Geoff Gray
Geoff Gray (1936 – 2017)
Geoff worked at Mitcheldean from 1959 through to 1986. He gets his first mention in Vision Magazine no. 1 in 1960.
The article tells of an extension to the advertising campaign in Newspapers to generate sales of Bell & Howell Cine Equipment.
Already, as a result of our earlier advertising this year, requests for leaflets are pouring into our Mitcheldean Sales Office. Moreover, Peter Carr, Geoff Gray, Cyril Powell and Eb Worsell – who jointly look after our dealer’s need – report a steady flow of orders for our products.
Not content with one mention, this first edition of Vision also contains the announcement of Geoff’s marriage to Christine (nee Payne) on 23 April in Barry, South Wales. Geoff and Christine were together for 67 years.
With the demise of Bell & Howell activities and the rapid expansion of Xerox build and distribution, Geoff was appointed Warehouse Controller. Initially located in Building 24 on the ridge, Vision 036 printed in 1996 outlines some of the changes and the building of a new warehouse in just 21 weeks
This new warehouse was known as building 32. Later renamed building 4 it housed assembly operations and later still EMC.
In 1972 Geoff was appointed as Manager, Warehouse Systems and deputy to IDC Manager Henry Berry.
Geoff was awarded his 25 Year service award in 1984 at the 31st Annual Long Service dinner at the Chase Hotel, Ross-on-Wye.
In 1986 Geoff took early retirement from Mitcheldean. Vision 179 has a great photo of the dinner to celebrate his service.
Christine wrote recently:
“I’m not sure when you started at Ranks Gerald but Geoff started there in 1959 and loved it from the word go. I can’t remember whether he went in as an area manager or not, but I can remember many of the names of his colleagues and of course Fred Wickstead who he had so much respect for. I don’t think anyone matched him. I’ll never forget he and his wife’s kindness when we lost our first born when he was 5 months old. As you probably know he enjoyed the work, the people, the travelling and when he took the redundancy package he did it with a heavy heart but he knew he didn’t want to relocate to the job he was offered. I can’t remember where it was other than it was London way.
We always read the Vision magazine but never kept any but in some ways I wish I had.”
Vision Magazines: 1, 36, 72, 82, 136, 160, 165, 166, 179, 246 contain references to his career at Mitcheldean and there are some photos of Geoff.
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I have many happy memories of working with Geoff in our Distribution days at Mitcheldean, in Gloucester and back again in Mitcheldean.
Geoff was one of the good guys, with a great sense of humour. I have been smiling today thinking back to those times.