Another year has passed and we are now well
into the first quarter of 1964. First of all
I would like to pay tribute to all employees
for the tremendous help, co-operation and
enthusiasm that have been displayed in
carrying out the various moves that have taken
place during the past four months, and to
solicit your continued co-operation during the
next two months.
We now have excellent production facilities
of which I am sure you are as proud as I am,
and we are striving hard to get the new
canteens finished so that they can be opened
in April; I trust that these improved
facilities will be enjoyed by all. It is
expected that we shall be able to open the top
floor as a social centre about the middle of
this year. Further details concerning the
canteen building appear elsewhere in this
issue.
We have now decided that we shall continue to
produce Bell & Howell projectors until
approximately April 1965, and, subject to no
unforeseen circumstances, the Xerox programme
will continue to expand and we expect our
personnel numbers to grow rather than decline.
We have been fortunate in obtaining additional
work for the Engineering Department, which we
believe will ultimately lead to additional
work for our production units.
Although we have now used up the total
facilities of our existing site, I am sure you
will be pleased to know that action has
already been taken to procure additional land
for future development in the years ahead.
During this year we hope to give you the
opportunity of seeing departments other than
your own at work, and at a later date to
invite your families and friends to come along
and see our facilities at Mitcheldean.
1
9-4 ,…. – ii ,
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1k 11411rAit f’ . ii _ !4°P.’ ::”‘
FIRST XEROX PLANT ON THE CONTINENT
R\\K XEROX LTD. IS RI invest £4
million in the next phase of its
programme of expansion in Europethe
building of a factory and warehouse
on a 25-acre site at Venray. Holland.
The first Rank Xerox plant on the
Continent, it will be in operation by
June. 1965, and will serve the whole of
the European Economic Community.
The new Venray factory and warehouse
is designed to act as a supply
centre for consumable products used in
xerographic machines made at Mitcheldean
and installed in Europe.
Mr. John Davis, Chairman of the
Rank Organisation and of Rank Xerox,
says:
The demand for Xerox machines is
explosive, and our already greatly increased
production must be matched by
a much bigger output of consumables.
including selenium drums and printing
Mr. Chester Carlson. 1/u’ inventor of
.verography, trying his hand at operating
a Mitcheldean-built 914 Copier during
a brie) visit to Rank Xerox headquarters
in London last December. With him
is %!r. T..4. Law. Managing Director
of Rank Xerox.
COVER PICTURE
Mr. John Davis, Chairman of the
Rank Organisation and of Rank
Xerox, paid a visit to our Plant in
January. He is seen here watching
work in progress in Xerox 914
Assembly. Photo: R EVANS
powder. The Venray plant will eventually
supply all our machines in use in the
European Economic Community.
“Venray is well situated for effective
distribution throughout the E.E.C.. and
is close to the European motorway
which is to provide a new link between
Holland and Germany.
“Output from our Elstree plant is
being materially stepped up. but Elstree
will be kept fully occupied supplying
the United Kingdom and our other
world markets.-
In addition to manufacturing plant
of 150,000 square feet at Venray, there
will be 120.000 square feet of warehouse
space. From this, Rank Xerox will be
distributing consumables to its E.E.C.
operating companies based in Dusseldorf,
Paris. Brussels. Amsterdam and
Milan.
3
INSIGHT INTO INDUSTRY
for teachers .
Photos: c. ‘moon
THE advent of the New Year is
traditionally a time for making good
resolutions. It is also an excellent time
for making industrial history. And
that’s what happened on January 2
and 3 when a careers conference-the
first such course ever to be held in the
county-was held at our Plant.
For some time those concerned with
the recruiting and training of personnel
in the engineering industry have felt
that careers advisers in schools have not
kept pace with the many changes that
have taken place in the factory. The
best way to deal with the situation
seemed to be to arrange a get-together
between those who are responsible for
educating Forest and district children
and those who will, in many cases, offer
them employment.
A little while ago, Mr. J. A. Moon,
the Industrial Education and Training
Officer of the Three Counties Industrial
and Educational Association, came to
see Mr. F. J. Edwards, our Personnel
Manager, about the project. Mr.
Wickstead was approached and he
agreed that the first conference should
be held at our Plant. So a draft programme,
consisting of talks by heads of
Departments, interspersed with tours
of the factory and practical demonstrations,
was drawn up by Mr. Edwards.
The aim here was to give careers
advisers an idea of the activities of
different Departments, pointing out in
4
particular the sort of jobs that are
available to school leavers but that are
often unfamiliar to, or even unheard of
by, school staff-such as data processing,
statistical work, project engineering
and so on.
Greatly Appreciated
Judging by the remarks made and
letters received, the two-day conference
was greatly appreciated-and regarded
as Iremenc.,usly worth while’, to quote
the Principal of the Forest of Dean
Technical College.
After being welcomed by Mr. Wickstead,
delegates were conducted on a
tour of the factory by apprentices John
Birch, Clive Brain, David Haines, Keith
Morgan, Colin Pincombe, Neil Ramsey
and Michael Salmon. And very knowledgeable
on all aspects of the works
they proved themselves to be.
