'Legendary' 82-year-old great-grandfather only retiring from Black Country firm 'because of the taxman'

“I love working. I’ve got to be busy. I would have carried on,” dedicated Barry Loughran said of his job at A Perry in Cradley Heath.

The 82-year-old great grandfather, who was born in Old Hill, has worked since he left school at age 15. He started out at Lenches, in Blackheath, but it wasn’t long before he was bound for his forever job.

He said: “I was earning £2.50 at work and all my friends who worked at Perry’s were on double the money so I went down there and doubled my pay in my first week.”

The rest, as they say, is history.

Barry began his career in 1959 as an apprentice under the business’s founder Arthur Perry and he has since worked alongside Ernie, Alan, and the current generation of directors led by managing director Guy Perry.

In a company that has just passed its centenary, he is the only person to have worked directly for all four generations of the family.

He started life at A. Perry on the factory floor and rose to become a factory supervisor, a role he held for many years.

At 65 he announced his retirement, but it never quite stuck. Barry came back four days a week as an extra pair of hands wherever the business needed him.

In the 17 years since, he has worked in the factory, driven delivery vehicles, built exhibition stands at trade shows up and down the country and turned his hand to maintenance work across the site.

He has not held an official job title since his first retirement, and that has suited him just fine.

Now, however, he has decided to call it a day and it was a letter from HM Revenue & Customs that sealed the deal.

The letter said a tax code had been applied to collect the £200 he received through the Winter Fuel Allowance scheme because with his pension, earnings and savings from decades of hard work he should not have received the payment.

He said: “I love working. I’ve got to be doing something. I’m really fit.

“The only reason I’m retiring is the taxman.

“A couple of weeks ago they sent me a letter - they’re putting me on a tax code to pay back £200 because I’m earning too much.

“I would have carried on.

“It upsets you. I’d have carried on as long as I could. I’ve loved it. I’ve done all different things.”

Co-workers at A. Perry have described Barry as a ‘true grafter’ whose energy and pace puts many people half his age to shame.

Even at 82, he remained one of the fittest members of the team - marketing director Steve Perry said.

Guy Perry, managing director of A. Perry Ltd, said: “The place simply won’t be the same without him, and we are going to miss him more than he knows.”

He thanked Barry for his long service and told him ‘don’t be a stranger’.

Barry, however, has plenty of things to keep him busy in his next chapter including DIY at home, renovating his grand-daughter’s garden, babysitting his great grandchildren and adding a few more countries to his long list of places visited.

Barry, who lives in Rowley Regis, has already set foot in more than 80 countries across six continents but would like to visit a few more.

He has already got a few trips in the pipeline including a three-night VIP stay at Studley Castle gifted to him by his colleagues at work as they gathered to pay tribute to him on his last day on Thursday April 30.

He was also presented with a wheelbarrow manufactured by A.Perry, a renowned manufacturer of metal hardware, ironmongery, fixings, fencing products, agricultural equipment, garden décor and equestrian products.