John's 60-year service at Warminster glove firm (From This Is Wiltshire)

John's 60-year service at Warminster glove firm

8:57am Tuesday 14th July 2009 in

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A 76-year-old Warminster man was awarded for being the longest serving employee in Britain at a presentation yesterday.

John Cundick, of Regal Court, Warminster, has worked at fashion accessory company Dents, which sells its items in Harrods and Selfridges, and was established in 1777, for 60 years.

The great granddad was one of five employees from the company’s Fairfield Road, Warminster, factory who were recognised for loyal service at an awards ceremony yesterday.

The Master of the Worshipful Glovers, Roy Jennings, presented the awards accompanied by mayor of Warminster, Tony Nicklin.

Mr Cundick, who joined the company as a post boy in 1949, became the firm’s buying director and now works as a quality controller as well as curator of Dents’ museum, said: “My job as buying director took me all over the world, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, the Philippines, eastern Europe and Italy.

“I remember I was staying in a high rise hotel in the Philippines once and there was this huge tremor, I thought the whole building was going to collapse. I was frightened to death but the natives were just getting on with their daily business because they were so used to small earthquakes.

“My most vivid memories are of my time spent in the communist countries such as Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Romania. The people were lovely but they were all frightened to talk in case they upset anyone in power.”

Deborah Moore, who has been director of Dents for nineteen years, told the Wiltshire Times: “There are so many of us at Dents who have worked for the company for 20, 30 and 40 years - it’s fantastic that our employees are keen to stay with the company.

“John is a great character. Companies are always made up of personalities and characters but it gives me peace of mind knowing that John, with all his expertise, is checking our products to make sure they keep to the high Dent’s standard.”

The other employees recognised at the ceremony were Teresa Tryhorn, 40 years, Pat Smith, 37 years, Dawn Miles, 30 years, and Martin Clayton, 25 years. The five members of staff have given a remarkable combined total of 192 years service.