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A crowd of more than 40 gathered on Thursday to celebrate Maureen
Rogers' 20 years of loyal service to the Fishermen's Mission at
Newlyn."This is not a retirement service, indeed not, as we want many
more years of service from Maureen, if she will allow it, because she
is a prime part of this mission," said superintendent David Whitehead.
Originally
from Walsall in the West Midlands, Maureen and husband Mick decided to
seek a better life in Cornwall just over 20 years ago.
"I
applied for a job at the mission to serve as a cook and spoke to the
superintendent, Ray Hall, who asked me if I had any catering
experience," she said.
"I can remember saying to him 'yes',
because I had raised a family and that's the best experience anyone can
get - so I got the job."
Mr Whitehead said: "This is a very
special day as Maureen has on this very day achieved two decades of
serving the mission, and we want to mark that by saying thank you to
her."
Elizabeth Bolitho, of the Newlyn Mission's advisory
committee, presented Mrs Rogers with a certificate, flowers and a cake
bearing the RNMDSF logo.
She said: "I gather this is a quiet
time at the mission as you are all listening rather than drinking tea
and eating the superb breakfasts cooked by Maureen.
"I must say
how, over the past 50 years, I have seen the mission at Newlyn change
from a place that was rather grotty to a wonderful place for fishermen
and all sorts of people.
"Maureen and her colleagues have been,
and continue to be, largely responsible for keeping a good atmosphere
at the mission, and Maureen's hard work over the past 20 years has been
a major factor in how this mission is run.
"Only by looking at
the crowds gathering at the mission every day is that fact proven. Now
we probably have the biggest mission canteen in the country, and with
people like Maureen, it will continue to be so.
"We all give
thanks to her for her hard work and long may it continue. Just think of
all the thousands, probably millions, of cups of tea she has served,
the plates and crockery she has cleared up after you, helped cook the
food that is eaten at the mission, and all sorts of other things that
keep up its profile and high standards.
Article copyright WESTERN MORNING NEWS
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