72 MACHINERY OCT / NOV 2020 • farmers-mart . co . uk
THE BOOTS WHO WERE MADE FOR WORKING NOTCH UP 600 YEARS ’ SERVICE
AS JCB marked up its 75th birthday there ’ s one family with an extra reason to toast the milestone after notching up a staggering 600 years ’ service to the company .
THE Boot family started its long association with JCB in 1949 when Bill Boot clocked on for the first time at the company ’ s factory in Rocester , Staffordshire . In the years that followed , nine of ten of Bill and his wife Lucy ’ s children went on to work at JCB . In total 27 Boot family members – including nine grandsons and three great-grandsons have followed in Bill ’ s footsteps – registering a staggering 600 years ’ combined service to JCB .
The milestone has just been reached as JCB marked its 75th anniversary on October 23rd – the day in 1945 that the late Joseph Cyril Bamford founded his business in a lock-up garage in the Staffordshire market town of Uttoxeter .
Today the late Bill Boot ’ s legacy continues as 11 members of his family still work at JCB – including five of his grandsons and three of his great-grandsons .
Bill ’ s son Bob , aged 81 and living in Cheadle , Staffordshire , started work in at JCB in 1956 on a temporary contract – and stayed
Members of the Boot family mark their family ’ s magnificent milestone . Front row , left-to-right Tina , Steven , Andrew and Joanne Boot . Back row left to right are Daniel Boot , Dave Stubbs , Gary , Colin , Mark , Alan and Shaun Boot .
for nearly 44 years . He said : “ It is a company that has changed so much , but so many things have stayed the same . It may have factories in all four corners of the world but it is still based on the values that started it up in Staffordshire 75 years ago .”
Bill ’ s grandson Gary Boot , of Uttoxeter , 58 , of who retired in September , said his family were very proud of their JCB links . Gary , who started working for JCB in 1986 , said : “ I always wanted to join from an early age . My dad , Dereck , would come home and tell us stories of the company and Mr JCB and that sparked my interest . I ’ ve made so many great friends and have so many memories of the place . It is amazing to think of how many years ’ service our family has put in – 600 , it ’ s astonishing .”
Gary ’ s identical twin brothers Andy and Steven both work at the World HQ in Rocester . Andy , 53 , said : “ I think how it is panned out over the generations has been brilliant . I joined in 1983 on a Youth Training Scheme and haven ’ t looked back from there .”
Steven , of Rocester , added : “ Being identical twins makes it difficult for our colleagues , but to be honest , there are so many Boots I find it difficult to keep up myself on some occasions !” The fourth generation of Boots working at JCB is made up of great-grandsons , brothers Shaun and Daniel Boot and their second Cousin Leigh Boot . Shaun , of Denstone , who has worked for JCB for 20 years , said : “ There is definitely something in the blood of the Boot family that makes us want to work at JCB .
“ Knowing that dad , grandad and great grandad all worked here really does make me sit back and think . I ’ m really not sure what our family would have done for a living if it wasn ’ t for JCB . I have a six-year-old daughter and my brother Daniel has a six-year-old son . So , you never know , I wouldn ’ t be surprised if they decide to follow in the family tradition .”
Bill Boot and his wife Lucy – who worked in the JCB canteen – had nine sons and a daughter and nine of the children - Tony , Dereck ( correct ), Ken , Bob , Bill , Dennis , Les , Ron and Ruby – went on to work at JCB followed by grandchildren and great-grandchildren .