Imagine a world where you could devote decades of your life to a job without ever needing to take a single day on the sick? A grandfather in Cowley with true devotion to his job in the telecommunications industry recently celebrated a phenomenal achievement -working 50 years for BT without taking a single sick day off!
To recognise his accomplishments, BT will be rewarding Ray Cherry (aged 67) with a certificate for his service, and £500 in complimentary vouchers. The BT “fountain of knowledge” explains that after half a century, Ray still loves his job, and could never really consider taking a day off.
Dedication at Its Finest
In an interview regarding his outstanding achievement, Mr. Cherry of Hampden Road in Cowley said that he truly appreciated his job. He noted that he loved the people, and the things that he was responsible for in his profession. Ray Cherry said that although he understood some people could often get stressed and feel they needed to take a day off simply because they couldn’t face the grind, he had always been happy with the company, and his job.
Mr. Cherry first took on an apprenticeship within the company during 1967, when it was still the General Post Office. That apprenticeship was set to last three-years, and after that time he became a maintenance provider – visiting customers in their homes before going on to fix phones at large businesses, Oxford hospitals, and the manufacture residence of British Leyland in Cowley.
Today, Mr. Cherry works at installing and maintaining the Openreach BT communication cables and pipes for various communication firms.
Though the Job Has Changed, His Commitment Hasn’t
Mr. Cherry noted that over the years his job had changed significantly. When he first began with BT, there were exchanges, with people phoning up and asking for an operator to get plugged through to wherever they needed to go. Today, the world is full of fibre optics, and you can connect with anyone in a matter of seconds.
During the interview, the father of two noted that one of his personal highlights from the job was when he encountered former Prime Minister Harold Wilson on a regular maintenance call to his home. According to Mr. Cherry:
“my career is like a Toblerone, full of ups and downs, but with plenty of great times to enjoy”
Obviously, Ray Cherry noted that he had felt unwell during the decades of working for BT, but he had always remained resolute about attending his job anyway. He said that because he worked by himself in a van, climbing poles and maintaining cables, he didn’t have to worry about his illnesses affecting someone else. Cherry noted that he wouldn’t even consider taking a day off “I would have to be really, really ill.”
At this time, Mr. Cherry has no plans to retire, and his line manager Paul Endean said that at the company he is known as “Uncle Ray” because he’s so warm and welcoming.
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