CARDIFFREMEMBERED Steelworks family are rewarded for their many years of devotion

SOME Echo readers will remember the popular Stroller column.

Alex McKinty and John O’Sullivan are two “Strollers” that I recall, and John Holiday may have been another.

Anyway, in 1969 the Stroller wrote a piece about 97-year-old Dick Chedzey and his four sons, who among them had served more than 250 years as employees of Guest Keen Iron and Steel Works.

Mr Chedzey, Senior, who lived with the youngest of his five daughters – Mrs Daisy Pearce, in Seymour Street in Splott – began working at the factory in 1891.

We learn his brother, Steve, had come from Somerset to work on the first blast furnace in Cardiff.

He liked the job so much he persuaded Dick to join him shortly afterwards.

Dick must have had job satisfaction too as he worked there for the next 53 years.

When he first started work there his wages were two shillings and nine pence for a 12-hour day.

His five sons all joined the company and four of them served 50 years apiece.

However, the fifth son emigrated to Australia.

The eldest son, Bill Chedzey, died aged 65 and his widow, Polly, lived at Highlands in Rumney.

Second son Bert, then aged 72, lived in Taunton Avenue, Llanrumney, and third son Cliff Chedzey, 68, lived with his wife in Barmouth Road, Rumney.

The fourth son, Walt Chedzey, 66, and his wife, Daisy, resided in Willows Avenue, Tremorfa.

All four sons received a gold watch to mark 40 years of service. As the scheme was introduced in 1959 Mr Chedzey Senior – who’d retired before then after 54 years – missed out.

However, to mark his 100th birthday he was invited to visit the blast furnace department and then to tea with works representatives and senior managers.

During his visit he was presented with a tie, an aerial photograph and a plaque from general manager Tom