting out in the food department, Diane went on to work across a number of departments before joining the lingerie team in 2013.
Diane is regularly recognised by customers for her attentive help and advice on lingerie fitting, an area in which she holds exceptional knowledge and expertise.
Her fitting career started with shirts, trousers and jackets in the menswear department, and Diane now helps the women of Worcester find beautifully designed and fitted lingerie.
Her customers range from young women coming in for their very first bra fitting, to women in need of post-surgery support or something a bit special.
“Looking back over the past four decades, it’s amazing to think of the memories I’ve collected with M&S, and how fantastically varied my career has been – I even once appeared in Edwardian dress for our Charity of the Year fund-raising event!,” she said.
“Throughout this time I’ve maintained my passion for meeting people on a daily basis and I value the trust they hold in me.
“I have often been referred to as the resident expert for queries on vests and knickers!
“I appreciate every opportunity the company has given me and it has been wonderful to remain with M&S to hit another anniversary,” Diane added.
As part of the celebrations, Diane joined 62 other long-serving colleagues from across the UK, all of whom were celebrating 25, 40 or 50 years’ service.
Together those being recognized have collectively accrued over 1,790 years of service with M&S.
The company has celebrated long service since 1918 and rewarding the effort of colleagues to serve customers remains an important M&S tradition.
Over the years almost 19,000 employees have celebrated 25 years of service and over 1,000 have worked for the retailer for 40 years.
