Loyal street cleaner retiring after 50 years of service with Sandwell Council

He has swept all before him over the years and is fond of recalling how he initially finished school on the Friday and started as an assistant gardener by the Monday.

Chris served 30 years within the Sandwell Council Ground Maintenance department and recalls first maintaining the grass all year round using push mowers, hand sickles and scythes

He then branched out to landscape large derelict open spaces and do line marking for schools and sports fields across the borough.

When the council's grounds maintenance and street cleansing teams merged in the 1990s, Chris moved into a role covering Oldbury and for the final 13 years has been with Serco, Sandwell's waste partner,.

Over the years Chris said he has enjoyed meeting the local residents while passing on his knowledge and experience to new employees and would continue to litter pick the area he lives and help neighbours with their gardening during retirement.

He said: “Looking back, I don’t know where the 50 years have gone. There’s one good thing about retiring, I can put the alarm clock away, I would like to thank everyone for their support and friendship throughout the years."

Tony Marston, Senior Contract Manager at Serco, said: “Chris’s length of service is truly exceptional, and he has been a vital cog in keeping Sandwell clean over the years.

“To his amusement, we presented him with a gold-painted litter picker to mark his 50-year milestone. Myself and all his colleagues and I wish him all the best in his retirement.”

Councillor Danny Millard, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Highways, said: “What an amazing service Chris has given to Sandwell for half a century – including 30 of those years as a Sandwell Council employee. I would like to thank him for all of his work and wish him a very happy and well-deserved retirement.”

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