Hanworth cook lays down her ladle

During her three decades at Lindon-Bennett she has made thousands of meals but unlike many school kitchens she shunned the introduction of microwave food, always insisting on cooking with fresh ingredients.

"I've always cooked from scratch at home and in the school kitchen," said the mother-of-three, who has lived in Hanworth her whole life. "In fact the food we serve today is still very similar to what I used to cook when I first started. Any kind of roast dinner is always a favourite and the kids love bolognese and chicken curries."

But it is with her old-fashioned puddings, where Mrs Nickols really comes into her own. Lucky youngsters at Lindon-Bennett still enjoy all her traditional sponge, custard and trifle recipes, as well as jelly and blancmange.

The popular dinner lady will not be quickly forgotten, when she final lays down her ladle tomorrow, she will leave her daughter Debbie Maher to carry on the family tradition in the kitchen, while her granddaughter Jodie, works at the school as a classroom assistant.

She said: "I'll miss everyone when I go - they're a lovely lot. We've always been like one big family."