Customers at one of the borough’s longest running businesses may have noticed an unusual party atmosphere this weekend.

On Saturday, staff at A&C Fruiterers, in Manford Way, Chigwell, threw a special celebration to mark 45 years of employment for one of their own.

Alan Neat, 60, started working at the shop as soon as he left school, and has dedicated his life to the running of the store, managing the premises for the last 20 years.

He said: “It was a fantastic day and it was nice to be able to celebrate it with our loyal customers.

“A big thank you has to go to them and my staff, who are polite and do their jobs in a way that makes people come in and have a laugh.

“The nice thing is that, even with some of the big supermarkets struggling these days we’re still here chipping away.”

And the shop manager revealed that even if he could go back in time, he wouldn’t change a thing.

“Sometimes it was a bit tough having to get up at 2am and working 80-90 hour weeks, but I don’t have any regrets,” he said.

“But these 45 years have flown by, so now it’s all about pushing on to 50.”