The piece by by Graham Mitchell and Clive Goodhead in last Wednesday’s Press highlighting the legacy of Seebohm Rowtree (Happy 150th to York’s ‘Einstein of the welfare state’, July 7) brought back mixed memories for me.

I would like to personally thank any surviving Rowntree family members for nurturing that philosophy of Quaker values towards those less fortunate in this cruel world.

As a disabled person, looking for work was a crushing affair until I managed to secure a job at Rowntrees. My interview process there was heartwarming because for once I felt that Seebohm’s values were evident. They saw my potential, not the disability.

Working in Quality Assurance and then, later, in the Analytical department, all was well until the ‘takeover’. Luckily I managed to switch jobs to making films in the new video unit run by Nick Lawman. We were much valued by all departments at Rowntree.

Around that time I joined the Royal Observer Corps and some of those members also worked at Rowntree. I was lucky to be able to be helped when the inevitable redundancies occurred by steering me towards constructing a new lifestyle away from Rowntree.

Once again many thanks to the Rowntree family.

Phil Shepherdson, Woodthorpe, York