“I didn’t think I’d get a look in,” she said.

“I was 50 at the time, and I thought I’d be too old,” she laughed.

The bakery, Beck’s Bakery, at Westpoint Shopping Centre was brand new at the time. 

“I’d never worked in a bakery before but went and put my name down.

“I was between jobs, I had worked in home care and nursing, but a friend, who worked at IGA rung me and said they might be looking for staff.

“So I went and spoke to Carmel, the owner about it.”

Carmel said she didn’t think she’d be employing anyone straight away, but took her name and details, just in case.

Four days later she was on the job, and has loved every minute since.

“I liked the job, I liked the work and I really loved the people.

“When I first started there I was one of four staff, it was just a small bakery and I had no idea how big it would get.

“When I started there was no coffee, no sandwiches, it was just pies, cakes and bread.”

It’s a much different story now, the west Bathurst shop is one of two in town, and was remodelled a few years ago and expanded.

“There are now seven people working at my bakery and I don’t know how many are working in George Street.”

She said her bakery was remodelled four or five years ago, and when it expanded into coffee she threatened to resign!

“I was going to go when that coffee machine arrived,” she laughed.

“I just didn’t want to make coffee, but I got past it.”

And after 20 years selling cakes, you’d think it would be hard to pin point just one as her favourite, but Lesley said that was easy.

“I absolutely love their apple turn over, I love the fresh cream.”

But surprisingly, she’s never overdosed on them.

“We never snacked, in the early days Peter use to make us breakfast, so we couldn't fit any cakes in.”

She said she remembers how different Westpoint Shopping Centre was when she started.

“It was a lot smaller then it is now, and there were a lot of vacant  shops.

“The chemist was there, but only half the shop it is now, and the doctor’s surgery from memory was in the other half of the chemist shop. The butcher hadn’t quite opened then, and there was no newsagency.

“IGA was the first shop there, then the chemist and doctor’s surgery were all ahead of us, but that was it.

“Now it’s enormous.”

What she plans to do in retirement Lesley hasn’t worked out yet.

“I really don’t know what I’m doing. Before, when I was 60, I thought I might retire but that came and went and I was still here,” she laughed.

“I really haven’t had time to think about it”

She said she will really miss the people she’s been serving for the last 20 years, and her friends from work.

“My final day was quite emotional, I’ve had some lovely people who I’ve known for years through the bakery come in and wish me well.

“Some of them haven’t been in the bakery for a while because they haven’t been well and haven’t been able to get into the shop, but they came in to say goodbye.”

She said she will take many memories from the store.

“It really has been a great 20 years, I will miss the job and I will miss the people.

One thing she won’t miss are the early starts.

“I was awake at 4.45am yesterday, so it’s going to take a while,” she laughed.