British Telecom manager Ray Cherry believes that sport and fresh air have proved to be the best recipe for a work record second to none.

A few days ago, the Oxford Mail published the story of brewery worker Steve Watkins, of Abingdon, who has never taken a day off sick in 25 years.

We asked our readers whether anyone could beat his unblemished long-service record, and soon took a call from Mr Cherry's wife, Carol, who said her husband could boast 38 years without a day's illness.

Mr Cherry first joined the then GPO in Oxford as an engineering apprentice in January 1967, and has risen to become project manager at the British Telecom offices in Spires House, at the Oxford Business Park South, in Garsington Road, Oxford.

Mr Cherry, who lives in Hampden Road, Cowley, and has two grown-up sons, recalls the early days of his apprenticeship when he "did a bit of everything".

He said: "I was a 'lineman' climbing poles and then got promoted to internal customers' exchanges until 1988.

"Then I became a manager based at Cowley, and later manager of our repair control centre at Telephone House.

"It was strange because I'd always worked on my own but I grew to love it.

"I moved to High Wycombe in the early 1990s, dealing with cable breakdowns. In 2001 they shut the Wycombe operation down and moved control to London, so I became project manager. I don't have to travel -- I can monitor everything from a desk here in Oxford."

Of his fitness record, he said: "It's down to a lot of luck and I try to look after myself. I used to play football and now play cricket for Isis, a non-league side.

"When you work by yourself, having a cold doesn't matter and I'd just go to work as normal."

Ray's manager, Chris Hughes: "Ray is an exemplary member of our team. He has always had a great love for the job.

"His enthusiasm has certainly paid dividends for our customers and his fellow BT colleagues."