IT was the year colour TV was first beamed into UK homes, the Beatles released Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. And, in 1967, nervous 16-year-old shop assistant Jackie Trinder started her first full-time job at the Elliston & Cavell store.

Almost 43 years later Miss Trinder celebrated her 60th birthday on Friday by clocking into work at what is now Debenhams for the last time.

She said: “I started work here on July 31st in 1967. I left school and that was what was available at the time, I needed to work.”

The Elliston & Cavell shop on the corner of Magdalen Street, Oxford, at the time was a four-storey building specialising in fashion and “every branch of furnishing and decoration for the home”.

It was described in a 1895 business review as “the leading silk mercers, costumiers, carpet and bedstead warehousemen in Oxford”.

The shop became part of the Debenhams group in the early 1950s, and Debenhams then officially rebranded the store in 1973.

Miss Trinder has worked in the back office throughout all the changes, working as a clerical assistant.

She said: “I do not think it has changed that much. People’s tastes have changed.

“We used to have a cabinet-making workshop here and we used to have tailors here who would make alterations and repairs.

“People don’t need that as much now.”

Miss Trinder joined the shop after school at Dorchester Primary, the Abbey School in Berinsfield and Peers School in Littlemore.

She has lived in Dorchester all her life and plans to spend her retirement enjoying the village with her two dogs.

She will also continue volunteering for St John Ambulance and visiting her two younger sisters and nephew.

She said: “The city centre (in Oxford) has changed lots, even the corner opposite Debenhams has changed from the William Baker shop to Waterstones.”

She added: “I’ll miss it here though. I’ll miss the people lots.”

Debenhams’ sales manager Myra Taylor said: “Jackie is the most helpful person. She will so be missed.”