Time to carve out retirement

Fresh out of school at 16 Lorraine Hannah began work on her parents’ tobacco farm in Hope but, after a half-day on the end of a hoe, decided it wasn’t for her.
She soon secured work at the Nelson Freezing Company, a meat processing plant, and Lorraine has remained in that same industry for nearly half a century, working in administration after beginning as a cashier.
There’s been a few changes over the 47-plus years of her career, some being the company’s change from Alliance to Premier and finally today’s Westmeat.
“I just kept staying on as it would change. I guess it’s better the devil you know than the one you don’t,” says Lorraine.
The integration of computers forced her to learn those skills and while she admits she’s no butcher, she definitely knows her meats and is partial to ribeye and scotch fillet steaks.
Now though, Lorraine is calling time on her lengthy career and on June 29 will retire from Richmond’s Westmeat.
“I decided it’s about time to get out and have a bit of r ‘n’ r, I’m going to enjoy life.”
She’ll be spending a lot of her new-found spare time with Owen, her husband who retired from the freezing works four years ago.
“I’m going to miss the people, but not having to get up to go to work is going to be great!”