Guardian News

Mates mark 25 years' work in Winsford

10:04am Friday 27th January 2012

TWO friends from Winsford are celebrating 25 years of working together this week.

Handsley Townhill and Gordon Simpson started work for the former Vale Royal Borough Council as apprentices in 1983.

More than a quarter of a century later, Handsley, 45, a joiner, and Gordon, 45, a bricklayer, are still working together for Weaver Vale Housing Trust, who took over the council housing stock in 2002.

“We’re good friends and both have the same interests, which has made working together for such a long time easy, in fact I don’t think I can remember us having a crossed word,” said Gordon.

And their friendship doesn’t just exist in the workplace as the pair have run a seven-a-side football team since 1994.

Handsley said: “We often joke we get on better with each other than we do with our partners.”

Despite many changes to the job over the years the pair are now enjoying passing on their experience to the next generation of apprentices, including their own children.

Handley’s eldest son is currently working as apprentice electrician with the trust, while Gordon’s eldest son is an apprentice plasterer with a trust contractor.

Gordon added: “We’re both really proud that our boys have started out on their own careers as tradesmen and who knows they might end up working together in the future like Handley and I did.”

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