Return to 1960-1964

Vision 003

Since our last issue you will have read in
the national papers a lot about the reductions
in import duty as a result of the European
Free Trade Area coming into force as and from
July 1. Also the dramatic decision of our
Government to allow imports of photographic
goods from Japan to be increased from an
annual allocation of £15,000 to £375,000.
What does all this mean to us?
On the Home Market two of our main competitors
who are manufacturing in the Free Trade Area
will now be able to import their goods into
this country with a reduction of 20% on
import duties. Already, trade announcements
have been made quoting reductions in their
retail prices. At this stage we do not know
the percentage of cine goods that will be
imported from Japan under the new quota; we
do, however, know that the Japanese are
determined to make large inroads into our
Home Market, and therefore we can expect that
the product that they will release will be
futuristic in design and obviously highly
competitive.
Now is the time for us to give of our best
in quality and service. I referred in an
earlier edition to the necessity of increased
production. Unfortunately we are still unable
to meet the demand that has been created by
our marketing division: this is the type of
situation that our competitors will quickly
take advantage of.
This Company has been successful in the past
and I am sure that with the co-operation of
each and everyone of us we shall come out
on top.
Divisional Chief Executive.
At Home . . .
.usti notable visitors have passed
through the gates to the Mitcheldean
factory in recent weeks. As you can see
from our cover picture. taken by Clive
Brooks. film star Mai Zetterling and her
author husband, David Hughes. were
initiated into the mysteries of the making
of cine cameras and projectors while
their own 627 was being serviced.
Pictured with them, examining projector
reel pulleys after plating in the Polishing
and Plating Shop. is Mr. H. Hartley. the
Supervisor. (You can read about Mai
and David’s filming activities on p. 4.)
The stars and stripes were hoisted for
the visit of Mr. Gordon Fyffe. President
of the Dartnell Corporation of America.
in July. when he arrived accompanied
by Mr. A. R. Hodge. Manager of the
G.B. Film Library. Perivale. Another
visitor from across the Atlantic was Mr.
W. D. Johnson. die-casting specialist
from the Bell & Howell Company.
Chicago.
We have also had visitors from
Barbados, Hong Kong. Finland, Iran
and Nigeria. and a party of 25 German
boys and girls who were brought along
by the Youth Organiser for the Forest of
Dean. Its almost a case of ‘Come to
Mitcheldean and meet the world!’
. . . and Abroad
DoN’t think we’re boasting but it is a
fact that British representation at the
Photokina. Cologne, from September 24
to October 2 this year, will be headed by
the Cine & Photographic Division of
Rank Precision Industries Ltd. Photo –
kina. as you probably know, is the
world photographic trade’s two-yearly
major grandstand. The Rank stand
(No. 5204 5304 in Hall IV V) will con-
P. R. OFFICE
16 MM. equipment from Mitcheldean on s how at
the recent OSAKA Trade Fair. Japan. .4 eon-
%aerobic amount of British-made Bell & Howell
equipment is used in Japan.
tain a full range of 8 mm. and 16 mm.
Bell & Howell cine equipment manufactured
by us. and certain items from
the Bell & Howell Company. Chicago.
Accent of the stand will be on the
pioneering spirit by which B & H
products have, over the last 40 years.
become the most famous name in 8 mm.
and 16 mm. equipment. Automation
will be prominently represented by the
electric eye (photo-electric cell) conception
of cine photography which Bell &
Howell were the first to introduce in
1956. This type of camera is now the
biggest selling of all 8 mm. cine cameras.
The 16 mm. equipment will include
the magnetic optical projectors which
are acknowledged leaders of their type
of product. They will feature the latest
refinements of sound reproduction
achieved by use of printed circuits, and
the permanent lubrication system.
Pictured lett are Mr. Gordon Fyffe. President of the Dartnell Corporation of America, with Air. D. R.
Elliott, Chief Quality Control Engineer. On the right are Air. W. D. Johnson, die -casting specialist from
the Bell & Howe/I Co.. Chicago. with .11r. S. J. Scott (Assembly Supervisor) and Mr. Elliott.
C. SPOOKS
b.,
Mai Zetterling talking with some of the Lapps-a ‘still’ from Mai and David’s film of the annual reindeer
round-up in Northern Sweden. The gay costumes are traditional-but there seem to be two schools of
thought about footwear!
Mai Films the Festivals in Lapland
and the Camargue
WHILE continuing her highly successful
career as a film star,
Swedish star Mai Zetterling has turned
her artistic talents to directing, not 35
mm. films, but 16 mm. documentaries,
with scripts by her author-husband,
David Hughes.
