Furry slippers, vouchers and a  mounted copper ball-cock were presented to  estates legend John Ennis during his emotional farewell last week.

There was a huge turnout in the HRI Learning Centre when chums past and present turned out to bade him farewell after a career starting in 1978. The event was rounded off with a rendition of Oh Danny Boy - as a requested song is now part of estates' retirement dos.

Chokingback tears - then the hankie came out for the song - he told them: " You're great friends and it's been great." He said he had walked through the same door at work for his whole career and his desk had never moved further than 10 metres from when he had started.

He said: " The years have flown by. I am remembering some of scrapes when we had with the old coal boilers. Throughout the years the lads have been brilliant. Thanks very much to everyone."

Alison Fisher read one of her poems and estates director Lesley Hill paid tribute to him.

She said: "We shall miss John's own personal style in terms of motivation, encouragement and engagement. He has a tough outer skin but underneath all that hard shell is a centre of gold."

She said he had joined HRI in October 1978  when John Travolta and Olivia Newton John were at No 1 for 7 weeks with “Summer Nights.  Paul Gilling, joined three years later,  and they were the Bonny & Clyde” of Estates!

She also highlighted his work in Africa building an operating theatre,  a maternity unit  (multi-tasking helping delivering a baby whilst refurbing) and providing running water to the hospital

Lesley said: "John also sponsored a young African lad who has successfully completed his college exams and is now in full time employment.  He always comes back humbled by the spirit and kindness of those he has helped and a sense of satisfaction that he’s made a difference to someone somewhere."