SILVER THREADS AMONG’ST THE GOLD

A beautiful old song and an apt description of a group of beautiful people who form the Committee of Retirees from one of the very best Companies that I had the pleasure of working for during the 1980’s & into the 90’s, the Pilkington Glass Company, in Dandenong, Melbourne, Australia. The name of the Committee I write about, simply call themselves the “Silverthreads”, the work they continue to do, even after retirement, themselves, certainly have golden flecks amply strewn through the “silver”.They don’t have to do it, but then, in my book, they could also be called “Pilkington-Patriots-Past”. The “Silverthreads”, however, keep on, keeping on.

If ever the word “caring” could describe a Company, “Pilkingtons” fit this description like a glove They were a great “bunch” to work for. Together, we produced what was undoubtedly the best glass in the World. If one used Pilkington “toughened” glass in any way, shape or form, a sledgehammer would be needed to crack it, and if I was called upon to give this Company a “slogan”, this would consist of just two simple words “PILKINGTON-PRICELESS”

There must be at least a few thousand retirees in the U.K, South Africa, Canada, Australia & New Zealand, I retired from Dandenong, Vic., in 1993 and was quite amazed to receive an invitation to Christmas Lunch in 1994 & every year thereafter. After being resident in Australia for 54 years, I have yet to find another Company to host annual lunches for each and every employee, 20+ years after retirement and, in addition, have a group like the “Silverthreads” kindly “keep in touch” with oldies like us, just to ensure that we are .
O.K. I take this chance, on behalf of all ex-employees of what I consider to have been a superb Company to work for, to say a SINCERE THANK YOU to the Pilkington Family Trust, based in England, and, of course, the evergreen “Silverthreads” retirement Committee, in Australia..

Desmond Kelly.