Derek V. Dutton. Divisional Public
Relations Officer, who is a personal
friend of Mai, has written an interesting
account of their recent filming experiences.
The subject chosen for their first
venture was the yearly Lapp festivities
which take place in January/February.
This is one of the biggest events in Lapp
life, when suitable reindeer are taken
from the big herds to be killed for meat
or trained for domestic purposes.
Mai and David set off for Jokkmokk
on the Arctic Circle in North Sweden
accompanied by leading Swedish cameraman
Gunnar Fischer (who has been with
Ingmar Bergman for most of his films),
and equipped with their own Bell &
Howell 627 cine camera as a useful
roving and second camera to an
Arriflex 16 mm.
The resultant film shows how 20th
4
century ideas are making an impact on
the Lapps’ traditional way of life. Along
with sledges one sees the use of helicopters,
and Lapps are seen buying
refrigerators in temperatures up to 40° of
frost.
For candid camera shots the 627
camera, with a 4 in. Taylor-Hobson
telephoto lens, was particularly useful
for taking highly interesting shots of
which the subjects were unaware. Mai
reported that the cameras worked
excellently despite the low temperatures;
as a safety measure each was put in the
warmth of the team’s car after each halfhour
of use. About 4,500 feet of Kodak
Plus-X and Tri-X film were taken, and
made up into a documentary of 30
minutes’ length, with commentary by
Mai. They took along a tape recorder
for special sound effects. Their one big
regret was that the black-and-white film
could do only half justice to the huge
colourful head-dresses.
Despite demands on Mai for her role
in ‘Piccadilly Third Stop’, a Rank
Organisation thriller, she and David
went ahead with arrangements for their
next film which was to be of an international
gypsy religious festival held on
the marshes at the River Rhone estuary,
50 miles west of Marseilles. This time
they took a complete Arriflex 16 mm.
equipment, and set off at the beginning
of May in a caravan hauled by a Land
Rover for the tiny town of Les Saintes
Maries-de-la-Mer.
At the festival, held in honour of the
gypsy saint, St. Sara, a figure of the saint
is taken from her church by horse escort
down to the sea for a ceremonial dipping.
Young bulls are released in the streets
for young male gypsies to try to ride, and
there is much authentic gypsy dancing.
The film also includes shots of flamingoes
found in the Rh6ne estuary, and of
the little-known cowboys of the
Camargue.
When Mai and David visited Mitcheldean
recently, they hinted that their next
documentary might be made in England,
and that their Laplander film may be
appearing on television at Christmastime.
MITCHELDEAN CLUB NEWS
ON MONDAY, July I I, the Cine Club held
‘Open Night’ in the Club House. The
meeting was attended by over 60 Sports
Club members and guests who enjoyed
the presentation of an excellent 8 mm.
holiday travel film shot by Mr. Arthur
Mason (Service Department) during a
tour in Europe which included the
Austrian Alps. This was followed by a
showing of some excellent colour slides
taken in various parts of the world by
Mr. A. C. Cornwell (Export Sales).
During the buffet interval those
present were able to view the comprehensive
range of equipment, both cine
and still, which was on show, and were
able to discuss the various aspects of
both techniques with Cine Club
members.
Following the break a very amusing
Arthur Askey film was presented, thus
rounding off a most enjoyable evening.
The Committee hope that this ‘Open
Night’ will help towards creating a
greater interest throughout the Company
and enable the formation of both still
and cine sections to proceed as soon as
possible. Several applications for
membership have been received since
the ‘Open Night’; other interested
Sports Club members are asked to
contact a member of the Cine Club
Committee as soon as possible.
THE Annual Darts Competition in July
again aroused great interest and rivalry
throughout the factory. A packed
Club House was the setting for both
finals. In the individual knock-out
competition, Mr. E. Knight (635 line),
last year’s champion, retained the
trophy, beating Mr. L. Bent (Small
Batch) by two games to one. The same
player had previously won the first leg
of the double when, with Mr. R.
Brookes (635 line), he beat Messrs. A.
Swordy and E. Adams (Auto/Press) by
two games to one to w in the inter-
Departmental doubles trophy.
PRIZE CAMERA
THE Youth Sub-Committee of Western
European Union, made up of representatives
of the Governments of
Belgium, France, Western Germany,
Italy, Luxembourg. the Netherlands and
the United Kingdom, have organised an
international photographic competition
on the general theme of competitive
sport. Entries will first be submitted to a
national panel of judges who will award
prizes of photographic equipment for
the national stage of the competitionand
one of these prizes is a Bell &
Howell 8 mm. cine camera, the Sportster
IV. The judges will also select a number
of entries for the international stage to
be judged by an international panel in
Brussels in December, 1960, which will
also award prizes.
