Vision
Sept/Oct 69 No 57 House Magazine of Rank Xerox Mitcheldean Plant
Two Rank Xerox Austria service engineers on a productivity award visit to the UK visited Mitcheldean in
July. Here they watch as swarf collected from the casting machining section in Building 36 is shovelled
into bags before being taken away. Some 15 tons of mixed metal per week are removed from the
Plant – no rubbish this but a by-product of manufacturing processes which can command a good price
and in some cases yield up considerable quantities of oil for re-use On page 7 we describe the useful
work of our swarf disposal squad
`Joint participation-
1968/69 was a tough year. It was also a
successful year. I hope, therefore, that you had a
good holiday. You’ve earned it. Now it’s back
to work.
Directors and senior managers must look
continually to the future. They must anticipate
problems in advance, and plan the most efficient
use of available resources. If they don’t, they are
no good. This is all right as far as it goes.
In a sense, we are all managers and planners. We
have to plan and manage our lives. We have to
make the best use of our available private
resources. If we don’t, we get into trouble. It’s
just the same with a business.
The Company is not made up of titles-directors,
managers, operators, etc. These are labels
designed to identify organisational authority and
responsibility. The Company consists of people.
It is a team. We are all in the same team and
must work together to achieve a common
purpose, i.e. success for the Company and higher
living standards for ourselves.
This is what the Productivity Campaign is all
about. We must all get into the habit of looking
ahead. Not in terms of months but several years.
The Productivity Campaign promises to be a
success. The result is due to an enormous
co-operative effort.
we’ve proved it works’
For me, the highlight of the Productivity Campaign
is that we have proved that we can work together,
we can act as a team. Let us go on in this way.
Our most important task over the next two or
three years is to build on the foundation of
co-operative enterprise which we all helped to
lay during the Productivity Campaign. We have
demonstrated that we can talk collectively and
constructively, and can resolve difficulties to
mutual advantage. We have proved that there
really is no need to down tools to settle
differences or to get our views heard.
The agreed procedures and machinery are there.
Let us use them. Lost production benefits no one
and harms many.
There will of course be problems. There will be
some managers who, on occasion, will not behave
as they should. There will be some employees
who may opt to act against the advice of their
trades union and internal works representatives. I
repeat, the Productivity Campaign has proved
that there is no need for this, and we all know it.
The policy of joint participation in change has the
full backing of the Board of Directors. The entire
Company is committed to this policy. We all
know that it is the only one that can ensure
success. Let’s get on with it.
Director of Production and Supply Operations
3
MAKING A MOVE
Most people hope for fine weather when they
move house. But since the removal of 3600
Assembly from Building 36 to Building 40, though
geared to a tight schedule, was spread over
several weeks of English summer, no one dared to
hope for more than the odd dry day. As it turned
out, the sun shone hotly throughout what was
the biggest of the departmental change-rounds
that have yet taken place at Mitcheldean.
Obviously an operation of this magnitude calls for
a maximum amount of co-operation from and
co-ordination between the departments concerned
it also calls for very careful planning.
Once a move has been decided upon, Facilities
Planning work out a new layout of machinery and
equipment, sometimes with the aid of
three-dimensional models. This layout is split up
into movable units and the sequence of the move
is agreed with Production.
Where a large quantity of machinery is involved
as will be the case when the Machine Shop is
moved later on to the space now vacated by
3600 Assembly-the problem is more complex.
How long the various machines can be allowed to
be out of action has to be taken into consideration
and an order of priority for their removal has to
be agreed.
Works Engineering are then brought into the
picture and it is up to them to say whether the
move as planned is feasible.
They have various aspects to take into account.
They have to calculate what services are required
in the way of water, gas, air, etc., whether the
total amount of electricity needed is available and
so on. It may be that a greaser has to be moved
the greaser is gas-operated and there is no gas in
the new building so the question arises, is it
worth running a gas main to the building or
would it be better to adapt the machine to
electricity?
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
MEANS SAFETY
Cleanliness is next to godliness, so the old maxim
goes: and good housekeeping is similarly akin to
safety. So maintain the Safety Committee who,
embarking upon a campaign to make everyone
safety-minded, are making this the theme of a
poster competition.
Open to all employees, the competition will be
run on lines similar to that held in connection with
the Productivity Campaign and details will be
appearing shortly on the notice boards.
4
The rapid growth of the Plant and the many
alterations being carried out have made it more
essential than ever to maintain effective safety
measures. With this in mind, an internal review of
the safety set-up at the Plant has recently been
undertaken, details of which will be promulgated
later.
To keep themselves fully informed about current
safety practice, members of the committee will be
attending safety courses this autumn.
The Safety Committee meet on the last Thursday
of every month. Chairing this meeting is Mr. R. E.
Baker, Works Superintendent.
Then there is the question of whether Works
Engineering have the requisite equipment for the
move; they have their own machine-moving
truck, Land Rover and other facilities, but
occasionally the firm who originally installed an
item of equipment have to be called in to move it
to its new quarters-perhaps because modifications
are required. This was the case when several
roof-mounted hoists had to be given longer
supports owing to the greater height of the ceiling
in Building 40.
Work-in-progress, benches, racks, etc., known
i collectively as toting, are the responsibility of the
department being moved and the latter have to
arrange for it to be conveyed by internal transport.
Works Engineering must also consider whether
their own staff will need to be augmented by
contract labour.
