Press club's farewell to 'superb' Albert.

A pensioners club has waved a fond farewell to its founder and secretary of 24 years.

Albert Bell, 82, of Lakeside, Cardiff, has celebrated his second retirement after standing down from the Western Mail and Echo pensioners club.

Around 60 guests attended the retirement party at the Echo's home in Thomson House, Cardiff, which was organised by the club's new secretary, Albert's wife Margaret.

After many secret phone calls, Mr Bell worried his wife was having an affair but he found out about the bash last week.

He said: "I've had a lot of pleasure from the job. It's been very successful. We've been on trips, gone for meals - we've done about 130 events in 24 years."

Margaret, 76, added: "We've had some smashing times. He's been the brains behind it."

Mr Bell worked in the despatch room for the Western Mail and Echo for 43 years following in the footsteps of his father Bert, a telegraphist.

Tears were brought to his eyes when he was reunited with a special guest, surgeon Richard Whiston, who performed a pioneering lifesaving operation when Albert suffered an aneurysm in 1998.

Friends and former colleagues paid tribute to Mr Bell's role within the club.

Retired compositor Gerard Kingston, 75, of Penarth, said: "He's been superb, the best secretary we could ever have.

"He has kept us all together."

Western Mail and Echo managing director Keith Dye said: "He has done a tremendous job for many years. Without him the club probably would not exist as it does today."