Soliciting Business
MR. JACK TINDALE, who is our Central
London representative, saw this notice
exhibited recently in the window of
Ascotts Ltd., 234 Strand (right opposite
the Law Courts):
ki on park Francais
Si habla Espanol
Legal gentlemen understood
if they speak slowly
5
The G.B. Film Library’s First Division Football Team
.4s this picture shows. the team is again preparing for the yootball training 1,412411. is
essential, but despite this they should be in top form by the Cup Final. We have been asked to state that all
the members of the team are willing to discuss transfer terms, and any offers will be accepted!
PERIVALE PIECE
Lost and Found-Our Booking
Manager is a worried man. Films
coming back from users often contain
some very surprising articles. A pair of
ladies’ silk stockings returned from a
boys’ school gave him cause to think.
Other items have included an electric
razor, a recipe for apple charlotte (our
B.M. found this particularly delicious),
nuts and bolts (more indigestible), glue
and Christmas decorations. It seems to
prove that when the lights go down not
everybody can be watching the film.
Summer Engagement-Congratulations
to Miss Carol Ward of Accounts
Department on her engagement to Mr.
Bryan Ashby, an electrical engineer
with Elliotts Domestic Appliances.
A Major Birthday-Congratulations
to Miss Carol Dalby (Exam. Room)
who celebrated her 21st birthday on
July 19. A party in her honour, given
by the Exam Room girls, was held in the
canteen. By all accounts everyone
thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
Perivale’s Picasso-For a few short
hours recently Mr. H. R. Hurrell’s
office (Public Exhibition Department)
housed a miniature art gallery-a
6
collection of paintings by Mr. S.
MacMorris. Mac, one of the Road
Show Team, first decided to paint when
he gave his son a box of oils. With these
and on the rough side of odd scraps of
hardboard. which he framed himself,
Mac created his masterpieces. Alas, the
show is over. Only the pictures in Mac’s
home and the gate money on Mr.
Hurrell’s desk remain to tell the story.
Departure-Mr. Peter Evans of
Production left the Library on July 15.
Peter has recently moved to Leighton
Buzzard and the travelling facilities
offered by British Railways have made
his journey here impossible!
Thanks-Mrs. Lowe would like to
convey through VISION her very sincere
thanks to the ladies of the canteen who
managed so well during her recent
illness.
Fore!-Every week during the summer
months several Perivale personalities
are likely to be found working off their
inhibitions playing golf on the Horsenden
Hill public nine-hole course during
the lunch break. The standard may not
be high, but what the players lack in
skill, they make up in enjoyment. As
one remarked: ‘With me -I either hit
the ball miles or I iniNs the b
thing completely’.
On Circuit-Barry Clifton, Home
Sales Department. is a man of many
parts-and we mean literally just that.
An active member of a local dramatic
group, he will be spending this summer
holiday touring the Midlands doing ‘one
night stands’. No barnyard performances
these, for the company travel
with complete equipment. including a
revolving stage. The play is a modernised
version, with music, of Sheridan’s
School for Scandal, which Barry has
written. All profits go to the British
Empire Cancer Campaign and already
the group have handed over £1,400.
Hot Stuff from our
Fire Brigade
COMPETING at the Ruardean Woodside
Carnival on July 23, the Mitcheldean
Works Fire Brigade, competing against
strong challenges from seven county fire
crews, did well to come second. On
August 27 the crew, consisting of
Messrs. R. Taylor (Chief Fire Officer),
J. Allum. P. Kingsett and K. Cook, held
their Annual Fire Drill Competition.
Results were not available at the time
we went to press but, despite the greater
challenge expected, there were high
hopes of success-providing the liquid
was outside and not inside!
LETTER FROM MALAYA
23593120 Pte. D. R. Markey.
8 Bde. Gp. Med. Coy., R.A.M.C..
Wardieburn Camp,
C/o G.P.O. Kuala Lumpw,
Selangor, Malaya.
July 11, 1960
Dear Editor,
Industries, but now doing my National
Service, I am very grateful to be kept in
touch with happenings in the works by the
magazine VISION. I was formerly employed in the
Chemical Laboratory under Mr. Les
Davies and hope to start back again this
coming October.
VISION was forwarded to me by a
friend, but I am sure other boys, who at
this moment are doing their N /S, would
appreciate it very much if a copy was
forwarded to them. Is there no way of
doing this because I think this is an ideal
way of keeping in touch with the works.
