Farewell to ‘mother hen’ 58 years to the day after she started working at Hull City Council

A Hull City Council staff member has retired 58 years to the day since she first started working at the Guildhall.

Judith Chicken’s final role was as a service support officer in the council’s neighbourhood and housing area teams.

The self-confessed – and aptly named – ‘mother hen’ says she now plans to have “a good rest”, dote on her three grandchildren, and get away in the caravan to the Yorkshire Dales.

She was 17 when she first stepped into the Guildhall on September 23, 1968 as a shorthand typist in the council’s education department.

Judith Chicken has retired after more than half a century working in local government. She plans to have ‘a good rest’.

She added: “I had two goals – I wanted to get to 75 whilst still in work, and I wanted to finish on the anniversary of my first day.

"When I started at the council, the retirement age for women was 60, so I could have finished years ago. But I’ve always liked what I did.”

The leader of Hull City Council, Coun Mike Ross, said: “I’d like to pay tribute to Judith for a fantastic career working within the council.”