Raf Sanchez

Originally published as a profile box in Nouse

The image emerging of missing University chef Claudia Lawrence is one of a quiet but conscientous woman who enjoyed her work and was well liked by colleagues. Claudia worked at the University for two years, first in Derwent and then moving to Goodricke’s Roger Kirk Centre.

Her father, Peter Lawrence, said: “She’s relatively small but she always seems to be smiling. Quite bubbly. She’s good with people she knows but she’s very shy with people she doesn’t know.

“Coming out from the kitchen and bringing food out and things, no doubt chatter occurs between her and students.” Claudia worked mainly in the kitchen but sometime served food at the front of house and worked on the tills.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, claims to remember Claudia after she served him during the Church of England’s General Synod, which is held on campus each year.

Lawrence added: “When I made the first call to Goodricke on the Friday it was Julia in the kitchen who answered. She said ‘I’m terribly worried, I’m a friend of Claudia’s and she hasn’t shown up and hasn’t said anything and it’s most unlike her’”.

Three colleagues of Claudia’s all described her as “quiet”. One, who did not want to be named, said: “Claudia’s a quiet girl who wouldn’t say ‘boo’ to a goose.”

Before her disappearance, Claudia was a regular at the Nag’s Head, a pub near to her home in Heworth and often frequented by students living in the area. She is a close friend of the landlord, Simon Foreman. The pub is planning on holding an event for her in the near future.