Through reading nsio.v the works and
new departmental chiefs will not seem so
strange after my two years’ absence.
To hear that badminton has been
suggested is very good news to me, as I
play a lot out here. In fact, I am one of
two British boys in our Unit who play for
our Unit team, the rest being Malayans.
While serving out here I have come
across many people using our cine
cameras aml projectors. One of our
Corporals has a 625 which he uses to show
David with a Malayan friend.
us his films taken with a 624. He has
asked me to try and find some way of
stopping the film so that stills may he
shown. We have tried but so far we have
not done anything successful except burn
our film! This is just a query for the
experimental and design boys to think
about.
I hope any suggestions that I have made
are of some help.
Yours sincerely,
David R. Markey
EDITOR’S NOTE : How about your Corporal
friend getting one of our new Laminas. David?
They offer still picture projection-in fact, the lot !
7
SPORTSTER I V 8 mm.
CINE CAMERA
Periscope viewfinder shows exact
picture being shot on normal, telephoto
or wide angle lens
All control settings clearly, visible
on special viewfinder panel
Slow motion at the touch of a
button
THE introduction this summer of two
outstanding items of 8 mm. equipment-
the Bell & Howell ‘Sportster IV’
cine camera and the ‘Lumina’ selfthreading
projector, as well as a new
range of ‘Da-Lite’ screens, Americanmade
and imported by us as agents in
this country-seemed to call for an
outstanding launching. Hence the ‘Bell
& Howell Circus’ which recently spent
approximately four weeks visiting seven
important centres-Birmingham,
Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh,
Glasgow and London-introducing
the new equipment at dealer
‘get-togethers’.
Led by its ringmaster, Home Sales
Manager Mr. J. Duffell, the Circus team
consisted of Messrs. E. Cann (Assistant
Sales Manager). R. Fowler and R. Pryor
(Sales Promotion). Mike Bent and
Chris Brendon (Home and Export Sales
respectively) were attached to the team
as ‘strong men’ to cope with the manual
work.
As Mr. Duffell put it: ‘The problems
which faced us in launching the new
products at this time of year were (1) to
persuade the dealers to take adequate
stocks late in their normal season and
(2) to train the dealers’ assistants to sell
the initial stocks quickly in order to
ensure speedy repeat orders. There can
be no doubt that from every point of
view both of these objectives have been
achieved’.
With the exception of London, where
there were evening ‘get-togethers’ for
suburban dealers and their assistants,
with a buffet-bar laid on, the ‘launchings’
took the form of luncheons for the
leading photographic dealers, at which
the new equipment was introduced and
demonstrated.
8
t. 010/ELL
The display unit is up. the table is set, the order form pads are intlace-in fact. everything is ready for a Bell & Howell Circus
luncheon. Since it an be adapted to a variety of sizes and sha. having any number of component parts. the unit obviously
has a r “Ware ahead of it for dealer displays in w: ws and shops, exhibition displays and suchlike.
SIX MEN WENT TO SELL
In his ‘pep’ talk to the dealers, \tr.
Duffell particularly emphasised the
necessity for their sales staff to be fully
acquainted with all the features of the
new equipment if they were to make a
good job of selling it. He accordingly
asked them to release their staff to
attend a ‘schooling’ session at the
hotel later in the day. And while they
enjoyed tea and biscuits when ‘school’
was over, the dealers’ assistants were
handed a Product Feature Survey form,
designed to determine the sales features
of the new equipment which they, as
retail salesmen, considered to be the
most important. These forms, apart
from providing market research information,
also had the benefit of making each
assistant think carefully about the
equipment he had seen, thus impressing
its features still further on his mind.
The Circus team had organised
gimmicks in plenty: order form pads
with an elegant ball-point pen engraved
‘Bell & Howell’ at each place setting all
ready for the writing out of orders;
menus in the form of a printed replica
of the new projector, so that when the
projector case was opened the menu was
revealed inside; and, of course, the
display unit itself.
This unit consisted of connecting rods
to which square panels were pegged to
present flat surfaces or form illuminated
alcoves. One side of the display was
devoted to the Sportster IV camera and
showed a large interior shot of the
assembly line, a general view of the
outside of the factory and detailed
pictures of assembly processes. The
The packing of the unit in
the Morris van was a work of art
in itself. By the end of the
campaign, Mike and Chris were
experts at putting the unit up
and taking it down-which
they frequently had to do in
the early hours of the morning.
LUMINA 8 mm.
