Working at Carillon Court in Loughborough is definitely a family affair for Lorraine Green who has just notched up 20 happy years at the shopping centre.

Lorraine, 51, began there in 1992 as secretary to its first manager, Derrick Green, who just happened to be her father-in-law.

And the family tradition continues as strongly as ever because Lorraine’s 21-year-old daughter Laura is a sales assistant in the shoe department of the New Look store in Carillon Court.

Lorraine, who has lived in  since she was six-months-old, recalled that her own association with the busy centre goes back even further than two decades – in fact, all the way to the time when she worked as a part-time Saturday assistant for Long Bros greengrocers.

She said: “I worked there on Saturdays for a couple of years and that was at the time Carillon Court was known as the Charnwood Centre.

“Sometime later, its name was changed to what it is now, after it underwent a major refurbishment, and soon afterwards I started work there part-time as secretary to Derrick Green, who is the father of my husband Vincent.

“In 2007 I was appointed deputy manager and now help to run the centre with the current manager, Baljit Kooner.

“There are just the two of us in the office so we have quite a busy time but I absolutely love the job – I must do really because I wouldn’t have been here so long otherwise!

“We’re still keeping it in the family because Laura has been with New Look now for a couple of years and she loves it here, too.”

Lorraine added: “Apart from the great team I work with, one of the main reasons I enjoy the job so much is that there’s always something happening, and it’s different every day.

“The recent flooding in other parts of the country reminds me of when there was a flood alert here at Carillon Court earlier this year.

“I remember it vividly. It was June 28 and the rainwater was coming up into the centre from the manholes.

“It was like a river and we had to put the sandbags out, although they didn’t do much good as the water just went over them.

“Eventually, the water started to subside which we were all very thankful for.

“Luckily, it didn’t do too much damage and only slightly affected a couple of the shops. But in all that our first concern, as always, was for the safety of the public.”

Lorraine went on: “That was probably one of the worst times here but there are many good times, such as the one coming up just before Christmas.

“That’s when we really have a great time here at the centre with all the children’s choirs coming in and Santa’s grotto being set up.

“Hearing the children sing their carols usually brings a tear to my eye – it’s such a rewarding time.

“I’ve had a very interesting job at Carillon Court over the past 20 years and I am looking forward to staying here for many more years yet.”