AFTER starting work at the tender age of 14 a Tavistock man has decided, finally, to ‘call it a day’ at the grand age of 82 years old — without one day off sick.

It’s a remarkable record for a man who, apart from a spell of National Service, has been employed in the building trade for more than 68 years.

David Mallett, who lives in Abbey Court, Tavistock, has recently retired after working as a consultant and training consultant.

He is a staunch advocate of the ‘apprenticeship schemes’, remembering fondly his own experiences as a young building apprentice in post-war, Blitz-hit Plymouth, when construction in the 1950s was booming.

‘I would thoroughly recommend young people going into the building trade today because at this moment, it is absolutely booming in the South West and with a shortage of skilled craftsmen, now is the time for them to come in.’

David himself started with a Plymouth firm in 1947 on a National Apprenticeship scheme and was given a two-year deferment from National Service to complete his trade City and Guilds.

At the age of 16 David was presented with a silver trowel by the Housing Minister Aneurin Bevan, when the famous politician came to open the first completed house build in the city.

Having learned and perfected the art of plastering from Charlie Hood, a near 7ft Londoner, David was promoted to foreman. His career progressed and he went on to become a supervisor, contracts manager and a managing director.

Probably the best foundation he ever made was when he met Gwen at a Boys’ Brigade Battalion church parade in 1951 and they married two years later.

Those Boys’ Brigade skills came in handy as during National Service in the Devonshire Regiment, he became a company bugler and later served with the Territorial Army Volunteer Services; he later enlisted as a TA soldier in the Royal Marine Commandos, obtaining his Green Beret, aged 34.

In 1981 David joined a major plastering company as a contracts manager, including working on five of the major hospitals in the South West.

At 65 he was about to ‘semi-retire’, but the company asked him to stay on three days a week, overlooking major contracts in the region.

At 75, the company ceased trading, and retirement again beckoned but Plymouth College of Further Education (City College) asked him to become a tutor/assessor.

Outside work David has been just as busy as a school governor to special needs’ Milford School in Plymouth and a proud member of the Veteran’s Association.

Perhaps one of his proudest moments was as a volunteer overseeing a building project of a Romanian orphanage.

His team of ten volunteers achieved ‘a miracle’ in the time there were there and David, then aged 67, was happiest with his ‘trowel in hand’ getting stuck in.

Gwen and David, who celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in August 2013 when they lived in Yelverton, have three children — Lynne, Paul and Sharon.

They had a special celebration at the Bedford Hotel in Tavistock for their Diamond Wedding.

Despite his ‘hard’ labour David, now finally, at the age of 82, is ready ‘to throw in the trowel’ but, true to form, he has still a busy schedule, continuing as a governor at Milford School, a parade marshal for the Veterans’ Association and recently becoming a patient representative at Tavyside Surgery.

‘I’ve no regrets and I’ve enjoyed a very good life. Money never came first in work, it was always the job,’ said David, ‘and Gwen and I have been very lucky.’