All these things will affect the decision as to
whether the time allotted for the move is realistic.
and if some aspect is found to be unworkable, then
it’s back to the planners for adjustments to be made.
When all the difficulties have been ironed out,
Facilities Planning prepare what is called a move
sequence bar chart which shows the whole
operation broken down into various stages, the
time each will take and the dates fixed for them.
Drawings indicating what power services, such as
electrical power drops, air supplies, etc., are
required are also prepared.
A further meeting is subsequently convened
between all engineering staff to discuss the move
sequence programme and, on agreement, this is
issued to the departments concerned so that all
the final arrangements can be made.
The new assembly floor, which gives the
department an extra 12,000 sq ft, is decorated in
brighter colours than have been introduced into a
manufacturing area hitherto. The ceiling is light
green, walls and pillars are painted in two-tone
green, while service areas are coloured orange.
The floor has been given a dust-proof and hardwearing
surface by the incorporation of a metal
aggregate and subsequent wax treatment.
Training
for
Trainers
A new module system of training for craft
apprentices was recently introduced by the
Engineering Industry Training Board, and in order
that those responsible for the departmental
training of our own craft apprentices should be
fully informed, the Education Er Training
Department have been holding a series of
instructional training courses for section leaders,
chargehands and supervisory staff.
The courses, co-ordinated by Mr. D. Lowde, were
each of three days’ duration and commenced
with a talk by Mr. V. Hammond on the Industrial
Training Act of 1964; this was followed by a
discussion group on ‘the theories of learning’.
Lectures on demonstration techniques and job
break-down were given by Mr. A. Bibey, after
which practical sessions were conducted by
Messrs. E. Parsons and W. Luker.
The final part of the programme included a lecture
by Mr. L. Hart on the present selection and
training of apprentices, and this was followed by
an explanation of the module system of training,
given by a member of the EITB.
Further such courses are to be held in the near
future.
Ron Turner (Press Shop) watches as George
Hayward (Remodelling) demonstrates how to
check the bearing of a feed roll shaft while
instructor Eric Parsons makes notes.
5
Recent
Appointments
Mr. Don R. Elliott has been appointed to the new
position of Works Manager, a post in which he is
to co-ordinate the production and other allied
functions of the Plant and is responsible to
Mr. F. Wickstead. The following managers now
report directly to Mr. Elliott: Mr. S. D. Kee ly.
Production Manager; Mr. R. Brown, Works
Engineer ; Mr. R. E. Baker, Works Superintendent;
Mr. F. T. L. Davies, Laboratory Manager; and
Mr. H. H. Iles, who has assumed control of the
Reconditioning Operations Group, with the title of
Manager (Designate). For the past 23 years
Mr. Elliott has held various Supervisory and
Management appointments at Mitcheldean Plant,
the most recent of which have been QC Manager,
Manager of 914/720 Production, and Manager
Reconditioning Operations in which latter capacity
he was responsible for the planning, setting up
and direction of the various Reconditioning Centres
throughout the world. During recent years
Mr. Elliott has served on various local association
committees and he is currently Chairman of the
North Glos. Branch of the Institution of Works
Managers of which he is a Fellow.
Mr. Cyril A. Charnley joined us as Chief Security
and Fire Officer on August 4 : he was formerly
security officer at Government Communications HQ,
Cheltenham.
From the left:
Mr. D. R. Elliott, Works Manager
Mr. W. G. Price, Controller of Accounting
Mr. M. R. Norman, Information Officer
Mr. D. Shryane, whose appointment as Supply
Planning Controller and deputy w Mr. G. H.
Peregrine, Assistant Director, Supply, was
reported in our last issue.
Mr. W. Graham Price was appointed Controller
of Accounting within the Production Et Supply
Operations Division on July 1. Located in the
Group offices in Building 36, he is responsible to
Mr. Wickstead for the executive control of all
financial functions within the Division, in
accordance with the overall financial policy and
procedures approved by the Assistant Director of
Finance and Comptroller. Mr. Price joined us
from English Electric, where he was Chief
Accountant for the Ruston Sub Group.
Mr. Michael R. Norman joined us on July 28 as
Information Officer, Mitcheldean. His duties
include the organising of visits to the Plant by
members of the Rank Organisation and outside
bodies, preparing press releases, acting as Plant
contact for Rank Xerox Gazette and maintaining
general information services. Mr. Norman, who
has had considerable journalistic and public
relations experience, comes to us from the Avon
Rubber Company of Melksham, Wiltshire. He is
located on the top floor of Building 23.
A File Control Department has recently been set
up, based at Mitcheldean, to maintain computerised
records of all machine parts designed and
modifications made thereto within the Production
and Supply Operations Division. Mr. Jock Yuill
has been appointed File Control Officer, reporting
directly to Mr. Shryane, and Mr. C. Jim Evans and
Mr. Ernest W. Evans have been made section
leaders within the department, responsible to
Mr. Yuill.
Mr. Tony Nurden has been appointed Supervisor,
3600 Assembly, as from August 11 ; he comes to
us from Dowty Electrics Ltd.
1
THE SWARF DISPOSAL SQUAD
‘We shall get a bit out of it, but not much,’ said
Ken Sterry, looking with an experienced eye at a
bin of swarf as it was emptied into a bay. The
shiny metal shavings dropped through the bottom
of the bay into a circular metal basket; Sam
Mansell pulled this forward over rollers and
attached it to an overhead hoist which lifted the
basket into an electrically-operated spin-drier.
