AT the age of 14 Reuben Nash, of Sling, left school and began work as a gardener for Forest businessman Baden Watkins.

Nine years later, when this picture was taken at the British Empire Exhibition in Glasgow in 1938, Mr Nash was already climbing the ladder and was a buyer for Fred Watkins Engineering of Sling, near Coleford.

Mr Nash came from coal and iron-mining stock. His father was Billo Nash who had started work underground, aged just 10.

Mr Nash went on to work for over 50 years for the well known enginnering company and went on to became its managing director.