A SPECIAL award has been made to the Forestry Directorate’s longest-ever serving staff member who has retired after an impressive 46 years’ service.
To mark his retirement, Tony Reddin of St John’s was awarded with a long-service certificate by chairman of the Forestry Directorate, Brenda Cannell MHK. He was also given an engraved gold pocket watch by work colleagues and an album of photographs spanning much of his working life.
The presentation ceremony was attended by family and friends and a large number of work colleagues at the Department’s headquarters, Thie Slieau Whallian, St. John’s to celebrate the occasion.
Mrs Cannell said, “Tony is very much a part of the Forestry Directorate and it of him. His enthusiasm and commitment over his considerable working life are very much to his credit and he will be greatly missed by his workmates on a day-to-day basis. All his colleagues and friends wish him a long and very happy retirement”.
Tony started work with the former Forestry Board on January 18, 1965 at the age of just 15. Having left school and living, as he still does, at Slieau Whallian Farm just up the hill from the Forestry headquarters at St. John’s, Tony went missing from the farm one morning.
He had taken the initiative and called in to the office at St. John’s asking for a job. That was the start of 46 years of work at Forestry. His last day of work was December 31, 2011.
During his 46 years, Tony worked in all areas of forestry. From his early days in the felling gangs working in the plantations and glens, he moved to be involved with the “new” sawmill when it opened at St. John’s in 1982. He also spent time at the Tynwald National Park and latterly with the grounds maintenance team at St. John’s.
Through his career, Tony was involved in the full life-cycle of forestry, from the propagation and early care of trees, maintenance of plantations and glens, felling and extracting of timber and finally, the production of timber products in the sawmill.
As well as being a long-standing face at Forestry, Tony will be known to many more on the Island as a life-long devotee of Elvis Presley, and for his many memorable tribute performances as ‘The King’ which he intends to continue long into the future.
