Loyal employee celebrates 25 years at Shrewsbury Marks & Spencer
A loyal Marks and Spencer employee is celebrating 25 years working for the company in Shrewsbury.
Paula Davies was only 15 and just out of school when she joined M & S at their Darwin Centre store and the mum of three from Bicton Heath is still there.
She said: “My birthday was in August so I was young for my year in school and was still 15 when I left the Priory School.
“I was on groceries and I used to stack the shelves and have all the labels on the tins facing the same way – and then one of the other girls would come along and turn them all round.
“But I’ve loved it and done lots of different things over the years and I’ve enjoyed all of them.”
Paula is now the store’s Recruitment and Development Advisor, responsible for organising training for new employees and soon to organise the intake of Christmas temporary staff.
She and husband Dave have received a fantastic celebration package to mark her 25 years with the iconic company including an overnight stay in London’s Hilton Hotel with a cocktail party and dinner and tickets for We Will Rock You, the Queen musical in the West End.
M & S Shrewsbury Store Manager Martin Woodhouse said: “Paula is a key player for the store and has done so much over the years both here and in helping at other stores.
“She’s very enthusiastic and well organised and has done just about everything – she’s a model employee and really deserves the reward she is getting.”
Football fan Paula is a keen Shrewsbury Town supporter and was with Dave and eldest son Jack at the Greenhous Meadow for the stunning 3-1 Carling Cup win over Premiership Swansea.
“I was there,” she said: “Dave and Jack are season ticket-holders but I like to go as well and cheer them on.
The thoroughly modern mum also finds time to take seven-year-old son Cai to drama and dance classes and encourage him in his role as the scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz while looking forward to future shopping trips with three-year-old Ella.
Paula still loves her job: “I’ve no plans to leave,” she said: “I do love the organising and planning and it is a great place to work, the people, customers and staff are lovely.
“I have done lots of different things over the years, including management and administration, personnel, textiles and just about everywhere.
“I’ve always been based here in Shrewsbury but I’ve helped out with setting up new teams at Merry Hill in Birmingham, at Bristol, Stoke and Chester.”