CINE PROJECTOR
It takes the film from your fingers
and threads itself
New Tru-Flector lamp with its
special built-in reflector and new
Proval f/I.2 lens combine to give a
far brighter, sharper picture
other side exhibited the full range of
cameras and projectors, both 8 and 16
mm.. with the exception of 16 mm. sound
projectors, and also on two copy panels
listed the features of the new projector
and camera. In between the two sides
was displayed a ‘Da-Lite’ screen.
Despite difficult mountain passes and
Scotch mists, the transport job was
carried out without any major mishap.
There were, of course, the odd emergencies
that hampered progress-such
as the breakdown of the luggage lift that
delayed departure for several hours, the
fusing of the lights by some electricians
who hadn’t a clue where the hotel fusebox
was-but these the team took in
their stride.
To quote Mr. Duffell again: ‘The
whole operation must be regarded as a
complete success. Apart from the
doubling of the normal anticipated order
intake on launching a new product,
there are the long-term effects of an
operation of this sort, particularly in
respect of dealer goodwill, to be considered.
And these must confirm that
this personal approach to our stockist
dealers is not only desirable but
absolutely necessary if the optimum
results are to be achieved.’
THE LIFE STORY OF A LIBRARY
Jack Latreille, Publicity Manager of the G.B.
Film Library at Perivale, turns historian
1.o look back over the years to the
beginnings of the G.B. Film Library
is a fascinating experience, for these
were pioneer days when 16 mm. films
were almost as much a novelty as the
‘talkies’. Certainly it was the advent of
sound on film in 1928 which made
possible the 16 mm. film industry as we
know it today.
In those early days there were
already visionaries who could see the
immense possibilities of 16 mm. film and
were actively engaged in putting their
ideas to practical use. Notable amongst
these was Bruce Woolfe who, as early as
1919, had appreciated the value of film
as a teaching aid.
In association with Percy Smith, and
subsequently also with Mary Field, now
Children’s Programme Consultant to
I.T.A., he had completed between 1919
and 1933 a remarkable series entitled
Secrets of Nature, and followed this with
another series. Secrets of Life, commenced
in 1934 as part of the five-year
production plan of the new ly-formed
G.B. Instructional Ltd. of which he was
Director. It says much for the quality of
these films that many are still in the
Library.
Lack of Equipment
Sister company to G.B. Instructional
Ltd. was G.B. Equipments Ltd., formed
also in 1933 to handle the sale of equipment
and the distribution of films and
filmstrips, which were still then confined
to instructional subjects. An expanding
use of 16 mm. sound films was retarded
by the lack of equipment-so much so,
in fact, that many of the original
Secrets of Nature series were released
also as silent versions in order to recoup
costs. There were no full length 16 mm.
entertainment films available as the 35
mm. industry, not unnaturally, regarded
this as a proposal likely to affect their
commercial operations seriously.
Nevertheless, G.B. Equipments
10
pressed on with their plans. Their first
16 mm. sound projector, the ‘Grosvenor’,
launched in 1933, was followed by a
much improved model, the ‘ Gebescope’.
To handle the limited number of
instructional films available from Bruce
Woolfe, they formed, in June 1933, a 16
mm. film distribution library. And thus
the G.B. Film Library first came into
existence.
Modest Beginnings
But it was no great demand for films
which created the need for a library.
The market for 16 mm. projectors, in
1933. was virtually untapped and could
only be developed if there was an
established source of films to use with
them. A library handling G.B. Instructional
films was therefore a necessary
adjunct to the sale of the ‘Gebescope’
projector-in fact, it was first known as
the Gebescope Library.
Its beginnings were indeed modest.
One small office in Brewer Street. a
stone’s throw from Wardour Street, the
centre of the British film industry,
housed the Library’s first Manager, with
a typist and a staff of two.
Within a year, however, a move to
larger premises became necessary to
allow for expansion. and offices in Film
House, Wardour Street. were taken
over. The first catalogue of films was
produced-little more than a roneoed
sheet, but important because it included
the first full-length entertainment film to
be released in 16 mm.-Sunshine Susie
produced by Gainsborough Films.
Packing Problems
There were still notable differences
between 16 mm. films, as we know them
today, and these early efforts; 400-ft.
spools were the general practice, and
films were packed in tins, and not as at
present in cardboard cartons-which
presented some difficulties in packing.
During the summer months, when
business decreased much more than it
does today, most of the staff spent their
time cutting up corrugated paper into
the right size for packing up the films.
There were initially no film racks, and
films were stacked on shelves, on the
floor or in any odd convenient space.
