A LONG-SERVING employee has been honoured by his colleagues on his retirement after 51 years with the same firm.
Barry Hetherington, 68, started working for solicitor Freeman Johnson, then known as Freeman Son and Curry, in its Darlington office when he left school in 1963 and stayed with the company for his entire career.
He joined the firm as a trainee legal executive, at a salary of £6 6s a week and within a few months had taken over the accounts department under supervision from the legal executives, a position he held for 31 years.
In 1993, Mr Hetherington reduced his hours and took over a position as a filing clerk, working part time. He has also acted as the firms archivist.
A small party to mark his retirement was held at the Darlington office, where co-workers past and present gathered to say farewell.
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