A LOLLIPOP man has taken part in his final crossing after nearly 25 years.
Mick Olivant has been Priory School’s lollipop man since 1992 and last week he hung up his hat.
Mick, who was in the Army between 1969 and 1978, moved to Nottingham after leaving the forces and worked in a foundry, that produced metal castings, until 1986. After this he moved to Brecon and started work as the crossing patrol officer at Priory Church in Wales School on November 7 1992, when Mrs Jones was the head teacher.
Speaking about his last day Mick, who also worked at Brecon Leisure Centre, said: "It was an emotional last day and I will miss the children very much. I was very proud to help the children at Priory School and in all my years as a lollipop man I never once had a child misbehave on the road."
The longstanding Brecon Athletics Club member and walker said he is going back to Nottingham: "I’m looking forward to going back up north and I have already joined a running club and plan on doing lots of fishing and will be supporting Leeds United and the Leeds Rhinos."
Pupils at a Priory School were full of praise for Mick and Tianalee said: "Mick was the best lollipop man in the world. He kept us safe while crossing the road" and Hannah added: "Mick did a wonderful, amazing job, and we were very luck to have him."
Ruth Hobbs, administrator at Priory Church in Wales School echoed the children’s words: "Mick has spent 24 years serving several generations of pupils attending the school. He is loved and appreciated by mane past and present pupils and parents of the school.
"We would like to thank him for his many years of service and also thank the town council for funding the crossing patrol officers’s position and continuing to do so for Mick’s replacement."