A man who cycled to work on his first day 50 years ago has celebrated 50 years with the company, by riding the same bike.

Ian Davies’s first day at Clayton Engineering Limited on April 17 1974 saw him ride on a bike he bought from his father, which he promised to take good care of.

The business, originally located in Bucknell, Shropshire, is now in Knighton.

Ian, joined by friends, family, and members of staff, decided to celebrate the landmark anniversary by cycling from the original location to its current location.

The company builds lifeboat launching tractors for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Ian, who started as employee number three, said: “It feels like it has gone by quickly and I've joined a fairly exclusive club of half-century employees! I've stayed because it's always been interesting. If you ask my wife of 40 years she likes to say it's because I've shown very little ambition!”

Speaking on the idea of cycling to work, Ian said: “Cycling in on the anniversary felt like a fun idea as it would be such an accurate re-run. It was on a Wednesday in 1974 and so we'd be re-running in the same hour, same date and same month that I'd done 50 years ago.”

Speaking on his father, Ian said: “I think my dad would be impressed if he was still around now. It has spent over 30 years in my shed unused. My son is a cycle mechanic and gave it a refurb, and new tyres for the big day. Keeping our old bikes seems to be a tradition as he joined me on my dad's bike, his grandads, and my daughter used my late brother's bike.”

Ian said the support of his family and friends resulted in a ‘really good fun’ celebration.

“I'd asked all the staff I knew who did a bit of cycling and the majority were up for the event, and a couple of them cycled around five miles to get to the start line,” he said.

“Family, friends and neighbours turned out to see us all off and were there again when we arrived. Being clapped and cheered in through the entrance gate was a particularly nice gesture. It was such a good feeling that so many people had made an effort to join in.”

His colleague, Alex, said: “I have worked with Ian for the six years that I have been with the company and he has been a consistently positive and upbeat member of the team.

“Ian is my inspiration as I don’t know many 60-something years old still e-biking to work from at least two valleys away! The cycle was fantastic – such an air of legacy, both the fantastic old bikes with so much history and the nostalgia of the route itself. From the company's humble beginnings as a small start-up, ducking and diving on opportunities through the good times and the bad, to the current day.”