Once the safety catch was in position, the spinner
roared into action at 800 rpm, forcing several
hundred pounds weight of metal into orbit. But
only a moderate trickle emerged from the outlet
pipe, thus confirming Ken’s estimate.
The basket was lifted again by the hoist and its
contents deposited in one of several bays reserved
for dry swarf, ready to be packed into bags and
taken away by the scrap merchants.
It is hardly surprising that Ken and his colleague
Sam Mansell in the swarf disposal area can assess
pretty accurately the yield from each load for they
handle some 60 or 70 bins a day, most of it
emanating from the adjacent Machine Shop.
The different kinds of swarf – aluminium, steel.
copper and brass – are dried and kept separate
as they then command a higher price. Copper can
fetch as much as £500 per ton so one can
appreciate why security arrangements here have
to be rigid.
To this area come not only swarf from the Machine
Shop, Tool Room, etc., but also scrap parts and
castings rejected by inspection. These are sorted
and weighed before being taken away. All the
scrap and swarf go to Avon Metals of Cheltenham
scrap aluminium die-castings, however, can
sometimes command a higher price if kept separate
and returned to the original supplier.
It isn’t only the metal which is recoverable,
however. The liquid thrown out by the spinner –
and sometimes it is a real gusher – is filtered into
a central pipe which then divides into two, each
being controlled by a stop-cock. If the liquid is
straight-cutting oil, it is allowed to run through
the blue-painted pipe to a 1,000-gallon tank below
ground ; suds oil (a mixture of oil and water) is
directed through the other pipe, a green one, to
another underground tank (the colour code
helps ready identification). The straight cutting
oil is pumped into a cleaning system where it is
processed to remove most of the physical
contaminants such as dirt, lint, etc. It is then
distributed back into a yellow-painted tank (that
colour code again) for reissue.
Ken Sterry makes sure the is
balanced evenly before closing the top of the
spinner and setting it in motion. Watching are
Brian Lampshire, Site Clearance Supervisor, and
(far right) Ken’s colleague. Sam Mansell. At the
rear are the tanks from which clean oil and suds
oil are issued to the shop floor,
At Mitcheldean we purify some 150 gallons a
week, the rest being taken by K. Allan Et Co. of
Bream who process it and re-supply it to us.
Suds oil is not recoverable, however; it is removed
periodically from the tank and the Works
Laboratory treat it to separate the oil and water
before it is taken away for disposal.
Fresh suds oil for use in the shops is supplied as
neat oil in barrels. It is diluted in the ratio 20 parts
water to one part oil and the Works Laboratory
carefully check the ratio before authorising its
issue from the orange-painted tank in the swarf
disposal area.
The issuing of these oils for lubricating the drills,
mills, cutter-grinders and other machine tools is
another responsibility of this area which in its
turn comes under the control of Brian Lampshire,
Site Clearance Supervisor in Works Engineering.
A second swarf disposal area, equipped on a
smaller scale, is situated in Building 36 where it
serves the casting machining section. With the
forthcoming removal of the Machine Shop to
Building 36, the disposal area there will become
fully equipped ; the original main disposal area
will then become a secondary one serving Small
Batch, Tool Room and Tool Inspection which
are eventually to be located in Building 29.
7
HOLIDAYS at home
Works photographer Jack Seal looked at some
remarkable feats of engineering when he went
on ‘A Cruise on the Ouse’.
A Cruise on the Ouse
Few people seem to be sure of the location of the
River Great Ouse, and only one I have met at
Mitcheldean has cruised it. It does, in fact, flow
from Bedford through St. Neots, Huntingdon and
St. Ives, then on a tortuous course to where it
meets the River Cam, on past Ely wide and deep
to Denver Sluice and into the Wash at Kings Lynn.
It is fed by the rivers Cam, Lark, Little Ouse and
Wissey, all of which are navigable, presenting in
all more than 200 miles of cruising waterways. To
these must be added the new Bedford River or
‘Hundred Foot’, cut by the Dutch engineer
Vermuyden in the 17th century. There are some
20 locks on the system and most of it is free of
tidal worries.
Like the Thames, the Great Ouse flows through or
alongside many towns of great aesthetic and
historic interest so that one can moor within a puny
stone’s throw of the shopping centre.
St. Neots has what is probably the largest
market-place in the country. St. Ives has one of
the few remaining road bridges that incorporate a
chapel. A fine statue of Cromwell dominates the
market-place-he was born in Huntingdon but
The Old West River near Stretham.
. –
Mrs. Pauline Goscomb, secretary to the Controller,
Supply Planning, went far south for sunshine and
some exciting ‘Arabian Days’.
lived for ten years at St. Ives. He seems to have
spent much of his time campaigning against the
various fen drainage schemes of the day.
Below St. Ives is fen country. Along the Old
West, the Cam and the Ely Ouse you will see the
great dykes that have been built to contain the
floods and the ‘washlands’ that enable the rivers
at times of flood to bear the mass of water safely
away to the sea. You can take your cruiser up the
Cam right to Jesus Lock and then hire a punt or
rowboat to see the colleges from the famous
Backs. Cambridge’s multitude of bicycles ridden
mainly along paths prohibiting them are probably
the greatest danger you will meet !
