GETTING a job was a much simpler affair back in the day, or so says an Alloa woman who is retiring after 48 years at a solicitors’.

Carol Lawson is looking forward to her dancing and singing clubs after wrapping it all up at the town’s Russel + Aitken for the final time last Thursday, August 10.

The 74-year-old took on a part-time legal secretarial role with Mr Grant at Allan Grant Solicitors - the firm was later taken over.

She told the Advertiser that she “didn’t even apply for the job”. Through word of mouth her husband heard there might be a job going at the office, which was at Shillinghill back then.

Carol said: “So I went in there: ‘Any part time jobs?’.”

She was told to head upstairs for a quick interview, the next thing Mr Grant was at her house during lunchtime the same day, asking what hours she wanted.

This was on a Friday, Carol started her job on Monday the next week and once the kids were out of school, she went full time and never looked back.

Initially, it was six months’ trial, but Carol said: “And after 48 years, I’m still on six months’ trial – never got a proper contract.

“It was a lot simpler – I just went in and asked, I don’t know how I had the courage actually, I couldn’t do it now”, she added.

Carol, who has a daughter and a son as well as two grandchildren, said she has many fond memories from the past five decades, including nights out, parties and trips to the theatre in London – with half of the costs covered by the solicitors.

She continued: “I wish I kept a note of how many staff we had coming and going, because it would have been quite a lot.

“We all got on well and had some good times.”

Carol admits she was sorry to be leaving and was unsure what she would do with all the free time.

But the modern dance classes at the church hall in Causewayhead, Stirling, as well as the tap dance classes with the folk in Tillicoultry will be a good start, alongside the singing with Clackmannanshire Choral Society.