Dorothy Andrews, the longest serving employee at publisher DC Thomson, is celebrating her golden anniversary with the company.

Joining Jackie's art department in 1971, the Design Editor has worked on eight magazines in her 50 year tenure at the publisher. She also met some big names while working at Jackie in the 70s – David Essex and Elton John but to name a few. Reflecting on this, Dorothy said: “It’s hard to believe but I was painfully shy when I started in this trendy office and found it quite daunting from meeting celebrities to being part of a team when the magazine sold over a million copies a week in 1973."

When Dorothy joined the art department there were no computers – the tools of the trade were a drawing board with card held on with drawing pins, an em’s-ruler, scalpel, rapidograph, cow gum (liquid wax) and a spatula to stick the type and images onto the page. This was the case up until Dorothy’s time with Classic Stitches in 1994. However, Dorothy says that while the tools may have changed, creative ideas are still the lifeblood of the company.

Dorothy added: “It has been a real joy to work at DC Thomson my whole career. I’ve worked with a lot of talented designers, picture researchers, editors and editorial over the years and I’ve enjoyed every minute and continue to do so.”

Congratulating Dorothy on her incredible milestone, DC Thomson Chairman, Christopher Thomson said: “Dorothy has been a fantastic colleague, friend and mentor to many, many people during her time with DC Thomson. From a junior in Jackie’s art department to our most experienced Design Editor, Dorothy’s work has been exemplary. I want to thank her on behalf of the board and the wider team for her incredible commitment over the last 50 years.”