THREE former employees of Pilkingtons took a nostalgic trip down memory lane when they returned to the former head office on Grove Street, now newly converted into flats.

The new owners of the site, now renamed Reflection Court, are Grosvenor Housing Association who have funded a £2.5 million refurbishment programme which included the building of 42 flats for rent.

So it was quite a transformation for 91 year old Margaret Thomason; her daughter Margaret Cotham and 79 year old Reg Crabtree who between them have given over 100 years of service to Pilkington, when they were invited back for a guided tour of the new building.

However, the trio gave it their seal of approval and Dave Evans, Grosvenor's general area manager for St Helens, said: We were delighted to be able to show them round the refurbished building and are pleased that they've given their stamp of approval to it. We tried to maintain as many of the original features as possible during the refurbishment."

Margaret Thomason, from Sutton Heath, worked as a cleaner for the company for 34 years from 1937 while her 65 year old daughter, also from Sutton Heath, left in 1969 after 20 years as a PA to become an IT teacher. She recently retired from her last teaching post at Briars Hey School in Rainhill.

Reg, who lives in Eccleston Park, worked as a glass architect with Pilks for 48 years from 1935 up until his retirement in 1983.

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