'I started 50 years ago as a computer programmer. But we didn't have a computer': IT manager Neville has no plans to retire as he marks half-century with tile firm

A JOHNSON Tiles worker is celebrating 50 years in the job - and has no plans to retire.

Neville Whitehurst was only 18 when he applied for the position at the Tunstall company after seeing an advert in The Sentinel.

The 68-year-old started as a trainee computer programmer and is now IT manager.

He met wife Kay at the company and his two children have both worked at the firm in the past.

It is only Neville's second ever job after he spent six weeks working in a potbank as a 17-year-old.

His parents encouraged him to apply to work at Johnson Tiles when he was doing his A-levels as they had heard that computers were going to be the 'next big thing'.

Neville said: "I applied and got an interview and I did an aptitude test, which is basically multiple choice of words and numbers.

"I found that very hard to be quite honest but I did well enough to get a second interview, came through that and I was offered the job.

"To be quite honest I hadn't a clue what I was going to be doing, it was for a computer programmer but there were no computers around at that time.

"So I turned up on my first day and I found out what I would be doing

In those you had basically. To my surprise the company hadn't got a computer.

wait 12 months to a computer delivered Neville Whitehurst "It was on order but in those days you had to wait 12 months to get one delivered.

"Any work we were doing was actually being sent off to Birmingham and it was done on somebody else's computer and sent back to us. So instead of now it takes five minutes to do that, it would take a week."

Neville, who lives in Burslem, says he still enjoys the job and says the company has been his life.

He said: "People must think I'm mad staying in the same place for 50 years. Along the way I've had opportunities to leave which ultimately I didn't take.

"So you know things could have been a lot different if I had left in the early days. I wouldn't have met Kay, Andrew and Sarah wouldn't have come along. Johnson's has been my life and I'm still enjoying it."

In April the company announced plans to stop the production of tiles at the Stoke-on-Trent plant.

Speaking about the future of the company, Neville added: "We're an independent company now and I expect us to come through it and do really well in the future. That's my take on it and I hope to be part of it."

Neville has no plans to retire anytime soon and insists he will know the right time to leave.

He said: "I'm enjoying it and I feel I'm making a good contribution. I feel appreciated.

"I just feel I'll wake up one morning and think I don't want to do this anymore but I'm not at that point."

Neville works three days a week and spends his spare time going to concerts and sporting events, and is a season ticket holder at Stoke City.

In those days you had to wait 12 months to get a computer delivered Neville Whitehurst