Rugeley Power Station road named in honour of long-serving Gerald
Long-serving employees usually get a gold watch or a clock from their bosses to mark their years of hard work. Not Gerald Williscroft.
The 75-year-old security guard was stunned when a road at Rugeley Power Station where he works was named after him.
Now every time he patrols along Williscroft Way he is reminded of his 50 years of dedicated service.
The father-of-eight said: "I was honoured when the power station decided to name a road after me. It's the only road out of 15 throughout the site to carry a name. I was stunned when my bosses took me to the sign and asked me to cut the cardboard from it. I had no idea what they had been planning."
Mr Williscroft, who lives in John Till Close, was born and bred in Rugeley. He attended Prince of Wales School in the town and then Rugeley Secondary Modern Boys' School, leaving full-time education at the age of 15.
After leaving school he worked on a farm and then started work as a security officer for the Central Electricity Generating Board (CEGB) based at Rugeley in March 1961 at the age of 23.
When CEGB split into two companies, National Power and Powergen, in 1993 he stopped working at the power station but returned two years later in 1995.
He added: "Rugeley Power Station is a good place to work, proven by the fact that several of its employees have completed 20, 30 and 40 years service. None have caught me up yet though.
"I've really enjoyed working at the power station mainly because of the people and the camaraderie."
Mr Williscroft recalled one or two memorable moments in his 50 years at the coal-fired power station..
"I remember one Christmas morning getting a phone call from the engineer," he said. "There was a man apparently playing the piano accordion. He was dressed in green trousers, a green top and green shoes. I think he was slightly drunk.
"I had to walk him off the grounds. Other times I've had to chase after people after they tried to break into the social club."
It has been an eventful 18 months for great grandfather-of-10 Mr Williscroft, who is also a football referee in his spare time. In June he carried the Olympic torch through Wolverhampton and in May this year he was invited with his wife Iris to the Queen's garden party at Buckingham Palace.
