‘I think I gave it a good go’: Newbury woman Mary celebrates retiring at 81

A Newbury woman has celebrated her retirement at the great age of 81.

Mary Fueger has thrown in the towel after working at Newbury law firm, Horsey Lightly Solicitors, for the past 27 years — only stopping full-time work in November.

Mrs Fueger joined the company as a receptionist after moving to Newbury 35 years ago.

Reflecting on her long and enjoyable career, she told newburytoday: “It is bittersweet, but everything comes to an end, doesn’t it.

“After 27 years, I looked at them all and I thought, ‘these are like family’. You see them every day.”

Mrs Fueger also worked at the Ford Motor Company in Dagenham for many years.

She then worked at Ark Consultants in Newbury for eight years, before moving to Thatcham-based film equipment supplier, Quantel.

She eventually joined Horsey Lightly, where she says she took up to 300 calls each day.

“When I started there, things were an awful lot different,” she explained.

“You were taking one call after another, which is what I liked.

“Apart from that, it was welcoming all the clients, which I’ve always loved. I’m a people person.”

But about two years ago, all of this stopped, she added.

The introduction of automated phone systems and the impact of the pandemic changed the way she and her colleagues worked.

“The pandemic changed an awful lot of things,” she added. “The clients were no longer coming in.

“Normally, they would all come in and I would sit down, have a tea and chat with them. But all of that kind of disappeared.

“With all the changes, it wasn’t my scene anymore. Though I still enjoyed it.”

Mrs Fueger also somehow found the time to raise a family over in Maryland and California amid her busy working life.

She concluded: “I think I gave it a good go.

“All of my friends said ‘Mary, when are you going to retire?’

“But I thought, well, if you’re healthy and if you enjoy your work, why not?”

And when asked how she plans to spend her retirement, Mrs Fueger replied: “Have you got any jobs open?”

Her colleagues hosted a retirement party at Horsey Lightly on March 28, where Mrs Fueger entertained with a speech and showing a collection of photos from over the years.