CAREER girl Beverly Massey will take time off from the pressures of being a troubleshooter for a top store to return to her old school.

The last time 28-year-old Beverly was involved in her school speech night, it was as head girl and her name then was Dixon.

When newly-married Beverly returns to Oakhill College, Whalley, on Friday she will be guest of honour for the annual prize giving.

She was one of the first ever pupils at the independent school and the first head girl. And she can't wait to meet some of today's pupils to compare notes.

Beverly continued her studies at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School before studying agriculture at Newcastle University for three years.

Then her career took a complete turnaround and she joined Marks and Spencers' trainee management programme. Now, after six years at branches all around the country, Beverly is personnel manager at the Bayswater store in London.

With 250 staff to work with and opening hours of 10am-10pm and Sunday opening from noon-6pm, Beverly can't help but be very involved with her work.

She said: "I deal with everything from controlling the salary bill to training, recruitment and counselling and it has become much more than a full time job.

"We are the only Marks and Spencer store in the country to have such unusual shopping hours and it is amazing to see people coming in for things like bread and milk as well as clothes and gifts late at night.

"I was delighted to be asked back to Oakhill as a special guest and I am planning to meet some of the children to see how the school has changed since I left."

The speech night is at St Mary's College, Blackburn, but Beverly is also calling in to visit Oakhill.

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