AS a member of Redditch Local History Society, I was alerted to Mettis Aerospace’s open day.

The whole event was a triumph, from the illustrated talk on the history of High Duty Alloys, pictorial displays and tours around the site.

After recognising no-one, I asked a few men if they had known my father.

Through this I met half a dozen men who gave me glowing reports on him, his work ethic, his encouragement to apprentices and total devotion to the firm from 1939 onwards.

I walked with three men on the tour of the factory, surreal for me meeting lovely people who filled in the gaps about my father.

Surreal also to be walking where my father had given his all to a place he loved.

As one of the men rightly said, “He was one of the old school and a thoroughly decent man”.

I sensed the camaraderie of the workforce and their pride in working for a firm who cared about them.

Thank you to Mettis Aerospace and Redditch Local History Society for a splendid day.

Joy Pearson Middlewich Cheshire.