Out for 48! John Kirkham to Retire From Bagnalls After 48 Years of Service
18 August 2023
After 48 brilliant years with Bagnalls, John Kirkham, one of our company directors, is set to retire. Respected by all of us at Bagnalls, John’s humour and wisdom will be much missed!
John began his career with us in 1975 as a management trainee in Bristol. He then spent a year at our Erith office before transferring to our head office in Shipley in 1980.
John is well-known throughout the company for his commitment to traditional communication, preferring to rely on the good old service of mail and picking up the phone to speak to his colleagues and customers! Although he also loves using his sports apps when he needs to know the latest Lancashire cricket scores or how England is faring in the Ashes!
John’s knowledge and experience made him the ideal company secretary. His friendly leadership style, wisdom and guidance were also greatly appreciated during his many years as a company director.
John served as a valued member of the industry’s Painting and Decorating Association’s (PDA) health and safety committee for over 20 years. He also enjoyed giving back to the community as a governor at a local Shipley primary school.
Approachable and happy to listen, John’s kindness and helpful nature stand out to all who know him. He was always ready to provide support and wisdom when needed.
Although John prefers the way things used to be done, there are many benefits to his preference to chat face-to-face rather than over a video call. Everyone will miss his cheery hello in the morning as he delivered the post around our head office and his ability to deliver a very dry subject with great comedic timing at a management conference!
A friend and colleague to us all, John will be very much missed at Bagnalls.
Happy retirement, John.