A couple of miles below where the Cam enters the
Ouse lies Ely, so called, according to the Venerable
Bede, because the river thereabouts was found to
be wondrous eely! Its cathedral, which is one of
our finest (some say the finest), is built on the
site of the dual monastery founded by St.
Ethelreda. Building began in the late 11th century
and took 250 years to complete. The central
Norman tower collapsed in the 14th century and
was replaced by the world-famous Lantern and
Octagon, built entirely of wood and lead and
weighing over 400 tons.
All around you as you cruise the Ely Ouse, and the
-and abroad
Mrs. Pat Crowden, 3600 Assembly, flew the Philip Ludlow of Internal Audit went to Tenerife,
Atlantic on her first visit to the USA, and then it largest of the Canary Islands. Like several others
was ‘Hi There, Ohio!’ from our Plant, he stayed at the Rank Hotel on
this ‘Island in the Sun’.
Lark and Wissey, are reminders of the great
engineering feats being wrought to contain the
flood waters of the Ouse system. You will see
where the river, safely contained by its great banks,
flows high above the level of the surrounding
countryside. If you have time you may like to
inspect the gigantic Stretham beam engine still
working on the banks of the Old West as it was
well over a hundred years ago.
It was written many hundreds of years ago that in
draining the fens, the land would sink ‘the height
of a man in the lifespan of a man’ and so it would
seem, but the prize has been the reclamation of
agricultural land of inestimable value to the national
economy.
A cruising holiday is not cheap by camping or
caravan standards, but for a party of four or more
compares favourably with holiday camps or
boarding houses. Whatever the protagonists of
Majorca, Spain or Italy say, it is far cheaper than
going abroad and it does help to keep down the
adverse payments balance !
I have no wish to ‘sell’ the Ouse as a holiday idea,
preferring to keep it relatively unknown, but to
those who are interested, we have a 40-minute
film A Cruise on the Ouse which we expect to
show at the Club House on Wednesday, September
17-a Cine Et Photo Club night, of course.
Arabian Days
A holiday that was ‘different’ and plenty of
sunshine guaranteed-those were our main
requirements, and Tunisia gave us both in full
measure. As far as sun was concerned, there was
almost too much and we learned to treat it with
great respect.
My husband and I stayed at the charming town of
Hammamet on the southern shore of Cap Bon,
not far from Nabeul where there is a thriving
pottery industry, and a busy market.
Tunis, the capital, proved a mixture of old and
new. The latter, with its modern blocks, was
lacking in personality but the native part, called
the Medina, fully came up to our expectations and
we delighted in its narrow streets, the famous
souks or covered bazaar, and the mosques.
Our visit to the holy city of Kairouan was a most
moving experience. The place looked like
something out of Arabian Nights with its domes
and minarets and, in fact, the Caliph of Bagdad
who featured in those stories is believed to have
had something to do with the building of the
city. We were able to go into a number of the
mosques and we climbed to the top of a minaret
to see where the faithful are called to prayer
several times a day.
Our holiday would have been incomplete without
a look round Carthage, the ancient city founded
by the Phoenicians which became the capital of a
great commercial empire. It was eventually
destroyed by the Romans who rebuilt the city and
there were plenty of Roman ruins to be seen.
Once you leave the towns behind you can easily
imagine yourself back in biblical times. Farming
methods are primitive and only Government-run
concerns looked prosperous and fertile. Efforts
are being made to introduce collective farming to
enable poorer farmers to modernise but we
learned that many of them prefer to carry on in the
time-honoured tradition.
Perhaps our greatest excitement was a camel trek
into the hinterland. Being somewhat nervous, I
asked for the calmest camel available. The one
I was allotted grunted contemptuously as I
mounted ; getting on and off were tricky but once
on board I found it most enjoyable. The secret
was to relax and accept that it was futile to try to
guide the thing.
During this trek we visited the home of a typical
The market-place at Nabeul.
..
continued on p. 10
9
HOLIDAYS continued
Tunisian family. We were invited to inspect their
very simple abode and to try on the Arab costumes
provided specially for us. I was keen to see what
a yashmak would do for me ! Although it is no
longer compulsory, practically all the women we
saw of 18 or over wore the veil and though they
let it drop occasionally, it was rapidly replaced
if we tried to take a photograph.
I have a suspicion that women find it a useful
cover-up, particularly if they haven’t had time to
titivate before dashing out to the shops.
Hi there, Ohio!
My uncle, who emigrated to America many years
ago, came over here on a holiday last year and
invited us to spend a holiday with him in return.
So in April this year my husband and I made our
first visit to the USA.
Travel was arranged for us by the Bristol branch
of the North American Family Association which
was formed to assist people in this country to
visit relatives across the Atlantic. We flew to
New York, then boarded another ‘plane for
Cleveland, Ohio, where my uncle lives.
He made sure that we saw all the sights during
our stay and everybody was very hospitable so we
didn’t get much sleep !
The Niagara Falls were a ‘must’, of course, and we
found the spectacle breathtaking. The Falls
consist of the American Falls and the Canadian
Horseshoe Falls which, as well as attracting
countless tourists, are developing millions of
dollars’ worth of electric power. Like most
tourists we walked behind the Horseshoe Falls
and we were provided with macks, hats and
wellingtons to protect us from the spray. Apart
from two days marred by rain, this was the only
time during our four weeks’ holiday that we needed
rainwear.
Another unforgettable outing was to Washington
to look round the White House; we also visited
President John Kennedy’s grave just outside the
city.
