When Wiltshire plumber, Shaun Higgins, won the tender for the job to replace the full heating system in Christ Church, Old Town, Swindon, he was surprise to discover a plaque mounted next to the old heating apparatus stating that it had been supplied and fixed by Bays & Co Swindon in November 1906.

Edward Bays Ltd is a long-established plumbing firm based in Highworth, Wiltshire but were originally Bay & Co of Wood Street, Swindon. Managing Director, Shaun has worked at Edward Bays since he was 18 and his father, now Manager, started as an apprentice in 1970 at the age of 14.

Shaun said: “I couldn’t believe it. You hear of so many firms going out of business, but here you have a plumbing company fitting a heating system for Christ Church in 1906 and then coming back to update it 111 years later.”

Not wanting to let this historic occasion pass unnoticed, Shaun arranged for another plaque to be mounted alongside the first one stating: “Edward Bays Ltd proudly supplied and installed this heating system 2017”. The Vicar of Christ Church, the Rev’d Simon Stevenette said: “We are all hoping that this new system will last for another 111 years!”