A DEDICATED employee has celebrated half a century of service at the Archerfield Estate – the place he also calls home.

Drew Mercer, who grew up in nearby Dirleton, got a job as a forester at Archerfield just three days after he left North Berwick High School, aged 15.

Half a century on, a surprise party was thrown by his bosses on January 5 in recognition of his outstanding and long service.

The 65-year-old – who now works on estate maintenance – told the Courier how times had changed since he began work.

He said: “When I started on the estate there were just seven staff and I came on to be a forester.

“The estate then was mostly trees – the place has changed dramatically with the addition of the golf clubs, the renovation of the big house and the addition of Archerfield village.

“All of the roads we used to use to access the beach are gone and replaced.

“The best part of the job here has been seeing the estate open up to the public and become a place that everyone can enjoy.”

As well as working on the estate, Drew and his family have lived there for more than four decades.

He and wife Georgie are in their fourth house in 44 years there – they last moved 13 years ago.

And Drew revealed that, during his 27 years with the now-disbanded forestry team, he had discovered three Second World War bombs.

“They had to shut down all the roads and the bomb disposal teams came down to detonate them – there was an almighty bang and crater left,” he said.

Despite 50 years’ service, Drew, who has worked for three generations of the Douglas-Hamilton family, who own the estate, has no plans to retire just yet.

Elly Douglas-Hamilton, chairwoman of Archerfield Estates, praised his incredible loyalty.

She said: “Drew has been a highly valued employee on the estate for my lifetime and longer still.

“He was constantly around for my siblings and I growing up and now for my own children.

“Nobody else has his vast knowledge of the estate and the interesting facts he knows about Archerfield are amazing.”