We drove over the Blue Ridge Mountains into
Virginia and saw the historic city of Williamsburg,
looked round the naval base of Norfolk, and went
to Portsmouth where we stayed with a cousin I
hadn’t seen since 1938.
One thing that struck us particularly was that very
few of the Americans we met were smokers.
Perhaps this was due to the anti-smoking
campaign-every cigarette packet you buy bears
a warning about the dangers to health of smoking.
10
We thought the food excellent and more varied
than over here. Two items seemed particularly
expensive to us: tea at 7s. 9d. a quarter and
Robertsons marmalade at 4s. 11d. a pound pot.
And we were most surprised to see crumpets
imported from England.
We hired a cine camera from the Plant and took
11 rolls of film but at the time of writing didn’t
know how they had turned out. Our daughter,
Sandra, who works in Spares Assembly, is looking
forward to seeing them as much as we are.
Next time-maybe next year-we plan to visit
Florida. That should certainly be something to
write about !
Island in the Sun
My wife and I began our holiday with the flight
from Gatwick Airport in a BAC 1-11 jet aircraft.
Conditions were good and we were able to watch
as the panorama of France, Spain and Portugal
passed beneath us. Low cloud prevented us from
landing at Tenerife and this gave us the chance to
spend one evening in Palma, a neighbouring
island, before we continued to Tenerife the next
morning.
The drive to the village of Medano took us from
the cloudy weather of the airport up through the
mountains to bright sunshine. Our minibus sped
along winding roads through extensive pine
forests to skirt the volcano of El Teide whose
10,000 ft peak, we were assured, was dormant.
After the fantastic lava scenery of Las Canadas
came twisting roads with frightening drops on one
side, and no safety fences!
Medano is a small fishing village, and the Rank
hotel is set alongside the longest beach on the
island. We enjoyed 14 days of non-stop sunshine,
tempered by a gentle sea breeze, and we particularly
enjoyed the food.
During our stay we managed to see most of the
island, with its vast banana plantations, camels,
and small villages boasting many distinctive bars.
The dry Medano area contrasted with the lush,
colourful Oratava Valley further north. We were
befriended, on arrival, by one of the many small
ownerless dogs – it followed us everywhere we
walked.
All too soon we had to leave Medano. The
spectacular finale to our holiday was the view.
from the aircraft, of the sunset with bands of
black, orange and azure fading into Stygian
darkness.
= ” ..— ”
ACROSS
1 Punishment for the soldier. (8)
7 What a darling little pea! (5)
8 The place to buy undraped
girls? Not at Mitcheldean,
unfortunately. (5 Er 4)
9 A body came through it, they
sang. (3)
10 In which Italian restaurant do you
get your bill, little girl ? (4)
11 Describes a maternity-conscious
bird in pensive mood. (6)
13 Get behind me. (6)
14 A sound which is seldom like
its sound. (6)
17 Full agreement. (On the length
of a piece of string ?) (6)
18 No charge for the best things
in life. (4)
20 Some of the harvest of the
(North) sea. (3)
22 The very first-sometimes made
by 8.(9)
23 A fishy old woman, unkindly. (5)
24 25.12.69. (8)
1
[ 7/
4 V/
A
.
4
97/ 6
t
I
V
A
7
A
7
V
V // V
/,
v
4
I
y rz
, I
10 v 11 , R 0 _T) *-9
r
/
A
i
A
‘
/
12 4 7
.
V V
13 1
z
1 15
A
7 –
4
v
A
ff 16
.A.
V/ / Y
r 4 7 A
A
17 .,
/.
18 19
20
A
/
A 1 21 7
// I. 4 7
A
22
23 r
Z. A
1
‘ 7 A y
/ / V
4 I 24
DOWN
12 An idea, in American by Paul Gregory
parlance. (7) (solution on page 15)
1 Funny paper for a little horror
occasionally. (5)
13 Gear fit to furnish a
battleship. (7)
2 Make a bigger hole. (7) 15 Dressed to kill ? (7)
3 They often give ‘oots. (4) 16 A decoration to pin on the
4 Stick a small advertisement in lady’s chest. (6)
this place. (6) 17 Race track for a North
5 Usually descriptive of 24. (5) Britisher. (5)
6 In moments of great temptation,
try hard. (7)
19 “How goes the ?” (Have
you got the time ?) (5)
7 Shoots – not necessarily in 21 Plenty of room up in
Belgium. (7) Yorkshire. (4)
PROMISING
CHAP!
ILL BEAR HIM IN MIND
FOR PROMOTION TO
HEAD OFFICE BOY! rTh
TECHNICAL II
LIBRA’
YOUNG BLENKINSOP
SPENDS A LOT OF TIME
HERE STUDYING HARD’
11
LETTER
With the exception of the few who live away from
the district, all the retired LSA members took part
in the midsummer’s day outing to Wales.
Two coaches picked people up from near their
homes and met up at Monmouth to follow a route
taking in Abergavenny, Crickhowell and the
Brecon Beacons.
The Beacons were a memorable sight in the
sunshine with wild Welsh ponies adding to the
beauty of the scene. High tea taken at Bishop’s
Meadow Restaurant, Brecon, was rated one of
the highlights of the trip and on the way back
the party called on the King of Prussia (the one
just outside Abergavenny !) to quench their thirst
and enjoy bread, cheese and pickled onions.
