Digger maker JCB threw the biggest birthday bash in its history at the weekend as more than 23,000 employees and their families partied to performances by Robbie Williams and Alex James.

The venue for the 80th anniversary celebration was the picturesque Wootton Estate in Staffordshire just a few miles from where JCB’s business was founded in Uttoxeter on October 23rd, 1945. The two-day JCB Family Festival was an extravaganza of entertainment to thank employees past and present for all they have done to propel the company from a one-man operation to company that today employs more than 20,000 people worldwide at 22 factories.

From sheep shows to celebrity cookery demonstrations, parachute displays, and ferret racing there was something for everyone. The world famous JCB Dancing Diggers took several bows over the weekend to loud applause from the crowds, who were also delighted by a fly past from a Hurricane and a Spitfire.

In the stage area, hosted by comedian and actor Paddy McGuinness, a day of musical entertainment kicked off with the UK’s premier wartime group the D-Day Darlings – a nod to the era when JCB was founded just after the Second World War.

As the day progressed, Taylor Swift, Abba, Take That and Oasis tribute acts put on spell binding performances.

The loudest cheers were reserved for Alex James Brit Pop Classical who closed the show on Saturday night and Staffordshire’s own Robbie Williams who brought the curtain down on the weekend on Sunday.

JCB Chairman Anthony Bamford said:

“This whole event was to say thank you to every employee, past and present, for helping make JCB the global success it is today. JCB competes on the world stage and we could not have achieved that without the efforts of the whole team. It was a magnificent weekend and gave me particular pleasure that our two headline acts had links with Staffordshire, where our business began 80 years ago.”

Robbie Williams was born in Stoke-on-Trent and rose to fame with Take That before going solo in 1996 and becoming one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Alex James’ wife Claire, a music video producer, hails from Trentham in Stoke-on-Trent.

In true Robbie style, the singer picked a woman from the crowd on Sunday evening to serenade with ‘She’s The One’. The lucky lady was Jules Taylor, wife of Nick Taylor, Sales Director at Rocester-based JCB Finance. Jules had written ‘Robbie we love you’ on the reverse of a paper JCB carrier bag to turn it into a banner which she held over the barrier.

After the concert, she said:

“It was absolutely amazing – my legs were shaking! I’m a huge Robbie fan. I think he’s an amazing showman. I shouted to Nick to get the camera ready when he came near. I felt star struck. What an absolutely brilliant day.”

Retired JCB employee Sue Finney, of Rocester, who used to work in the JCB Events team, said:

“I think it is incredible that Lord Bamford has put on an event like this for the employees to enjoy.”

 JCB Merchandise Assistant Tracy Mottram, of Oakamoor, near Cheadle, said: “It was a brilliant weekend. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event and it made us proud to work for JCB.”