XN000022-1976-07-29 — Page 6

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MRS. NORMA HILL RETIRING

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THURSDAY, JULY 29, 1976

MRS. NORMA HILL, AN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL ASSISTANT CLASS || WHO HAS WITNESSED THE BIRTH AND GROWTH OF THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT IS RETIRING AFTER MORE THAN 28 YEARS OF SERVICE.

SHE IS AMONG THE FEW REMAINING LONG SERVICE STAFF WHO HAVE SEEN KAI TAK UNDERGO MANY CHANGES AND DEVELOPMENT WHICH HAVE LED TO THE PRESENT BUSY MODERN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

A GRANDMOTHER OF TWO, MRS, HILL SAID THAT IF ONLY SHE WAS YOUNGER, SHE WOULD CERTAINLY LOVE TO CONTINUE HER WORK IN CIVIL AVIATION.

+MY JOB HAS BEEN SO INTERESTING AND EXCITING. IT ENABLES ME TO LEARN NEW THINGS ALMOST EVERY DAY, SHE SAID.

THE ROYAL AIR FORCE WAS STILL CONTROLLING ALL AVIATION ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG WHEN SHE JOINED THE R.A.F. AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL IN LATE 1947.

ABOUT SIX MONTHS LATER, THE GOVERNMENT TOOK OVER THE CIVIL AVIATION RESPONSIBILITY AND MRS. HILL, TOGETHER WITH FIVE R.A.F. GIRL COLLEAGUES, THEN JOINED THE NEWLY FORMED CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT AS WOMAN CONTROL ASSISTANT IN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL BRANCH AT KAI TAK.

THEY WERE REGRADED TO THEIR PRESENT RANK IN LATE 1962 WHEN THE PRESENT AIRPORT TERMINAL BUILDING WAS OPENED.

TO BID FAREWELL TO HER, A PARTY WAS HELD AT THE AIRPORT STAFF CANTEEN TODAY WHEN THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, MR. BRIAN KEEP, PRESENTED HER WITH A RETIREMENT GIFT A STEREO AMPLIFIER.

MRS. HILL TOLD HER COLLEAGUES THAT SHE WOULD JOIN HER DAUGHTER IN ENGLAND TOWARDS THE END OF THE YEAR BUT WOULD LEAVE WITH MIXED FEELINGS, +1 HAVE MANY FRIENDS AND RELATIVES HERE AND I WILL MISS THE DEPARTMENT AND HONG KONG, SHE SAID.

HOLIDAY POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS

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POSTAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR MONDAY (AUGUST 2), A GENERAL HOLIDAY, WERE ANNOUNCED BY THE POSTMASTER GENERAL TODAY.

THERE WILL BE ONE DELIVERY OF MAIL ON THAT DAY.

AT THE SAME TIME, 32 POST OFFICES, INCLUDING THE GENERAL POST OFFICE, THE KOWLOON CENTRAL POST OFFICE AND THE TSIM SHA TSUI POST OFFICE, WILL BE OPEN FOR BUSINESS FROM 9 A.M. TO 12 NOON.

ALL OTHER POST OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED.

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