Janet came to our Belper roadshow event and brought some wonderful staff newsletters from her 21+ years at Stevensons Dyers, Ambergate during the 1990s. She described it as ‘hard work’ but a ‘nice environment’, making friends there that she still sees regularly today.
We learned that it was a place where pantomimes and concerts were put on by the staff ‘for the workers’ at Christmas – ‘they didn’t mind dressing up and us laughing at them’.
Stevensons started as a family business, and that the ‘family spirit’ was behind the firm’s nurturing attitude towards its employees. When Stevensons took part in the ‘Learning for Life’ initiative that was co funded by the company and the Southern Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce, she took the opportunity to attend night classes in water colour painting as well as learning to swim.
The company also rewarded employees for completing long service. She recalled joining the ‘21 club’ for 21 years service and attending a lunch and special presentation of a gold watch at The Red House, Darley Dale.
Did you work at Stevensons…? Were you in the pantomime? Share your story by contacting us on the link below.