A great service

Congratulations to all colleagues marking 40 or 50 years’ service - you have done and continue to do us proud.

Engineering technology manager, Raz Sangha from Swindon mail centre, and engineering project manager, Ray Pipe from South Midlands mail centre, celebrated 40 years of loyal service last month.

‘Working with Royal Mail for the last 40 years has been a great experience,’ said Raz. ‘I've had opportunities to work in many different areas doing some really interesting and challenging work. 

‘When I joined Royal Mail a colleague told me proudly that they had been with the business for 20 years - I remember thinking “that’s ancient”. Having done 40 years myself, I'm now suitably embarrassed with my remark. The time has really flown past and I can’t quite believe I’ve been here so long.

‘I started as an apprentice and during that three-year period I learned a tremendous amount, which prepared me really well for almost any role in engineering. After doing a part-time six-year degree course while maintaining equipment in Post Offices, I worked first as an engineer, and then progressed to an instructor role, where I trained apprentices and engineers.

‘I was offered the job to design, develop and manage all the training for the IMP machines when they were being rolled out back in 1995. This was my first really challenging job. I spent around six years on the PUWER project making sure all automation equipment in Royal Mail was safe to use.

‘More recently, I’ve been working on identifying technologies such as collaborative robots, 3D printers, simulations and drones, to help us in the future. My time with Royal Mail continues to be both exciting and rewarding and I hope to be here for a little longer helping to move the business forward in any way I can.’

Ray Pipe said: ‘Time has flown since I started my first full-time job in September 1978. The role started initially as a three-month placement in the Royal Mail Letters research and development department, working out of Calthorpe House adjacent to Mount Pleasant mail centre.

‘Little did I know at the time that, six years later, I would return to research and development, but this time, at the newly relocated centre in Swindon. I’ve seen so many changes since then up until now.

‘I have enjoyed working within a technical environment throughout my career and I’ve been lucky enough to have worked on many interesting projects, which have transformed many parts of Royal Mail Group.’

Ian Fraser, head of design and innovation, said: ‘I have worked with Raz and Ray over many of their 40 years. Both of them have been within my teams for more than 20 years and their engineering experience and commitment to the business is an example for us all to aspire to. Long may they continue with Royal Mail!’

Colleagues celebrating 40 years of service include:

• Kenneth Salmon NW1 delivery office    
• Sheila M.P. Lloyd Group Finance
• John Bliss Royal Mail Farringdon
• Robert Heyes Pennyfields Avenue
• Erica Wilkinson Scunthorpe delivery office
• Robert John Wilson Northern Ireland mail centre             
• David Robinson F&MS SC Leeds
• Thomas Freeman F&MS SC Warrington
• Malcolm Beedle Bristol North delivery office]
• Patrick Coysh Paignton delivery office
• Russell  Ferrantti-Donavellas Guildford delivery office
• David Hutchings Stevenage delivery office
• Michael Askew Ipswich delivery office
• David Naylor North Walsham delivery office       
• Ivor Roberts Chelmsford mail centre
• David Moyse Bromley delivery office
• Gary Jell Croydon mail centre
• Wayne  Scarlett Yorkshire distribution centre
• Martin Oliver Birmingham mail centre
• Malcolm Fincham Guildford delivery office
• Lindsey Joy Allen Home Counties North mail centre
• Michael Stiff Bicester delivery office      
• Tom Ponton Harrow delivery office
• Paul James Hucknall delivery office
• Kevin Birtles Burton On Trent delivery office
• Geoffrey Lloyd Chester mail centre
• Christopher Goodwin Manchester mail centre  
• Ralph Thomas Bredbury delivery office
• Anthony Mockler Warrington mail centre
• Philip Forster Runcorn delivery office    
• Colin Thornton Manchester mail centre
• David Oliver Manchester mail centre
• Steven Potter Tyneside mail centre        
• Mark Lambert Valley delivery office       
• Tony Johnson Tyneside mail centre        
• Brian Dixon Heaton delivery office
• Colin Shaw Darlington delivery office
• Stephen Carter Bedford delivery office
• Arun Kumar Bedford delivery office
• Robin Horncastle St Albans delivery office
• Glenn Ford Waltham Cross delivery office
• Mick Livermore Harold Hill delivery office
• Kelvin Rafferty Romford mail centre
• Lorraine Smith Hornchurch delivery office
• John Jackson Waltham Cross delivery office
• Hussein  Ismail Romford mail centre       
• Stephen Pockett Waltham Cross delivery office
• David Wellsted Gosport delivery office
• David Farrell Swindon mail Centre
• Eddie Duckworth Preston mail centre
• Alan Perry Wigan delivery office
• Lilian Ritson Wigan delivery office
• Christopher Cooper Gatwick mail centre
• Donald Dyer Feltham delivery office
• David Nash Southwark delivery office   
• Raymond Barlow Upminster delivery office 
• John Deere Battersea delivery office
• Dineshkumar Patel Mount Pleasant mail centre
• Michael Copley Sheffield mail centre     
• Stephen Lewis Sheffield mail centre      
• Ian Holmes Bradford South delivery office
• Mark Kemp Kilburn delivery office
• Jashvantlal Masawala Birmingham mail centre   
• Dineshbhai Patel Birmingham mail centre
• Hasmukh Parmar Hall Green delivery office 
• Devendra Mistry Birmingham mail centre
• Joseph Trevorrow Warwick delivery office
• Pat Kelly South Midlands mail centre
• Keith Morris F&MS SC Carmarthen
• Nigel Evans Cardiff mail centre  
• Malcolm Ritchie F&MS SC Inverness
• Derek Drysdale Edinburgh air hub
• Lindsay James Marr F&MS SC Edinburgh
• Scott Beattie Edinburgh mail centre
• Brian Murray Edinburgh West delivery office     
• Thomas Lyttle Dundee West delivery office
• Brian Hodge Stirling delivery office
• Steven  McGregor Stirling delivery office
• Tommy Mackison Stirling delivery office
• Stuart John Darling Dundee West delivery office
• Jim Beaton Glasgow South East delivery office
• John Price Ayr delivery office