For the past 15 years, plucky grandmother Lee Jewell has been helping young children from St Albans School to safely cross the intersection of Westminster and Cranford Streets, one of the busiest intersections in Christchurch.
But now the 70-year-old reckons it's come time to hang up her giant lollipop.
"The winter's too cold for me, freezing here on the corner. So my family sort of said I have to stop".
She's planning to finish up her role in December, ending a more than 20 year association with the primary school. But she admits she will miss the children.
"Seeing them as babies growing up into young adults all the way into high school".
The school is looking for somebody to replace her, but she warns patrolling isn't for everybody.
"I was away for a week on holiday and the last person that took over for me wouldn't step out because they said it was too dangerous. They let the children out, but they didn't step out. You've got to walk out into the middle of the road".
She says she'll still be available to help show her replacement the ropes.
"They've got to find somebody first. There might not be anybody and I still might be here next year. We'll have to wait and see".
However, retirement isn't going to slow down the hobbyist wood-turner. Jewell says she'll use new-found spare time to work on her handmade craft items business.
- By Geoff Sloan
Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
