A TRAVEL agent who has helped thousands of St Helens folk jet off on their holidays is celebrating clocking up 45 years in her job.

Denise Fletcher, a mother-of-three who works at Co-op Travel in Church Square has also travelled across the world several times but still plans to visit more far flung places so that she can share her experiences with customers about the best destinations places to go.

When she started work aged 15 straight from St Cuthbert’s School, most families booked a package holiday close to their home.

Today Denise gets requests from holiday makers for trips to places including Vietnam and the Arctic.

She said: “The places people go have changed so much over the years and the world is getting so much smaller. I think The introduction of low cost airlines made a huge difference as it makes places more affordable and accessible.”

The 59-year-old is part of a team which has clocked up 253 years at the branch where the newest recruit already has seven years under her belt.

Denise, who lives in Billinge, started as an office junior when the travel agency was based in Helena House. She studied in Manchester and Liverpool to master her typing, shorthand and book keeping to become a fully-fledged travel agent.

She said: “I was proficient in office skills and that’s what you needed for travel in those days. Computers hadn’t arrived and it was all filing and taking payments, that kind of thing.

“When computers were introduced everyone thought ‘it’ll never work’ but I suppose we’d be lost without them now.

“They’re a great help in some areas but they have taken away some of the personal service in other ways and the need for personal knowledge as anyone can look something up.”

Denise explained that despite her extensive travel there are still places she wants to go, she “I’ve always fancied with New Zealand and Canada which are both supposed to be beautiful. I think that’s what you look for more as you get older, the scenery.” featuring high on her bucket list.