A SALES assistant was certainly the pick of the bunch when she received a surprise bouquet on the day of her retirement.

Natalie Lord was given the blooms at the Super Shop in Lee Green by staff from her landlord of nearly 30 years, the London & Quadrant Housing Trust.

She said: "It was such a surprise, I was delighted and so happy". London & Quadrant staff were regular customers at the shop but she didn't realise they had spread the word that she was also one of the association's earliest tenants.

Mrs Lord said she was thankful for the help London and Quadrant gave her and her husband in 1968 when they needed somewhere to live. She said: "Quadrant sorted us out. That was such a lovely flat. We were very happy there. I remember in those days we couldn't keep pets. But we used to have a budgie. Whenever the housing officer came around, we had to hide it in the wardrobe. Eventually we were given permission to keep it."

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