By Isle of Wight Observer
A Southern Vectis worker is celebrating a well-earned retirement this month – after maintaining the Island’s buses and routes for 50 years and one day.
Barry Taylor, 66, from Freshwater, recently completed his mammoth stint and celebrated with his colleagues. It all began when he joined Southern Vectis’ engineering department as an apprentice in August 1975, completing his training as a qualified fitter in 1979.
Since then, he has fulfilled various different roles in engineering, before moving to become a tree cutter in 2006, ensuring routes were clear for buses travelling across the Island. He also worked as a driver on Southern Vectis’ morning and afternoon school routes right up until his retirement.
Southern Vectis’ operations manager, Simon Moye, said: “Words cannot express our gratitude for such an incredible achievement. Thank you, Barry; we hope you have a long and healthy retirement, which is very well deserved.”
Barry added: “It’s been an incredible journey, filled with lots of great memories. I’ve worked with many colleagues over the years – and some of them I hope will continue to be good friends for years to come.
“I’ll stay in touch with the guys at the depot and, when I see buses on the Island, it’ll remind me of all the work that goes on behind the scenes to make sure they they’re in the best condition they can be before they go out into service.”