IT is 50 years since a 22-year-old Holybourne plumber decided to “go it alone” and set up what became a successful businesses in Hampshire, with 22 employees and three office staff at its peak.

The Herald also owes a debt of gratitude to David Andrews who founded David C Andrews (Building and Plumbing) Ltd, as for 40 years he has worked on many of Sir Ray Tindle’s houses and buildings while creating a firm friendship between the two.

Although when they meet Sir Ray likes to joke “I was well off once many years ago until I started employing you.”

David, who is 72, left Alton Secondary School at 15. He wanted to be a shepherd but his mother and father said ‘no way’ so he became an apprentice plumber with Mylward & Son Builders in Holybourne.

He attended Basingstoke Technical College for four years and when fully qualified went to work with Vincent Giles. In 1963, while still working for Mylwards, he won the Hampshire Young Plumber of the year for single handedly re-plumbing Froyle School. He was 17 years old.

He also worked for other companies but in the second week of August 1967 David made the brave decision to “go it alone” and start his own business, with his wife Kay doing the office work. In the first few months he took on his first employee.

From those early beginnings grew a business which re-located to Howard’s Farm in 1980 and at its peak employed 22 tradesmen and three office staff with numerous sub-contractors assisting at different times.

In 1992 David and Kay, who by then had two daughters, Pauline and Sally, celebrated the firm’s silver anniversary as it continued to grow. Since then they have also had three grandchildren Perry, Henry and Georgia.

In 2014 at the age of 69 David decided to close the Limited Company with the intention of keeping just three employees with the help of his daughter Sally so that he had “something to do”.

“However,” he said, “it did not work out quite like this as there is still a faithful client base wanting David C Andrews (Building & Plumbing), one of the them being Sir Ray Tindle.”

Now, it seems David with his small band of men will carry on a little longer at least until he has finished building his and Kay’s retirement home at Howards Farm.

David would like to thank all employees past and present and faithful clients some who have used the company’s services for many years and continue to do so.