AN agricultural worker employed by the same farming family for half a century has been given a special presentation to mark his dedication – but but Brian Dennis says he has no plans to retire.

Mr Dennis had no idea when he joined the Fall family on their farm at Mile House, near Bedale, in 1966, that he would spend his working life there. But his help in building the farm up and transforming large areas of bog into good quality farmland has helped Fall’s to become one of the biggest farming families in the area.

“His help has been invaluable,” said Charles Fall. “We wanted to pay a special tribute to him because fifty years is a long time and he has made a real contribution to the farm.

“His time and support has been much appreciated, Brian’s a real miracle worker with machinery, he can tackle anything, from the biggest combines to the smallest equipment, and that has been a big bonus over the years as farms have relied more and more on heavy machinery to help do the job.”

To mark the event Brian, 72, has also been doing up a Massey Ferguson tractor, which the family bought not long before he started working for them.

“This tractor has been used virtually every week of my working life so there is a special connection.

“It seems astonishing I have been here for 50 years, but they always treated me as part of the family and listened to what I had to say. Farming has been transformed, everything is done so quickly because we have the big machinery to do it, harvest is over in no time. But I still enjoy it, I work part time and I’ll carry on as long as I can while I can,” added Mr Dennis.