Accompanying the party were Miss Doris Barker,
Miss Kate Matthews, Sister Collins and First Aid
worker Mrs. Daisy Bullock. The transport and
high tea were provided by the Company.
This October we shall be wishing a long and
happy retirement to Cyril Jamieson, surveillance
inspector, who joined the LSA quite recently.
We hope tc see Mrs. Winnie Knight (Spares
Assembly) back at work again soon ; she has been
on sick leave for several months, suffering from a
slipped disc.
Joining in the trip was former LSA chairman
Ray Camp who took this photograph of some of
the party enjoying the sunshine on the Brecon
Beacons
Good Old Days
According to the Boston Sunday Herald, a Boston
office manager, cleaning out a file in preparation
for his firm’s move to a new location, came across
these office rules for 1872. He wanted to read
them to his office force, but the members were all
out on one of the day’s several coffee breaks.
1 Office employees each day will fill lamps,
clean chimneys and trim wicks. Wash
windows once a week.
2 Each clerk will bring in a bucket of water and
a scuttle of coal for the day’s business.
3 Make your pens carefully. You may whittle
nibs to your individual taste.
4 Men employees will be given an evening off
each week for courting purposes, or two
evenings a week if they go regularly to
church.
12
5 After thirteen hours of labour in the office, the
employee should spend the remaining time
reading the Bible and other good books.
6 Every employee should lay aside from each
pay day a goodly sum of his earnings for his
benefit during his declining years so that he
will not become a burden on society.
7 Any employee who smokes Spanish cigars,
uses liquor in any form, or frequents pool and
public halls or gets shaved in a barber shop,
will give good reason to suspect his worth,
intentions, integrity and honesty.
8 The employee who has performed his labour
faithfully and without fault for five years, will
be given an increase of five cents per day in
his pay, providing profits from business
permit it.
With acknowledgment to ‘Xerox World’
Putting IYOUlin the picture
Engagements
Miss Elizabeth Williams (Data Processing punch
room) to Tom Davis on June 17.
David Negrin (Factory Progress) to Miss
Anne-Marie Taylor on June 21.
Miss Nita Morris (Purchase Department) to
Dave Lewis on June 28.
Miss Sally Tinton (Design Office) to Terry
Kavanagh on July 5.
Miss Janet Cook (Data Processing punch room)
to Ian Thomas on July 7.
Gordon Davis (Tool Room) to Miss Gillian Prosser
on July 9.
Weddings
Miss Burnett Moore (Spares Assembly) to
Martin Nolan at St. Michael’s Church, Mitcheldean,
and Miss Pat Kettle (formerly Design Office) to
Ivor Kiernan at St. Mary’s Church, Ross-on-Wye,
both on June 21.
Miss Marlene Jones (660 Assembly) to Alan
Marshall (Remodelling) at St. Mary’s Church,
English Bicknor, Miss Heather Williams (Spares
Assembly) to John Manns at Holy Trinity,
Drybrook, and Robert Prosser (spot welder) to
Miss Patricia Tudor at Gloucester Register Office,
all on June 28.
Miss Adele Anderson (secretary to Mr. E.
Watkins, Quality Control) to Julian Shufflebotham
(Works Engineering) at Edge End Chapel, and
Miss Sheila Creed (Spares Assembly) to Terry
Brown (Paint Shop) at Gloucester Register Office,
both on July 19.
Miss Angela Browning (Spares Assembly) to
Michael Meek at Lydney Register Office, and
Miss Pam Hodges (Mail Room) to apprentice
Jim Andrews at St. Stephen’s Church, Cinderford,
both on July 26.
Miss Jenny Reid (Spares Assembly) to Raymond
Oakey at Holy Trinity, Drybrook. on August 9.
Mr. and Mrs. M. Nolan
R. Evans
Miss Susan Kettle (secretary to Mr. T. J. Head,
Manager, Reliability Department) to Roderick
Watkins at Ross Register Office, and Miss Susan
Watkins (Mail Room) to Fred Probert at Ross-on-
Wye, both on August 16.
Miss Wendy Bennett (3600 Assembly) to Robert
Taylor at Holy Trinity, Drybrook, on September 27.
21sts
Apprentice Kevin Howell on May 25.
Mrs. Julie Watkins (Comps., Accounts) on July 24.
Miss Vicki Westgate (Wages) on July 29.
Births
Victoria Catherine, a daughter for Brian English
(Accounts), on April 24.
John, a son for Mrs. Anne Hughes (formerly 3600
Assembly), on June 17.
Diane Carol, a daughter for Graham Eddy
(Machine Shop), on June 25.
Andrea Ginelle, a daughter for Brian Dawson
(Inspection) and his wife Carol (secretary to Mr.
W. Beech, Chief Buyer), on June 28.
Gary, a son for Bill Smith (Sorter Assembly,
Gloucester), on July 2.
Mark Andrew, a son for Mrs. Shirley Ford
(formerly
Mark, a son for Alan Cryer (Salaries & Wages
Controller), on July 16.
Obituary
We regret to have to record the sudden death on
June 29 of John E. Rayner at the age of 46 years:
he was employed as a skilled milling machine
setter operator in the Machine Shop.
Best Wishes to …
Welfare Officer Roy Steward and Percy Snook
(3600 Stores) who have been on sick leave for
some months;
Charles H. Bailey (3600 Assembly) who retires
in September.
Mr. and Mrs. A. Marshall Mr. and Mrs. J. Manns Mr. and Mrs. J.
