Jimmy bids farewell to his knight's tale

It was a case of good luck and farewell to a long standing knight of the road when Jimmy Knight, a paver with Tarmac's National Contracting division, retired after 47 years.

Fittingly, when Jimmy started with Tarmac, Britain was in the grip of one if its worst ever winters, so the recent weather has been well timed for Jimmy as he reaches the end of his career on the road with the contracting gangs.

As Jimmy explained, things were rather different back in 1962: "We stopped working at the end of that year and the weather was so bad we didn't start again till May 1963! However, the equipment's definitely better these days, meaning you can lay roads in most conditions."

Jimmy became a paver driver in 1966, and went on to work mainly on Midlands motorways such as the M5, M6 and M40.

Although there are things he's looking forward to, such as not having to get up at 4.30am in the morning, there will be other things he'll miss. "I'll miss having a laugh with the lads I work with and getting about and seeing places."

Jimmy's looking forward to taking a few leisurely holidays in Mallorca or Cyprus but before that there could be a spot of DIY and decorating to do at his home in Stourbridge:
"I'm sure Norma, my wife, has got a few things lined up for me!" he said.

Jimmy's last day with Tarmac was marked by a presentation from colleagues at Ettingshall. He was given vouchers and, to keep those memories alive, a specially cased and engraved Dynapac paving machine - model sized of course.

 

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20 February 2009