A total of nine 15-year-old boys started as craft apprentices at the Rocester plant in 1964 and yesterday four of them – Chris Carnwell, Nigel Heinich, Mick Higgs, and Keith Hepden – retraced their footsteps to the factory to mark the diamond anniversary of the JCB apprenticeship programme. They were welcomed by JCB chairman Anthony Bamford, who also started work at JCB in 1964.