Shufflebotham
I. Griffin J. Ingram
13
Race to Ross
For the second year running (we use the word
advisedly !), D. Francis of Westbury Harriers won
our eighth annual 14-mile road race, held in
conjunction with Longhope Carnival.
No new record was set up this time; in fact,
Francis’s time of 1 hr 11 mins 40 secs was
4 mins 14 secs slower than last year’s, due to the
fact that there was a strong head wind on the
outgoing run to Ross. Second came M. Chandler,
also of Westbury Harriers, with 1 hr 12 mins 43
secs, while J. R. Brandon of Thames Valley
Harriers came third with 1 hr 13 mins 12 secs.
First veteran was C. J. Beeston (Derby & County
Harriers) and first novice M. F. Beames of Cardiff
Athletic Club. Westbury Harriers carried off the
first team prize (they were third last year), while
Cardiff Athletic Club came second and Coventry
Godiva Harriers third. Over £35 worth of prizes
including medals were presented by our Company
to the runners, who expressed their appreciation
of the way the race was organised and the
facilities afforded them.
The following acted as officials for the event:
Road race organiser-W. Brown ; chief steward-
J. Morgan; timekeepers: T. Meredith,
R. Wrigglesworth ; starter: H. S. Phillips; stewards:
H. Cornwall, T. Knight, D. Parkinson,
S. Richardson, R. Taylor; First Aid: A. Cale.
Calling all Hams
The four licensed amateur radio operators at
Mitcheldean are hoping to contact other ‘hams’
within the Rank Organisation with a view to
forming a regular sked (scheduled transmissions
to the uninitiated). Would anyone interested
please drop a line, giving their call sign, to one of
the following : John Barratt (G3WVQ), Harry
Helm (G2COH), or John Macdonald (G3DOP).
The fourth operator, Laurence Miller (G3YGI),
was not fully operative at the time of writing but
expecting to be so shortly.
In aid of Charity
A coachload of members of the Rank Audio
Visual Sports Et Social Club came to Mitcheldean
for the day during July. They had lunch with us,
went on a coach tour around Malvern, returned
for tea and then enjoyed a dance in the Social
Centre, the proceeds from which (£30) went
towards the Gloucestershire Hydrotherapy Unit
fund.
A recent Plant collection in aid of the Red Cross
Society raised £29 10s. 10d.
14
Lifeline
For a few seconds or eternity it had been silent,
and now crept in the muted hum of an electric
motor, the whirr of an extractor fan, sounds that
were always with us but rarely heard. We listened
intently for the command that would impel one or
other of us to frenzied action. The fretted outlet
above us had portrayed the whole conflict of
human emotions-command, supplication,
entreaty, a little anger or irritation occasionally; it
was part of us and of our way of life. Now it was
silent and we were uneasy because of it. It was
our lifeline, our assurance that all was well with
the world outside. Without it we felt lost and
forgotten by the rest of the human race.
Ah There it was, the faintest of clicks and rustle
of paper heralded its return. It broke in upon
uneasy thoughts, it went reverberating down the
corridors and rose high and compelling above the
din and clamour of the busy shops, it went
scurrying across the great outside:
‘MR. ROY POWELL, TRUNK CAALL I’ J.S.
Embarrassing Moment
A certain lady in Reliability Laboratory popped
out early the other morning to put some rubbish
in the dustbin, clad only in her baby doll nightwear.
Then her dog pushed the door shut and locked
her out. There was nothing for it but to make a
dash across the road to her mother’s house-much
to the delight of scores of workers passing by on
their way to the Plant !
TOP
OF
THE
POPS
‘It’s excellent for getting rid of teenagers’ spots
and pimples,’ said Mrs. Eva Thomas, Print Room
supervisor.
‘Oh really,’ we said without much enthusiasm.
Our pimply, spotty teenage years were aeons ago
and we were wilting in the hottest day of the year.
‘It’s a deliciously cooling drink,’ she added.
‘What is?’ we croaked through parched lips.
‘Dandelion and nettle pop’, she said. ‘As kids we
used to come home from school and dip a cup
into a huge pan of the pop which mother made
for us. Just like ginger beer it was.’
We asked her about it and she told us it was made
from an old gipsy recipe and that the main
ingredients are the roots and leaves of dandelions,
nettle tops, root ginger and yeast. If you would
like a copy of the recipe, Mrs. Thomas will gladly
let you have one. The method sounds easy
enough-it’s getting those dandelions and nettles
that’s holding us back.
SUCCESS STORIES
Maurice Husband has succeeded in obtaining
a B.Sc. degree in electrical and electronic
engineering (Honours Class 2, division 1) at
Bath University of Technology. He is the second
apprentice sponsored by the Company on a
special extended apprenticeship course to obtain
an engineering degree.
Maurice is now back at Mitcheldean, working as a
graduate trainee.
The Rank Xerox Ltd. Cup, awarded by the
West Gloucestershire College of Further Education
to the group of students of local firms showing
best results for the year, has come back to us. For
four years running we won the trophy, then two
years went by without success; now it is back in
the Training School again.
Individual awards have also been won by the
following who have attended courses at the
College: Miss Lynne James (the Gough Cup for
commercial studies) ; Mrs. Ruby Phillips (Institute
of Office Management supervisory course) ;
apprentices Roger Imm (General Engineering
course), Brian Bradley (ONC in Engineering) and
Kevin Howell (Mechanical Engineering Technicians
Part II).
