Factory friendship led to lasting love (From Swindon Advertiser)

Factory friendship led to lasting love

10:50pm Thursday 9th July 2009 in

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A MARRIED couple who met at the Plus Semi factory have expressed their sadness at the prospect of it closing down.

Graham Holland, 42, and his wife Nicola , 47, of Common Platt, Lydiard Millicent, have been married for 12 years, and together for 20 years.

As reported in yesterday’s Adver, Mike LeGoff, Plus Semi’s managing director, said he was not very confident the company would be able to keep the Cheney Manor plant open after revealing that between 60 and 80 of the firm’s 115 employees could lose their jobs.

Nicola and Graham met when she was working in the office as a customer services officer and he was a factory services manager.

She said: “I met my husband when we both used to take smoking breaks at the same time.

“I would be heart-broken to see it as a boarded-up building because the company has become a huge part of my life.

“The memories I have are so dear to my heart so it would be such a shame to see it closed down.”

Nicola started working at the Plessey organisation when she was just 18.

She left the company 17 years later to work for Graham, who was setting up his own computer IT company.

She added: “Working for Plessey was such a fabulous time of my life.

“There was a great bunch of people working there.

“Everyone was so friendly and the teamwork was excellent.

“I pass by the factory on my way to work every day.

“Although its name has changed several times since I left, externally it is still the same factory I have such fond memories of.

“If it was closed down completely it would be a big chunk of Swindon’s history that would be gone.”

Nicola said despite the recession hitting companies such as Honda in Swindon, she always believed Plus Semi would rise above the turmoil.

She described the company as very hi-tech and said she would always feel a certain amount of pride when she showed visitors around because it was always so clean.

She said it was where she learned how to use a computer and to develop her office skills.

Graham was equally devastated when he read the story in the Adver yesterday.

He said: “I only worked there a couple of years but it was a wonderful time. It is where I met my wife and good friends.

“I suspect the building will get bulldozed which will be incredibly sad.

“Hopefully, it will be saved but I’m not overly confident about that.”

l Do you have any memories of the Plus Semi plant? If so call the Adver newsroom on 01793 501802.