Loveable Leigh Park lollipop lady retires after 12 years

Come rain, hail or shine, Tina Cole has been there to brighten up the days of youngsters crossing at Riders Junior School and Front Lawn Primary Academy.

Tina Cole, 75, celebrated her last day at Dunsbury Way, Riders Junior School on Friday (October 13) with children and parents gifting her chocolate and flowers, cards and a handwritten letter from a pupil to give her a ‘lovely’ send-off.

“My front room is like a florist,” said Tina, who has lived in Leigh Park since she was two.

“I had a big send-off. People brought me flowers. I had about 12 bunches of flowers. Directly, I got home, I said, “Oh my god they must love me”. The presents I got were just lovely. And I had about 15 cards.”

Tina’s friends came together to bring her a ‘Happy Retirement’ cake at her home in Leigh Park decorated lovingly with Tina’s lollipop. She described her last day as a lollipop lady as ‘the end of an era’ after having to leave her post on medical grounds.

The stalwart patrolled for Front Lawn Academy for five years before working as a lollipop lady at Riders Junior School for a further seven years. She previously worked as a dinner lady for 15 years at Sharps Copse Primary School in Havant and sees her retirement as a ‘time to stop and take things easy’.

Speaking on how she felt about leaving, Tina said: “I wasn’t feeling too bad [on the day] but I was today when all my coats went back. My boss came and got them all at about 11.30 am and that’s when it hit me.

“The children were always so happy. I always said good morning to them. They’d say “hello lolly lady” - that’s what they called me. But now it’s like the end of an era. It's time to stop and take things easy now.”

One pupil wrote a note to Tina on Friday saying, ‘May you be proud of the work you have done. Happy retirement.’