TWO men who met when one was a school boy has endured for over 30 years.
Retired businessman, the legendary Tony Monkhouse and the school boy who he mentored have continued a friendship that has spanned more than 30 years. The boy, who Tony took on work experience is now a man with a wife and family and remains grateful to Tony for the start he gave him in the world of work.
Steven Parker admits that his school attendance wasn’t good at St John’s RC School in Bishop Auckland but he did like – and want – to work. One of his more memorable days with Tony was when a bull escaped from Darlington Mart where they were in attendance transporting animals, escaped and started to run riot through the town. Steven and Tony were the heroes of the hour and appeared in a local newspaper. That was in 1997 and after the bull had injured pedestrians in the town, the pair managed to trap it in an alleyway where armed Police shot it from the top of Tony’s wagon.
This photograph (above) shows the article in a local newspaper.
With Tony’s help, Steven started working on farms in Weardale, seven days a week. The two men are still best of friends to this day, as the second photograph shows and Steven wanted to share how grateful he is for this lasting friendship and the help Tony gave him all those years ago.
