The woman who oversaw the opening of Bradford's £5.2 million Marie Curie Hospice is to retire at the end of the month.

Meeting Prince Charles at the hospice's official opening in September 2001 will remain one of the career highlights for matron and centre manager, Sheena Bradley.

"He was a delight, it was a wonderful day for everyone," she said.

The 56-year-old, from Steeton, trained as a nurse in Harrogate between 1965 and 1968.

She worked at hospitals in Leeds and York before moving to Airedale Hospital in 1971, where she took up her first post with Marie Curie in September 1986.

"They have been a great firm to work with," she said.

"I was concerned at first, moving from the NHS to a charity, but I could not have worked for a better employer."

Sheena's first job was as deputy matron with a remit for looking after education and training, before she took over as matron in April 1989.

At this time the Marie Curie team were based at Ardenlea in Ilkey. It turned out that Mrs Bradley was to be a service user as well as being the boss there, when her father, Andrew, developed terminal cancer and was transferred to the hospice in 1997.

"The staff helped me, my family and my father make his last three weeks as comfortable as they could be," she said.

Over the years Mrs Bradley has seen the centre change from a nursing home for cancer patients, to a hospice for cancer patients and then with the move to Leeds Road, Bradford in 2001, a specialist palliative care unit for people with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses.

"Over the years I have seen developments like the special home care service which provides emotional and physical support for patients in their own home and the development of day care services," she said.

The centre was also the first in the region to develop a lymphoma service to help patients manage the condition, which causes parts of the body to swell.

After Mrs Bradley stands down, the current administration manager, Jane Edgeley will take over as manager at the centre.

"I have worked with Jane for four years and I know she will do a great job," said Mrs Bradley.

"She knows the service and the building inside out, so I could not be handing over to a better manager."

Mrs Bradley plans to spend the first few months of her retirement catching up with friends and family and pursuits such as decorating and gardening, before thinking about voluntary work in the autumn.