For more than 40 years, Michael (Mick) Pooley has been a cornerstone of A.W. Lymn The Craftsmen in Stone part of A.W. Lymn, at its Robin Hood House, Nottingham. The four decades of dedicated service has put Mick in rarified air as the longest-tenured current employee of the award-winning family funeral directors, second only to Chairman Nigel Lymn Rose himself when it comes to longevity across the entire business.
At just 17, Mick joined A.W. Lymn on a six-month trial after noticing a role in the stone masonry department while at a local school careers fair. Working alongside skilled masons in the wet shop and letter-cutters, Mick began mastering the craft’s nuances, from traditional hand-carved lettering to intricate memorial fixings.
“I’m so proud to have worked for A.W. Lymn for 40 years,” Mick said. “They’re a great company and I’ve always really enjoyed the work. When I started my trial, I didn’t know I’d stay here for as long as I have. It’s the longest temporary job ever!”
In his early years, the work was painstakingly manual. Every letter was hand-marked and carved, with some inscriptions taking up to two days to complete. Over the years, Mick witnessed and adapted to seismic changes in technology. The late 1960s saw the introduction of machine cutting which, along with the advent of computer stencils in the industry, brought a new level of efficiency, reducing the time for lettering from potentially days to just minutes.
The advancements allowed for greater precision and variety in designs, but Mick notes that the essence of the craft remains. “No two projects are ever truly the same,” he said. “Technology has changed the tools, but it hasn’t changed the personal touch each memorial requires.”
A key part of Mick’s expertise lies in his understanding of materials. When he first started, the variety of stone was limited, but the globalisation of supply chains and A.W. Lymn’s commitment to offering wide-ranging choice, has transformed the range available – including granite sourced from as far afield as India, China, and Africa. Each comes with different colours and properties, such as being prone to fractures when drilling meaning particular care is paramount when working with certain stones.
Among Mick’s most memorable jobs is his restoration of a damaged Venetian fountain in Nottingham’s Welbeck Hall in 1997. The fountain, originally imported from Venice, had been damaged during a mishap at a nearby military academy. Mick spent over 158 hours meticulously repairing and rebuilding the fountain, a task that required exceptional skill and patience. “That was a unique challenge,” Mick recalled. “When I saw the finished result, it was incredibly satisfying.”
Mick’s experience and memory of over 50,000 memorials fixed during his tenure is the stuff of company legend. “You only have to mention a name, and Mick will recall every detail – the lettering, the material, and even the cemetery location,” remarked A.W. Lymn Chairman Nigel Lymn Rose. “He’s truly extraordinary and an invaluable part of our history. So much about our business has changed over the decades, but Mick has been a constant. His consistency in his work, producing quality year-after-year, adds a special touch to the communities we serve.”
With 28 funeral homes across Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and most recently Leicestershire, A.W. Lymn, the fifth-generation family funeral directors, prides itself on offering a variety of services available at an affordable price to the families it has served since 1907.
