Fill in the blanks- Retirement speech

Ladies and gentlemen, firstly I would like to say a massive thank-you to all of you for joining me at this great retirement party.

When I joined the company- (Say when you joined the company, how you felt about joining the company and what you aimed to achieve when you started. Say how the years have been for you at the company, what you have and haven't liked, and what it has been like to see so many things come and go around you, for example staff, and changes to daily tasks.)

My time at the company has been amongst the best years of my working life. As well as the skills and qualifications that I have gained along the way, I have gained something way more important. I found and developed great friendships, some that will stay with me for many, many years to come. I have also gained a feeling of belonging, and enjoyment in the job that I did. These were the real reasons that I enjoyed coming to work every day.

So finally, after ??? years at the company, I am going to shut up. But just before I do there are just a few thank-yous that I would like to make. Firstly to the people who have helped make me who I am ( All your MDs and senior bosses, etc.), to all my friends, who have become my second family over the years. And finally, a general thank-you to everybody for making my time here so enjoyable. Thank you.