"I've been working here for 46 years, but if we count the years when I started my apprenticeship, it would be 50," explains the energetic guy who works as a gas equipment mechanic in the measurement and control department. "In 1975 I went to the secondary vocational school here in Hodonín to work in this company. And I have been here ever since. It's actually sad," he says ironically, laughing.

With exaggeration, he will be able to celebrate a golden wedding with MND, an admirable feat for his 64 years. To complete the picture, his father worked at MND for 40 years.

After school, Mirek started working in the Gas Service Department, which was the branch that repaired and adjusted everything related to gas for MND and other companies. "We were based in Hodonín, but we went to all the centres, even to Michalovce in Slovakia," he recalls.

He has stayed in the industry to this day. Everything has changed, of course. Even the number of people - when he started, it was a team of ten people, now there are two. But at one time, he worked in this place himself.

"After the revolution a lot of people left, times were changing, there was little work for us. We worked externally for other entities," says Mirek. Some periods were difficult, especially when he was alone. "We have services, when they call, you go. Which when you're alone is quite challenging because there's no one to take turns with," he says. Now there are two of him and his colleague, and he is training his successor. "We do scheduled inspections of gas equipment, adjustments, and also depth injections for probes. Drilling drills the hole and we install the high-pressure pipe, which is then sunk. It carries the burden of drilling day and night, so you have to go in at maybe 2am. Saturday, Sunday. It's challenging at times."

Lots of sports and playing trumpet in the band

As of July 1, Mirek is officially retired. When asked what it's like, he answers again with a smile. "It's good, I normally go to work like I used to, but I've run out of pension."

However, he will indeed retire at the end of the year. But rest is definitely not in store for him. He has plenty of activities to do, and he's looking forward to pursuing them to the full. "I want to do as many things as I can. Something of everything."

Music is a great passion, and he has been playing the trumpet since he was ten years old. He started out in a brass band, but has been playing with the Old Time Band for twenty years. They meet every Monday and play.

"We play country, jazz, a little bit of everything. We perform at parties, weddings and other events. For ten years we have been going to Sweden to play for people who once emigrated there. It's a kind of community of Czechoslovaks who live in Scandinavia," says Mirek. But they have also played in Austria, for the Volhynian Czechs in Ukraine, and in Stockholm for the 100th anniversary of the founding of the republic.

But he also plays a lot of sports, he has been playing table tennis competitively for 30 years, but he also plays classic tennis. He and his wife also like to go cycling in the summer and cross-country skiing in the winter. He certainly has plenty to do in retirement

"His favourite place to cycle is the Highlands. He enjoys the hilly terrain the most. "My wife grumbles about it, but I like to get on my bike and ride. She's the planning type, she has to know which way and where. She's always looking at the map and I always say, we're going somewhere!"

She rides her bicycle to work every day from Prušánky. And with a few exceptions, he does it all the time. In winter, in summer. "If you get wet, you dry out," he says.

Of course, he is also devoted to his family - he and his wife have a daughter and a son. His son lives with his wife in Prague and works in IT. The daughter works in England. "She and her husband live in Bristol, they have a son, so we have a six-year-old grandson. They come to visit us two or three times a year, we always look forward to that," she adds.