A doctor’s receptionist is retiring from a Canning Town practice after almost 42 years.

Elaine Greaves, 70, has worked at Star Lane Medical Centre for the past 14 years and worked at its previous incarnation, the Comyns Close Clinic, for more than 25 years before that.

The great grandmother, who lives in Morse Close, Plaistow, has dealt with a fair few celebrities in her time including several West Ham players and former England star Alan Curbishley.

Although she officially retires on Friday, she says that she won’t be able to resist popping back.

“I have become part of the furniture,” she said. “When I have told some people that I am retiring people just cannot believe that I won’t be here.

“I have been really fortunate that I have enjoyed doing it for all these years and I have worked with so many lovely people.”

She originally landed her job in an unorthodox way.

“I lived around the corner from the surgery at the time and one of my neighbours worked there,” Elaine remembers. “She knocked on the door one day and said ‘do you want a job?’. I knew how to work a switchboard so I went round to the practice manager and that was it, there was no CV, no hanging on to find out whether I had got it.”

Elaine now plans to enjoy her retirement by spending more time with her family including her partner, Ken Parker, and her two children, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.