B&Q worker from Havant marks 50 years of service with colleagues

Roy Hunt joined the home improvement company in 1973 when he was 16, just four years after the first B&Q opened and he will be marking five decades with B&Q on November 19, 2023.

This will be the first time that a member of staff has reached this milestone and to celebrate, Roy’s colleagues have come together.

The team organised a personalised version of the B&Q iconic orange apron, a light-up ‘50’ and gold balloon display, a celebratory cake, and a lunch and presentation with his colleagues and B&Q board directors.

Roy also received a monetary gift from B&Q in recognition of being the first colleague to reach the milestone with the brand.

James Cullen, unit manager of the Havant store said: “Roy has been through decades of change with B&Q and he can tell you some stories. It’s been an absolute pleasure to work with him over the last six years I’ve been the unit manager, and I know his colleagues all feel the same.”

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Roy is still working hard to provide a brilliant level of customer service but he plans to retire before he completes another ten years.

Roy said: “It was only a small, quite bare store rather than the big warehouse looking style it is now – we wore red outfits with a blue tie which made us look like a post box! Much happier in the orange apron I have now.

“I never met the original owners Block and Quayle but I remember lots of the original directors from back then, the business was a lot different to now – internet and changes in

what customers want, but I’ve always enjoyed working for B&Q and I would never want to work anywhere else. My time at B&Q has been, and continues to be fantastic, it’s a brilliant place to work.

“My fondest memories from my 50 years, is seeing the revamps. I love to see the stores change with the times and transform to become better for our customers.”