After almost half a century of sparky work, electrician Dougie Dow is to hang up his tools.
And the man who hired him 48 years ago came out of his own retirement to give Dougie his final job.
Dougie joined JW Wheatley and Son in 1971 to finish his apprenticeship and has been at the family-run Alyth company ever since.
During his time there, Dougie has helped train at least 15 of his own apprentices, with boss David Wheatley admitting they had “lost count” of the actual figure.
David said: “I would say Dougie’s ability and knowledge in any field of electrical work is second to none.
“He is a well-known figure with all the local trades. I’ve worked with him for 30 years, my brother has probably been there for 37 and my father was there from the start.”
Both David and his brother apprenticed under Dougie.
David’s father, Ian, went to the shop to give Dougie his last orders.
David added: “Dougie never failed you, he was one of those employees you don’t see very often.
“He’s a very valued employee and respected.
“He always greeted us with the phrase ‘well, men’ – we will miss hearing that.
“We would like to wish him a very happy and long retirement. It is well deserved.”
Dougie, 65, said: “I’m feeling a wee bit emotional. I was 17 when I started. I’ve enjoyed meeting folk, you meet loads of trades and have a good laugh with them.
“I’m going to miss meeting the folk and the work.”
Dougie has no plans for after his retirement but added: “We have all had a good time together over the years. I’ll miss it.”