After 5 decades of repairing cars, a car mechanic will finally be going into retirement marking the end of an era. Keith Evans, who works at the East Bilney Coachworks’ paint and body centre in Great Yarmouth is finally calling it a day. The mechanic has been in the profession since July 1967 and worked for several car repair firms before the firms were taken over by the firmly owned firm which has a Fenner Road depot and deals specifically with crash repairs.
The company chairman and 20 colleagues presented him with a golden hammer as they bade farewell to the father of two who is from Lowestoft. Evans started as a mechanic before he switched to a panel technician. He transferred between companies in the area and in the past worked for companies such as Thurlow Nunn, Watsons and Warwick Shubrook. In his opinion, one of the biggest changes in the car repair trade at the moment was that many cars are no longer being welded and most are now being held by screws and glue. Although he says that he enjoyed the 45-hour weeks, he did admit that it was hard work.
Kevin Fenn has known Keith for 27 years and has worked beside him in that time until his retirement on Friday. He described Keith as a hard worker who knew all there was to know about the job and would even give advice to others whenever necessary. Chris Browne, the manager at the branch was also keen to pay tribute to the mechanic.
According to Browne, for someone to work in the same trade for five decades is amazing and it was good to see that Keith had managed to do so. The manager also described him as a real asset to the firm who was very well respected by his colleagues. He finished by saying that they all wished him well in his future endeavours.
The retiree is planning on enjoying a few holidays with his wife and he’s already planning to go on a cruise to China. The staff posed for a photograph with the departing Keith and the company chairman and enjoyed a buffet with him as part of the send-off celebrations. The East Bilney Coachworks is located in six sites in Norfolk and the firm repairs around 300 vehicles every week.