Colleagues at Teme Valley Tractors Welshpool recognised driver Ron Oliver’s 50 years of service to the industry today as Ron Retired for the second time.
Ron was one of twins born in 1935 in Wern Llywydd. His mother hadn’t realised she was having twins when his father went in a pony and trap to collect the midwife but the midwife refused to travel in the trap and travelled back to house to the deliver the babies on her bicycle instead!
Ron was troubled will illness as a child and had lots of time off school with pneumonia and pluracy. He left school in 1949 and his first job was at Upper House Home Farm working for Bob Jones. In 1950 he was taken poorly and had to have half of his lungs removed. After this his health turned the corner, he made a full recovery and never took a day off sick from work since.
Ron went to work with Griffiths at Coed y Dinas driving show lorries with the pedigree Friesian cows and bulls. One of the highlights of his time there was the year The Royal Welsh Show was at Coed y Dinas. Griffiths sold up, the Howard Family took the Farm on and Ron stayed on at the Farm for a further 4 years. He then joined Reginald Tildesley and worked with them from 1965 to 1982 when Tildesleys were later taken over by Oakleys agricultural division and in 1993 Teme Valley Tractors took over Oakleys. Ron continued working with the firm all this time and was given a big send off by Teme Valley to mark his retirement on 1st February 2000. However soon after TVT persuaded him to come back for a couple of hours a week which soon transformed into 3 days a week for another 15 years making him an associate with blue products and specialised gas delivery for 50 years!
One of Ron’s most hilarious memories of his time in the business was the day he lost a Massey Ferguson tractor off the back of a lorry! He turned round at a roundabout to see only the draw bar but no tractor! Unbelievably there was no damage to the tractor or any other vehicles and the tractor was safely delivered to its destination the following day. Ron is keen to point out that the mishap due to a short age of two lynch pins was not his fault!
Ron’s plans for his second retirement include sight seeing with bus trips and tours and he is also a keen walker, walking between three and six miles a day. Ron said “I’ve really enjoyed working with Teme Valley” and Martyn Hall Director at Welshpool was pleased to present Ron with gifts from the firm and a card with good wishes from all the staff at Welshpool. We all wish Ron a healthy and well earned retirement.
Ron Olivers retirement
Ron Olivers first retirement
 (800x534).jpg "Phil Bright Graham Probert Mervyn Probert Ron Oliver and Martyn Hall")
Phil Bright Graham Probert Mervyn Probert Ron Oliver and Martyn Hall
 (800x534).jpg&w=100&h=75 "Phil Bright Graham Probert Mervyn Probert Ron Oliver and Martyn Hall")