Deliveries to the Post Office were
generally made by using a nearby
builder’s handcart, at night-time made
legal by using the despatch manager’s
bicycle lamp!
But they were days when the pattern
of the present system of distribution
was being learnt by experience, and
MITCHELDEAN
Putting YOU
in the Picture
Mr. J. Rooke has become Warehouse
Supervisor in place of Mr. E. Clarke,
who is no longer with the Company. Mr.
K. Scrivens has been upgraded to take
over the position of Deputy Supervisor
vacated by Mr. Rooke.
As from August 1, Messrs. R. E. Baker
and B. C. Smith have become Production
Manager and Commercial Manager
respectively. Whereas previously the
line of demarcation was b departments,
in the future it is planned that they will
jointly control the factory by functions
rather than by departments. None of
these changes affects either the Sales,
Accounting or Design Engineering
functions. Mr. Baker will now concentrate
his efforts on production in its
broadest aspect. including Employee
Relations, Manufacturing, Production
Engineering. Supplies and Progress.
Mr. Smith will be taking cart of Sales
Liaison. Accounts Liaison, Master
Programme Planning, Inventory Control
including Job Issue and Stores, and also
Budgetary Control for the Works.
Mr. Tom Smith (Design Drawing
Office) left the Company in July after
having been with us for nearly 14 years.
much that is accepted as normal
practice today is based on what was
found out at a time when there were no
set standards, and no precedents.
(To be continued)
” IF ”
If you are able to remain calm and
collected when others around you are losing
their heads, perhaps you just don’t understand
the situation.-Comment seen on
the wall in one of the manufacturing
shops, with no apology to Rudyard
Kipling.
He has had to move to the Southampton
area for domestic reasons, and to mark
his departure his colleagues presented
him with a chiming clock. Angling, not
to mention horse-racing, circles must
feel his loss keenly, but it is good to
know that his successor-Mr. B.
Williamson-is also a sporting man,
though his taste is among the more
unusual. A target archery enthusiast, he
would like to hear from anyone else who
is interested in this activity.
Messrs. D. Hopes (Assistant Export
Manager) and J. Harrison (European
Sales Executive) made a ten-day business
tour of the Scandinavian countries in
June, visiting Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen
and Helsinki.
The removal of his family to Hemel
Hempstead has brought about the
departure of Mr. Michael Jones, and as
a token of friendship his fellow
apprentices presented him with a
tankard before he left. Two apprentices
are at present on transfer under the
Group Apprenticeship Scheme-Sam
Phillips to Fry’s Die Casting Ltd.,
Mitcham, Surrey, and Ray Dance to
11
Dowty’s of Cheltenham both of them
for three months.
Mr. Donald Peates has transferred from
the Mechanical Laboratory to Engineering
to work on 8 mm. cameras; taking
his place in the Laboratory is Mr. A.
Sollers from Small Batch. Another
newcomer to this Department is Mr. T.
Duberley.
Miss Julie Stallard (Accounts) left in
August to take a secretarial course-and
so we reluctantly lose our ‘Miss Rosson
Wye’ for 1959.
Miss Pearl Roberts (Assembly) has left
to join the Army-presumably the
W.R.A.C. !
Formerly with Assembly, Mr. John
Shields has returned to the Company to
work in Service Repair. He has in the
interval been to Hong Kong on Army
service for just over two years.
Miss Jackie Creed (Home Sales) and
Miss Ann Fisher (secretary to Mr. J.
W. Disney, Plant Engineer) have left
Mitcheldean to seek their fortunes in
12
Mr. and Mrs. Eric Smith
London. Miss Sylvia Baker has
transferred from Accounts to take Ann’s
place while Jackie has been succeeded by
Miss Daphne Perks.
Mr. R. Williams has left Case Shop after
six years’ service.
Miss Gillian Russell, formerly with
Assembly, recently returned to the
Company as a time clerk in Small Batch.
Miss June Holder, who joined the
Company at Easter, has transferred
from the Print Room to Planning
Department as a filing clerk.
Mr. Des Jones and Mr. T. Pearce have
rejoined the Company and are both now
working in the Engineering Department.
Mr. Maurice Knight joined the Gate
Staff in July. Mr. C. A. J. Williams has
resigned.
Congratulations, Couples I
Miss Gwen Jones, secretary to Mr. D. R.
Elliott, Chief Quality Control Engineer,
will become the wife of Mr. Philip Jones
at the Forest Church on October 1.
We’re glad to know she will remain with
the Company.
Miss J. Cumberbatch (Case Shop)
became engaged to Mr. H. Waite on
July 16.