Apprentice Peter Jennings has won the Saunders
Valve prize for his achievements at Hereford
Technical College, where he has been taking his
Advanced Technicians Certificate Part IV.
Nineteen-year-old Lynne James, secretary to
Works Superintendent Mr. R. E. Baker,
holds the Gough Cup awarded to her for
her commercial studies achievements in 1967/68.
HOME MARKET
For Sale
Border canaries, 1969, open aviary bred. Replies
to: G. Austin, Tool Room.
!so scooter, 1959 model, taxed and tested and in
good running order. £25 ono. Replies to: Sid
Phelps, Spares Packing. (tel. 283 int.) or 15
Peacock Lane, Cinderford.
1965 Vespa Sportique scooter, first reg. 1967,
7,000 miles. Good condition, extras. £85 ono.
Apply : R. L. Jones, time clerk.
Austin Mini-van, excellent condition, many extras,
unused for three years, £75. Reply to: D. J. Baron
(tel. 100 int.).
House Exchange
Is anyone interested in exchanging a council
house in Mitcheldean for one in Ross-on-Wye?
Reply to: Box no. 23.
As part of the general studies course this year,
HNC students attending Gloucester Technical
College were required to produce a dissertation
on a subject of their own choice. This exercise
involved considerable research and, as the
lecturer concerned states, ‘the work of compiling
the information into an intelligible dissertation
was no small task’.
The subject chosen by apprentice Stephen
Carpenter, ‘Insulation of the modern fattening
piggery’, might seem somewhat unusual;
nevertheless, his effort was selected as one of the
top three produced by the course students.
Stephen’s research should come in handy at home
in Ruardean where his father Harold Carpenter
(Maintenance) keeps pigs !
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS: 1 – Corporal. 7 – Sweet.
8 – Model Shop. 9 – Rye. 10 – Chit.
11 – Broody. 13 – Follow. 14 – Strait.
17 – Accord. 18 – Free. 20 – Gas.
22 – Prototype. 23 – Trout. 24 – Thursday.
DOWN: 1 – Comic. 2 – Redrill. 3 – Owls.
4 – Adhere. 5 – Merry. 6 – Attempt.
7 – Sprouts. 12 – Concept. 13 – Frigate.
15 – Arrayed. 16 – Brooch. 17 – Ascot.
19 – Enemy. 21 – Moor.
Wanta Printa?
For your printing requirements, contact S. E.
Jones, Remodelling.
15
CLUB COMMENTARY
Karate
Do you seek relief from asthma ? Do you have a
sedentary job and feel the need for more exercise
Do you want to get your weight down ? Do you
wish to attain physical fitness, self-confidence,
well-being, and a built-in mental discipline ?
No, we’re not trying to sell you anything-it’s just
that a Karate club is being formed within the
Plant and Karate enthusiasts claim that it can help
people with any of these requirements.
To quote 011y Evans, delivery control clerk in
Purchase Department, who is instigator of the
club, ‘True Karate has been grossly misrepresented
on the screen and TV. It is a system of unarmed
self-defence against armed and unarmed
assailants; its rules of conduct are very strict and
it calls for extreme physical fitness, concentration,
speed and precision.’
Don’t worry if you haven’t got all those at the
moment. The club is starting at an elementary
stage with exercises and there is no fear of your
receiving a deadly chop before you’ve had time
to hand in your subscription of 2s. per session.
A 1st Dan from Gloucester is coming to give
instruction in the Shotokia style of Karate and he
is to be assisted by 011y. The only equipment
needed is a suit, similar to a judo outfit, which
costs about £2 10s. Women can join too, but
nobody under the age of 16 is eligible.
An inaugural meeting will be held in the Club
House on September 9 at 7.30 p.m. and a
demonstration by the Gloucester Karate Club is
planned so if you want to see Karate in action,
then will be your opportunity. (Background
information : Karate (the name implies ’empty
hand’) is of Oriental and Asian origin: development
occurred predominantly in Japan, hence the
Japanese terminology.)
Players wanted
Soccer player Les Hinton of Assembly wants to
hear from other players with a view to organising
an interdepartmental soccer tournament.
ANY NEWS FOR VISION?
If you have, then please
tell your departmental correspondent
leave it at the Gate House for collection by me
post it to me at Tree Tops, Plump Hill,
Mitcheldean or
ring me – it’s Drybrook 415
Myrtle Fowler, Editor
16
Film and Photo
The Cine & Photographic Club are getting their
new season off to a good start with the making
of a film at Cowley Manor, Oxford, on September 6
and 7. The theme will be a child’s fantasy,
featuring space ships, Tarzan and suchlike, and
children of club members will be the actors. The
script has been written by Mr. Richard Traynor of
Cheltenham, a friend of the club, who will also
be filming.
The interesting programme drawn up for the rest
of the season includes a showing of the ‘Ten
Best’ amateur films in March and several meetings
with other clubs.
JUDY by B. Prosser
During July, a small number of dedicated ‘still’
photographers gathered in the Club House.
Lights were arranged, backcloths were positioned
and the scene was set. The only thing missing was
the subject. This was soon rectified by the
arrival of Judy who during the evening was the
subject of many attractive photographs, just one
of which is shown above. The members who were
present would like to thank Judy for the time
and effort which she so generously donated.
Printed in England by Taylor, Young (Printers) Ltd.
