Staff at Pennell’s Lincoln Garden Centre said goodbye to their colleague Trevor Smith on Wednesday, who is retiring after a fantastic 53 years with the company.

Trevor started work for Pennells on 18 Jan 1963. That winter was one of the coldest on record. Cliff Richards’ film Summer Holiday premiered that year, Charles de Gaulle said "Non" to the UK joining the common market and the Beatles had their first No 1 record.

Trevor worked in many departments developing his skills and knowledge on the nursery before becoming manager of the propagation unit at the company’s Hillside nursery at Waddington.

Following changes in the nursery side in 2002, he transferred to the garden centre at Hykeham, where he was able to pass on his knowledge and skills to customers and younger staff. He also took on responsibility for the centre’s bulb buying.

Trevor comes from a family very much connected with Pennells. His wife Jane continues to work in the office and has been with the company for more than 29 years and his father Fred also worked on the nursery and retired in 1984 after 51 years with the company - so between them they have so far worked for 133 years for the company. The cutting (right) from the Lincolnshire Chronicle shows Fred on his retrirement in 1984, with Trevor in the background.