Mr. Eric Smith (Electrical Laboratory)
was married on June 4 at the Forest
Church to Miss Maureen Hale (Service
Department).
Mr. R. Wright (Assembly Clean Room)
married Miss Kathleen Hyctt at St.
Stephen’s Church, Cinderford, on June
11.
Mr. John Brain (Design Drawing
Office) is to marry Miss Ann Selwyn
on September 24 at St. Stephen’s
Church, Cinderford.
New Arrivals
Jonathan Craig Wright, a 91 lb. son for
Mr. R. Wright (Design Drawing Office),
born on April 25.
Jeremy, a third son for Mr. A. Swordy
(Auto Shop). born on July 9, weighing
91 lb.
Lynne Margaret, a 7 lb. 9 oz. daughter
for Mr. Dennis Barnard (T.E.D.), who
arrived on July II.
A baby son for Mrs. M. Jenkins,
formerly of the Service Repair Department,
who arrived on July 16.
Keiron Alan, a 9 lb. son for Mr. Alan
Phelps of Production Control, born on
July 22. The Department is certainly
living up to its name; whether prearranged
or not, there has been, so to
speak, an issue for every issue. There is
even one ‘pending’ in readiness for our
November/December edition!
Happy events are scheduled in the near
future for Mrs. G. Welch (Auto/Press
Shop) who hopes for a brother for her
two girls, and Mrs. Ruby Worgan
(Production Control). Mrs. Worgan’s
place has been taken by Miss Margery
Brooks, sister of Quality Control’s Clive
Brooks.
21 in July
Miss Christine Smith (634 Inspection
line) celebrated her 21st birthday on
July 16.
MORTIMER HOUSE
Twenty-one-year old Ian Masters has
joined the Division as Assistant Public
Relations Officer; he replaces Bill
Bowles who has taken up a post with the
Royal Automobile Club. Ian is very
interested in sailing, and he knows
or has met many of the ‘rock’n roll’ stars,
including Tommy Steele. Craig Douglas,
Des O’Conner and the King Brothers.
Mr. and Mrs. R. 1Vrigii:
Apprenticeship Scheme
IT is intended, within the very near
future, to review our Apprenticeship
Scheme with a view to broadening it, and
encouraging boys who have in most
cases not reached the standard required
for the Apprenticeship Scheme. Fuller
details will appear in the next issue of
VISION.
HOME MARKET
For sale-small lady’s evening dress,
full length, boned bodice with shoulder
straps, flared skirt, bolero. About 36 in.
hip. Figured lilac shade. Price 30s.
o.n.o. Definitely worn once only. Box
No. 2.
Pram in good condition, also pushchair,
for sale. Any reasonable offer accepted.
Enquiries to Mr. E. Parsons, Tool Room.
Replies to Box Nos. should be addressedclo
%num.:. Fair View, Plump Hill,
Mitcheldean. Gloucestershire.
13
The Battle of Ruardean
Hill
THE setting: Ruardean Hill, at the
flagstaff 800 ft. up (Brr!). The date:
July 6, 1960. And, breathing heavily.
the Home Sales and Export mob waiting
to do battle against each other in a
cricket match.
In cricket whites and flannels grey
Home Sales took the field. Out trooped
Export’s opening bats Roger Hicton and
Ginger Cornwell. cheered by onlookers.
to score nine and one respectively.
Other notable scorers on the Export side
were Steve Ferriman (15) and Tony
Element (6), not to mention a good try
for a four by Chris Brendon’s bat which
just failed to make the boundary.
Export’s last wicket fell at 48 plus
extras, making a grand total of 57.
Home Sales made a poor start, their
first two wickets falling for one. In Ted
Cann came next to face the bowling of
‘Fiery Ferriman’; when fielding (to
quote from the poem which the match
inspired Staff Hunt (Home Sales) to
write) ‘he ran like flipping hare, but
batting. Ted Cann said. “Ted can’t” and
ducked to bowler’s snare’.
A threatened collapse of Home Sales
was stemmed by Cyril Powell’s knock;
quoting again from Staff Hunt ‘he edged
them here and smote them there as solid
as a rock. Geoff Gray went in and added
three for Sales’ hopes to revive. and
without Pryor notice too, their Ron,’ Id
knocked up five’. Cyril Powell, being
the mainstay of the Home Sales team,
fittingly got the winning run. a four, to
crush Export’s hopes.
The whole match was interspersed
with appeals and some choice, but
unprintable, descriptions of the umpire
(Peter Hall).
