Veterans: (From left) Lionel Hector, Trevor Davids, Linda Jones, Glen Anderson, Sidney Smith, Richard Kearns, Petrus Kanye, Cyril Keating, Albert Martin, Hubert Tomlinson, Mogamat Taliep and Willem Ryneveldt have all served UCT for 35 years.

UCT executives, managers and colleagues gathered at a celebratory lunch last week to toast the longevity of some 66 staff members from around campus. As per usual for the annual long-service lunch, the special guests were those staffers who have already completed or, in 2004, will be completing 15, 25 and 35 years at UCT. The gathering boasted 38 staffers who have been around for 15 years, 16 25-year celebrants and, the seniors of the event, a band of 12 troupers who have served UCT for 35 years. Between them, the 66 have racked up nearly 1 400 years of service to the university. And they're not done just yet.