"I'm one of Britain's longest serving dinner ladies - I've spent 50 years in the job"

One of Britain's longest serving dinner ladies has no plans to hang up her apron after 50 years in the job - and more than 1.7 million meals.<br /><br />Rosemary Stokes, 73, started working school kitchens in 1974.<br /><br />Fast forward half a century and she is still keeping children fed - now at St. Thomas More Primary.<br /><br />She joined the Birmingham school in 1985 after spending 11 years at nearby Lyndon Green Infant School.<br /><br />Now the lead catering supervisor, Rosemary estimates she has served 180 dinners a day over the last five decades.<br /><br />And with 190 days in the average primary school year, that works out at 1,710,000 dinners across her career.<br /><br />Staff and pupils at St. Thomas More surprise Rosemary with flowers, chocolate and a cake on her 50-year anniversary.<br /><br />The great-gran-of-six from South Yardley said: "It was just fabulous. It was a bit of a blur.<br /><br />"I'd been invited to the school assembly as they were doing a pancake assembly.<br /><br />"So of course when I went into the assembly I was given a seat and all of sudden I looked to the right and saw my boss and I was confused.<br /><br />"Then I looked to the right and there were my two daughters and my friends and after that, a photograph popped on the screen at the front of the hall and I thought 'they've got me!'<br /><br />"They presented me with flowers, chocolate, a cake and a speech from the headmaster. <br /><br />"I think I did a speech so it was a bit of a blur!<br /><br />"Some of the children told me how much they loved the dinners which was lovely."<br /><br />Rosemary - who works for the school on behalf of Birmingham City Council - says the reason she's stayed in the job for so long is because of the "love" she has for it.<br /><br />She said: "I just think it's the variety and the different things you go through. <br /><br />"Everything changes and I love seeing the children come along and try different things and that's so rewarding.<br /><br />"We change the dishes quite regularly and they just try different things.<br /><br />"I go to work and every day I love it. <br /><br />"It doesn't phase me in any way at all, I just really love it. It's hard to explain.<br /><br />"People have asked if I'm going to retire but I'm not going anywhere yet. <br /><br />"There's not been a day since I've started that I haven't wanted to go into the kitchens - you could say I'm mad!<br /><br />"It's really gone quickly. I can't believe it's 50 years. Although I knew it was coming round to 50 I didn't actually remember when it would be!<br /><br />"I've always been lucky to work with such lovely people and that makes all the difference too."<br /><br />Rosemary's favourite dish to cook is one from her book of 1950s classics - chocolate concrete.<br /><br />She said: "I've got this very old book and that's where the chocolate concrete recipe comes from. Everybody loves it so it has to be chocolate concrete."<br /><br />The mum-of-two dinner guidlines have changed over the years - and she has had to welcome technology.<br /><br />Rosemary said: "Lots of the meals have changed and we have to follow more nutritional guidelines which we always did really but now there's more allergen and dietary requirements.<br /><br />"The children's behaviour changes over the years but they just follow things that go in school really.<br /><br />"I was a bit horrified a few years ago when I discovered a laptop - I said it wouldn't be able to cook anything!<br /><br />"We do all the newsletters via the laptop now which is quite bizarre for me.<br /><br />"They get four meal choices every day so they just come and choose what they want. Sometimes we have themed days which is nice.<br /><br />"The school building has changed a lot too - 16 years ago I was chuffed as I had a brand new kitchen with new dining rooms. That's all improved greatly."<br /><br />A number of dinner ladies have reached 50 years of service.<br /><br />Brenda Rotherham retired last year after a half-century at a Merseyside school.<br /><br />And Ellie Grimsley ticked off 50 years at a school in Norfolk in 2018.