All agreed a good time was had by
all, as off to the Nag’s Head they drove
to discuss and relive moments of a really
good match.-Chris Brendon.
NB. Poetry lovers may like to know that unabridged
versions ot Staff Hunt’s epic are mailable at cut
price, and the author will be available to sign
copies at tea break. Just before going to press
vim% learned that a return match had been played
which Home Sales again won with a score of 62
against Export’s 56; as Jar as we know. this
subsequent match has not inspired aavone to write
anything, printable or otherwise.
14
C. BROOKS
An informal picture of the Alit, heldean ballerina
with .11r. Art Thompson ot Bell & Howell Co..
Chicago. when thr latter was over in this country’.
BALLETO -MANIACS
USERS of Bell & Howell projectors could
hardly be expected to believe that a
ballerina has a hand in the assembly of
the parts. Yet such is the case. Not that a
tutu
that is kept for performances of a 15-
minute version of ‘Les Sylphides’, the
piece de resistance of the six-‘strong’
ballet troupe to which 6 ft. 4 in. Ted
Nagger belongs. Styled the Ruardean
State Ballet Company, it is led by a 13-
stone prima ballerina. the Rev. Eric
Hoskin, Rector of Ruardean.
This esteemed ballet company has
done tours of Ross, Parkend, Linton
and other cultural centres; it has been
written about in the Sunday Express and
pictured in the Daily Sketch and may
even be appearing on ITV in mid-
September. To those cynics who may
doubt whether the dancing of this
company is entirely authentic, we would
point out that their steps are guided by
none other than local ballet teacher
Mrs. Warwick. late of the Budapest
Opera Company.
COVER PICTURE CONTEST
Dont forget -CtUrte3 leer i.ur ( ue er Pk lure
Contest must be with the Editor by next
Friday. .September 9. Just in case you didn’t
know, rules for the contest were published in
the very first issue (q.
4
LIGH 1 ENGINEERING
nei. of equipment %%1110 are
notable tor their efficiency and economy
have recently been acquired at Mitchel –
dean,
The Metallurgical Laboratory now
have :I ‘metallurgical mounting press’
which almost automatically mounts
specimens for microstructure examination.
Briefly. what happens is that the
sample or piece part which is to be
examined is set in a transparent plastic
mould which sets into a solid transparent
block embedding the specimen
for all-time preservation. Formerly it
used to take a chemist between four and
five hours to do this; now the operation
from start to finish takes about 10 to 15
minutes and the specimen is then ready
to be submitted to the microscope. The
new apparatus is electrically heated and
can exert hydraulic pressure of between
five and 10 tons.
The other item of equipment which
has come to the notice of vistoN is the
German ‘Trumpf’ universal nibbling
machine installed in the Auto/Press
Shop for the production of Xerox
details. This will produce an unlimited
variety of steel blanks up to in. thick
without the need for the very expensive
press stamping dies which are usually
required for this type of work.
In addition to nibbling, the machine
will also cut notches and louvres, shear
contours and discs, cut shaped and
round apertures, and slit material in
unlimited lengths-all without special
equipment.
LIGHTER ENGINEERING
Automatic Rat Catcher with Amazing Electric Eye Control
The rat enters at loot of steps and climbs steps to bait on platform. In doing so he passes photo-electric
cell at ‘A’ which causes release mechanism of the hammer ‘B’ to operate. The hammer knocks rat off
platform into tank ‘ D’ . In falling he passes another photo-electric cell ‘C’ which causes hammer ‘B’ to be
reset. Tank ‘ D’ contains strong acid, some of which is displaced by rat’s immersion and overflows through
a pipe on to string at ‘E’. This chars the string, which breaks and allows a weight to fall, thus ensuring
complete and permanent destruction of the rat. The rat’s cries for help as he is falling are picked up by
the microphone and amplified. ensuring that his friends (if any) come to see what has happened. They sense
the bait at top of steps and climb to it. the process then being repeated, with the exception that the weight
is no longer mailable for dropping. In this case one has to rely on the acid destroying them. Any
suggestions Jar resetting the weight would he welcomed by the inventor-T. Godsell (Amp. Line).
Printed by The Victor James Press Limited. Coulsdon, Surrey
15
r
Nib
The G.B. Film Library
at Perivale, Middlesex
Rank Precision Industries Ltd.
offices of 37141 Mortimer Street,
London, W.I
The Bell & Howell shop
in Hanover Square, London
The main building of
Rank Precision Industries Ltd.
at Mitcheldean, Gloucestershire
it
1111111w I -mill
1!!lir 11′

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