For Thelma Creese and Stephanie Newbury, working at a Trowbridge pharmacy has been a way of life since 1969. But from this week they will be putting their feet up.

The pair started working at the Lauder and Gamlin Pharmacy within one month of each other and have finally retired on the same day.

Mrs Newbury has worked on the shop floor since July 1969, while Mrs Creese joined the dispensary in August of the same year.

On Tuesday, staff at the Bradford Road pharmacy gave them both a big send-off, with two homemade cakes and some flowers.

Now Mrs Newbury, 64, of Semington, plans to enjoy her retirement in the French villa she owns.

She said: “My husband I will be spending more time there, but I’m going to miss the girls here at the pharmacy and the customers I have met over the years, who we have made friends with.

“I’ve seen some of our customers have babies, seen them grow up and now they come in here themselves.”

Mrs Creese, 63, of Broughton Gifford, said: “I’d like to see more of this country and spend more time in the garden, now that I will have more time on my hands.

“I’ve had some wonderful variety at work in this job. No two days have been the same and I will miss that.”

The mother-of-two left the company in 1974 to have her children, but was back in 1985 to reprise her role.

Pharmacy owner John Lauder, 64, said it would be hard to replace the wealth of experience that the two women had brought to the business.

Mr Lauder, who went into partnership with Gerry Gamlin in 1978, said: “They have been very loyal to me and always turned up for work.

“The customers have got a good rapport with them and that sort of experience is very hard to find.”