A WHOLE new chapter is opening up for Miss Freda Lofthouse after a lifetime in the book trade.

But her job as chief book buyer for well-known family firm Dressers will be in safe hands.

Taking over will be Miss Diana Birks, who herself has clocked up 30 years with the company.

Miss Lofthouse, of Scorton, near Richmond, has retired after 34 years as a book buyer for all Dressers' branches, based in the Darlington head office.

Although sad to go, she says she is looking forward to a whole new life.

"I will now be able to do a lot of things I have been putting off over the years because of work commitments," she told the D&S Times. "But I will miss all my friends at Dressers very much. Most of us have been with the company a long time and it is very emotional when somebody leaves.

"It's early days yet but I am enjoying catching up with friends and family."

She began her working life in 1963 as a nursery school teacher in York before moving to George Dent's in Elmfield Road, Darlington.

Even today her charges keep in touch with her.

"In those days it was easy to change jobs. I never thought I would be at Dressers all my life.

"The children always came in to the book department to see me and over time their children have done the same. So I've seen them all grow up."

Over the years she has seen great changes in book buying and although she agrees many are for the better, she claims leaps in technology cannot replace the human touch.

"Dressers' customers remain loyal to the company because we have not abandoned customer service in the face of modern technology," Miss Lofthouse added.

"Most chain book companies are only able to order or carry a book if it carries a bar code or other means of computer identification.

"But at Dressers, because we can still manually process orders, we are keen to promote local authors, who often publish the books themselves."

Some of the biggest changes have come from the axing of fixed price charging. However this has taken its toll on independent book sellers.

"Many companies like Dressers have gone out of business because they were unable to compete with the big book chains offering cut-price books," she said. "This radical change has meant Dressers is one of the few wholly independent book sellers left.

"However, we too have moved with the times and our customers receive the same value because we have restructured our buying policies."

The years have seen many book fads come and go but Miss Lofthouse claims nothing compares to the phenomenon of Harry Potter.

"The Thorn Birds and Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady were very popular in their day, and Roald Dahl books were always eagerly awaited by the children. But I've seen nothing like the success of the Harry Potter books.

"However, these days it is becoming easy to lose sight of the book and get lost in all the media hype."

Miss Lofthouse is passionate about reading and rates biographies, historical books and art books amongst her favourites, as well as the occasional children's novel.

"I can't wait to get stuck into reading the latest Harry Potter book," she admits, "but I am also looking forward to devoting more time to my local community and my garden."

Miss Birks, who joined the book department after leaving school, said she would miss her friend terribly. "We are like a family here and without Freda it will all seem very strange indeed. She is a very happy, smiling person and everybody enjoyed working with her."

Store manager Miss Elspeth Robinson, who also has 47 years' service with the company, said: "Freda was deeply interested in people and what they wanted to read. Not what she thought should be on the shelf.

"Diana has been trained by her and our service will continue to be customer-driven."