Pat Hukins, 92, who has retired after cleaning the bus shelters in High Halden for more than 40 years

by Tricia Jamieson

After more than 40 years of keeping the bus shelters in High Halden spick and span, 92-year-old Pat Hukins has decided to call it a day.

She has been dusting, sweeping and polishing the two shelters twice a week, helped at first by her late husband Jack and latterly by daugher Jane Adams.

"I can't manage to get across the busy road any more," said Mrs Hukins, who lives in The Chennels in the village.

"I also have sciatica, otherwise I would be carrying on. I took great pride in my work and am sad to have had to stop."

Mrs Hukins' routine included polishing the glass in the windows – until it was broken in one of the shelters and not replaced – sweeping out and polishing the benches.

"Sometimes it would take me an hour to do each one, depending on how dirty they were," she said.

"It kept me busy. People used to stop and ask me for directions or where a certain person lived, so I was a bit of a village information centre."

Mrs Hukins started the cleaning on a voluntary basis but then was paid by the parish council.

"In the beginning, I used to do one shelter and my husband, who was on the parish council for 20 years, did the other," she said. "We were asked if we would look after both of them."

To thank her for her work, Mrs Hukins was presented with flowers and a box of chocolates by parish council chairman, Cllr Alan Pickering. He told her: "I was hoping to persuade you to stay on for another 10 years."

The council hopes someone will come forward and offer to take over the cleaning. There is a small amount of pay.

Anyone interested should email the council clerk, Suzanne Carmichael, at s.carmichael@live.co.uk

So will Mrs Hukins be putting her feet up now? "Oh no," she said. "I still do everything for myself."