Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has praised a painter and decorator for his years of dedicated service.
Mr Rowlands was commenting after hearing that Tommy Stone, has spent 50 years and four months painting and decorating for the NHS and at Glan Clwyd Hospital since it opened in 1980.
Mr Rowlands said:
What an amazing milestone to reach and my warmest congratulations go to Tommy for all his years of dedicated service.
It is no mean feat keeping on top of maintenance work in a busy hospital day in and day out and it is great to see this popular character receiving the accolades he deserves.
I am sure many people will have seen Tommy up his ladders around the hospital over the years and I wish him well in his retirement.
Painter and decorator Tommy Stone finally gave work the brush-off after 50 years and four months, during which time he raised as many smiles as he did ladders during his dedicated service.
In front of dozens of colleagues, friends and family, a clearly emotional Tommy heard tributes from his bosses and workmates, including the Central Integrated Health Community’s (IHC) director of operations – and Health Board chair Dyfed Edwards.
Yet, despite his larger than life persona, humble Tommy was taken aback by the outpouring of affection directed at him.
He said:
I didn’t expect all this. It makes you emotional because you don’t realise how people care.
Tommy started as an apprentice painter on July 9, 1973, aged 16, at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl. His first weekly wage was just £8 per week.
He passed his apprenticeship in 1977 and stayed at the Alex for three more years, until Glan Clwyd Hospital opened in 1980.
Initially, he was asked to go over to the new hospital site and complete small painting jobs – but ended up staying for another 43 years.
Once at Glan Clwyd he gained a reputation for being able to put a smile on the faces of his colleagues and patients he met along the way – a gift which gained him many friends across the site.
Tommy received a crystal plaque to mark his service and a letter from incoming CEO Carol Shillabeer was read out, congratulating him on his “dedicated career” within the NHS in North Wales.
Sam Rowlands AS yn llongyfarch gweithiwr ysbyty ar ôl mwy na 50 mlynedd o wasanaeth
Mae Sam Rowlands, yr Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi canmol peintiwr ac addurnwr am ei flynyddoedd o wasanaeth diflino
Roedd Mr Rowlands yn siarad ar ôl clywed bod Tommy Stone wedi treulio 50 mlynedd a phedwar mis yn paentio ac addurno i’r GIG ac yn Ysbyty Glan Clwyd ers iddo agor ym 1980.
Meddai Mr Rowlands:
“Am garreg filltir anhygoel i’w chyrraedd a llongyfarchiadau mawr i Tommy am ei holl flynyddoedd o wasanaeth diflino.
“Dyw hi ddim yn hawdd cadw ar ben gwaith cynnal a chadw mewn ysbyty prysur o ddydd i ddydd ac mae’n wych gweld y cymeriad poblogaidd hwn yn derbyn y ganmoliaeth mae’n ei haeddu.
“Rwy’n siŵr y bydd llawer o bobl wedi gweld Tommy ar ben ysgol ar dir yr ysbyty dros y blynyddoedd ac rwy’n dymuno’n dda iddo ar ei ymddeoliad.”
Rhoddodd y peintiwr a’r addurnwr Tommy Stone y brwsh yn y to ar ôl 50 mlynedd a phedwar mis o waith. Yn ystod y cyfnod hwnnw llwyddodd i godi gwên cymaint ag y cododd ysgol yn ystod ei wasanaeth diflino.
Gerbron dwsinau o gydweithwyr, ffrindiau a theulu, roedd Tommy’n emosiynol iawn wrth glywed teyrngedau gan ei reolwyr a’i gydweithwyr, yn cynnwys Cyfarwyddwr Gweithrediadau’r Gymuned Iechyd Integredig Ganolog – a Chadeirydd y Bwrdd, Dyfed Edwards.
Ac eto, er ei fod yn gymeriad a hanner, roedd Tommy mor wylaidd ac wedi’i synnu gan y cariad a ddangoswyd tuag ato.
Dywedodd:
Doeddwn i ddim yn disgwyl hyn i gyd. Mae’n eich gwneud hi’n emosiynol am nad ydych chi’n sylweddoli faint mae pobl yn malio.
Dechreuodd Tommy fel peintiwr ar brentisiaeth ar 9 Gorffennaf, 1973, pan oedd yn 16 oed, a hynny yn Ysbyty Brenhinol Alexandra yn y Rhyl. Ei gyflog wythnosol cyntaf oedd £8.
Pasiodd ei brentisiaeth ym 1977 ac arhosodd yn Ysbyty Alexandra am dair blynedd arall, nes i Ysbyty Glan Clwyd agor ym 1980.
Ar y dechrau, gofynnwyd iddo fynd draw i safle’r ysbyty newydd a gwneud mân waith peintio. Ond fe arhosodd yno am 43 o flynyddoedd.
Yn Glan Clwyd cafodd enw fel un a oedd yn gallu rhoi gwên ar wynebau ei gydweithwyr a’r cleifion roedd yn eu cyfarfod yn ei waith – dawn a enillodd lawer o ffrindiau iddo ym mhob cwr o’r safle.
Derbyniodd Tommy blac crisial i nodi ei wasanaeth ac fe ddarllenwyd llythyr gan y Prif Swyddog Gweithredol newydd, Carol Shillabeer, yn ei longyfarch am ei “yrfa ddiflino” yn y GIG yng Ngogledd Cymru.
