A BARBECUE for 1,100 people was held at the Hook offices of computer giant Hewlett-Packard.

The employees who work for HP Defence, at Bartley Wood Business Park, were celebrating the company’s 75th anniversary.

HP has been based in Hook since it took over EDS in 2008, where its teams provide a mixture of infrastructure and application related services, from technical support and operations management services to higher end consulting services.

Barry Price, delivery executive for HP Defence, said: “We’ve had a really good turn out from all the staff – the weather has been on our side today.

“It’s great to see all of Defence coming together, taking the oppor-tunity to celebrate 75 years with HP. There are a number of defence staff who have been with us for years. A lot of people stay with us for a long time, so there’s a bit of a family feel.”

At the barbecue celebrations, pupils from Robert May’s School unveiled an acrylic mural marking the milestone. Comprised of eight wooden panels, the work certainly adds a splash of colour to the staff canteen.

The piece of art, highlighting some of HP’s history, was produced by five Year 10 students – Hollie Crowther, Isobel Lane, Kirsty Brown, Jessica Fleming and Carmen Connis.

Tony Peters, the school’s head of art, who accompanied the pupils said the girls had been working on the after-school project since September “I think they’ve done very well. It was all their work and I am delighted for them – they were a great team.”