Retirement of Worcestershire Scientific Services Public Analysts

On 31st July 2008, Bob and Carol Stevens retired as Public Analysts and consultants from Worcestershire Scientific Services. Between them they had over 70 years service in public analyst laboratories, 55 of which had been as Public Analysts. They both made a huge contribution to the Public Analyst service and will be greatly missed.

Bob and Carol had been at Worcestershire since 1995, acting as the Stevens Partnership. Bob joined the Southwark, London laboratory in 1970 and subsequently gained his MChemA in 1973. Carol joined the Durham laboratory in 1974 and gained the MChemA in 1988, working her way down to the Southwark lab, where Bob was working, then heading out west to Lyne, Martin & Radford in Reading. Meanwhile, Bob had moved to Clayton Environmental in Birmingham as a Public Analyst for Warwickshire and later a director, before being joined there by Carol in 1993. Bob was president of the APA from 2000-2 and served on Council for many years. Carol served on the APA Training Committee and was a member of the APA Education Trust. She also served many years as Honorary Information officer.

A celebration lunch was held at the lab in Stourport and was attended by the lab staff, fellow Public Analysts, Trading Standards officers, colleagues from Worcestershire County Council and old friends. Alan Richards, President of the Association of Public Analysts, paid tribute to them both and presented Bob with a packet of sausages to remind him of his favourite samples and Carol with a pack of Stottie cakes to remind her of her formative years in the north east!

Alan Richards, President of the Association of Public Analysts commented "I worked with Carol at Durham from 1974 until she left to take up duties at Southwark Public Analyst lab. Carol was always the professional scientist but some of the hairstyles were a bit odd! I first met Bob at the APA Conference in Brighton. Bob has often provided me with assistance over the years on food labelling issues in his capacity as LACORS expert advisor. Bob was also MChemA examiner for the Royal Society of Chemistry for 6 years, the last two as chief examiner. I wish Bob and Carol all the very best for a happy retirement, they will be greatly missed by me and the profession.”