When it comes to elections in Ipswich, no one has more experience in helping to run polling stations than Pearl Bird – and she’s been persuaded out of retirement one last time to go back on duty in June.

Ipswich Star:

The 84-year-old first helped staff a polling station in the town shortly after she joined what was then a county borough in the late 1940s.

Her first general election was in 1950 when Clement Attlee was returned to power with a small majority – and she has been carrying on ever since.

She was invited to tea at the Town Hall by mayor Roger Fern after he heard about her long service – it was one of his last mayoral duties before stepping down from the role next week.

Mrs Bird has not been on duty at every election since the 1940s – her husband’s job meant that the family moved to Canada at one stage – but she returned to duty at the borough in the 1980s and has been a fixture at the Kemball Street polling station for the last 30 years.

She said things had changed somewhat over the years: “It used to be that people guarded the secrecy of how they voted much more closely – they would ensure no one could see who they had voted for.”

There used to be more of a mystery about polling stations – they were certainly not a place for children who would be left outside while their parents went to vote.

Mr Fern said: “That seems to have changed now, which is good. I like to see children in polling stations so they can understand it is a normal thing to do in civic life.”

Mrs Bird used to help with the counts – but gave that up because she was uncomfortable having to walk back to her car from the Town Hall in the early hours.

She had thought last year’s referendum was her last: “I’d always planned to stop this year after I turn 85, but I had a small operation on my foot earlier in the year and I didn’t think I’d be able to drive for a time so I had to turn down last week’s election. As it happens my foot is better now.”

That was all the encouragement council chief executive Russell Williams needed: “Do you want to do it again next month?” He asked.

After about a second’s thought Mrs Bird said: “Oh, all right then. One last time!” So voters in Kemball Street should see a familiar face at the desk on June 8.