1)Length of service: Well ! …..it turns out it’s 4 decades 😁 just under 41 and a half years to be precise.
2)Tell us about your career at Johnsons, which departments have you worked in? I started at Whixley on the 1st June 1983, after an interview with John Richardson on the 26th May. (the day after I left school ) Initially, I was destined for the field gang but the Whixley Propogation Unit were short staffed, so, I went there for 2 weeks to help out ……..10 years later (!) I moved down to Newlands to look after the potting – did that for a couple of years , then went on to Dispatch for a stint, followed by a move to Stock Control . After that,I was lucky enough to be asked to manage Roecliffe . I eventually came full circle and moved back to run The Propagation Unit. Finally moving to the office to work in retail sales.
3) What was the most rewarding part of your career? Meeting and getting to know people, not so much in my current job but earlier when propagating and potting and doing cultural work , I would be teaching people new skills all the time which in turn is rewarding when you then see them passing those skills on to others.
4)What will you miss most about working at Johnsons? The people and the banter , both with colleagues and customers . Some folks, I have worked with all my working life, you share a lot of special times with them through the years.
5) Tell us about an unforgettable memory of your time at Johnsons: There have been so many over the years, the nursery was a different place 40 years ago. No forklifts, so we had to empty the peat wagon by hand , this was in the days when peat came in 300L bags. I also remember spending the whole day collecting conkers at Myton for next years crop. We also used to go to the power stations like Drax to collect material for cuttings.
6)Who are some of the most memorable colleagues you have worked with?
A lot of people over years, when I first started work with some of the old guys, they used to come to work in waistcoats and tweed jackets ! They could tell some great tales and they used to appear really old , but now, frighteningly, I’m older than they were at the time.
7)Who influenced you most during your career? Everyone, from the top to the bottom, I try to learn something every day. I have worked under managers who are steeped in horticultural knowledge, but equally , I have spent a day with new starters who have really left an impression on me.
8) Any big plans to celebrate your retirement? Well , in the short-term, we are going out for a family meal on the 20th, but as it is Christmas ,meaning that both people and places are so busy; I will arrange something in the New Year.
9)Will you be spending lots more time on the golf course? Yes, there will be more golf, hopefully, but also more time to do other things as well, all the usual suspects; read more , gardening, DIY 😐 , Box sets and generally just being in my pyjamas all day if I feel like it. 🤣
10)If you had chosen a different career, what would it have been?
That’s easy ! An Architect – what a job, to be able to design something that improves people’s lives and will (hopefully) still be there in a hundred years.
Posted 19th Dec 9:16am