After lunch a practical demonstration
of the 914 Office Copier was given.
Then there were talks by Messrs. A. S.
Pratt, Chief Engineer, J. W. Evans.
Production Control Manager, and J. J.
Wilson, Chief Production Engineer, followed
by question time and detailed
visits to Departments.
The next day started with talks by
Messrs. D. F. Griffiths, Advance Planning
Manager, B. C. Smith, Purchasing
Controller, and G. S. Hemingway, Chief
Accountant, concerning their Departments
and the more commercial aspect
of the engineering industry with, once
again, detailed visits to the Departments
concerned. The delegates were then
entertained to lunch at the Chase Hotel,
Ross-on-Wye.
The afternoon was devoted to two
talks-by Mr. Edwards on ‘Apprentice
and Other Training Schemes and the
Transition from School to Work’, and
by Mr. J. A. Moon on ‘Some Possible
Consequences of recent Governmental
Reports on Education and Training’.
During the ‘open forum’ that followed,
many questions were fired at
Mr. Wickstead (who presided), Mr.
Edwards and Mr. Moon, and much
useful information gained on all sides.
. . and teenagers
THE changeover from ‘child’ life at
school to ‘adult’ life at work was a
difficult one for most of us, despite the
thrill of that first wage packet.
Schools today, in conjunction with
the Youth Employment Service, do
much to help pupils choose a career and
get settled in at work, but there is
nothing to beat personal experience.
With this in mind, the Royal Forest
of Dean Rotary, together with the
Youth Employment Service, recently
arranged for some boys and girls in
their fifth year at school (over 15 years
of age) to spend a few days in a factory,
office or shop. working as they would if
in employment. The idea was not
directly vocational guidance. but chiefly
to iron out some of the everyday
troubles and misconceptions that young
people may have to cope with during
their first weeks at work.
Our Company, together with a number
of other firms in the Forest, agreed
Roger Yet= and Graham Wilkes working
in the school metal shop.
Signe Higgins gets on with her mixing
while Helen Harding and Ann Hale look
at a copy of VISION.
to co-operate in the scheme. And so,
on Monday, February 24, at 2 p.m..
five teenagers from Double View
Secondary School, Cinderford, came ‘to
work’ (but without pay!) at our Plant.
Before they arrived they had the
whole purpose of the project explained
to them by their headmaster. Mr. K.
Perkins. Other members of the Youth
Employment Committee also addressed
them: Mr. J. R. Tallis on ‘Why We Go
to Work’: our Mr. F. J. Edwards on
work from the employers’ point of
view: and Mr. A. H. Brain, giving the
employees’ viewpoint and outlining the
principles of trade unionism.
Mr. Edwards met the children on
arrival at Mitcheldean and during that
first afternoon they toured the factory.
The following two days they got down
to work-Graham Wilkes and Roger
Yemm in Project Nine Machine Shop,
Helen Harding in Production Control,
Ann Hale in the Mail Room, and Signe
Higgins in the First Aid Department.
Today, Thursday. they have returned
to school for discussion. Pupils are
being formed into groups of six, each
with a member of the Youth Employment
Committee as chairman. The
groups will prepare reports on the project,
and these will be presented when
all reassemble for general questionsand
conclusions.
In our next issue we hope to be able
to report on the success of the whole
scheme, with, maybe, some interesting
opinions from the `guinea-pigs’. After
all, they can be very frank, having terminated
their brief employment!
5
NEVER BACK UP
t’OR AN IDIOT
I ALWAYS DO- I’LL
REVERSE RIGHT
AWAY
ANY
ANSWERS
WHO drove straight into a wall after being wished ‘Good Night’?
WHO parks his Jag in his coal bunker?
WHO was the lady who sent her husband to work with dry bread for his lunch?
WHO spent a night in a chicken-hut after coming home late from a party?
WHO, after having given up the habit for several years. has now taken up smoking
*Chargehands’ cigarettes?
WHICH two men in a certain Machine Shop have got the wind up?
WHO was so disgusted to find his hens hadn’t laid any eggs that he slammed the
hen-house door and in so doing executed his cockerel? What a shame-it was
probably the hens who wouldn’t oblige anyway!
WHO bought his wife a washing machine and then ruined a dozen woollies in it in
the very first %ash?
WHICH chicken farmer is renaming his pre-fab ‘Ponderosa’?
WHO went ten minutes without water in Cyprus and got a medal for it?
WHO took the morning off, came into work in the afternoon and, on being asked
why he had been absent, explained that he thought he had ‘flu coming on in the
morning, but as it hadn’t arrived by lunchtime he decided to come to work
without it?
WHO has been privately tickling the public address girls?
WHO was so carried away to find his motor-cycle oing a dizzy 25 m.p.h. that he
threw his cap in the air (it landed on a following car and as far as we know hasn’t
been seen since!)?
WHOSE van does not need a de-mister now?
SINCE when has the Gate House been selling Green Band petrol?
YOU may have found out the truth about Father Christmas by now but do you know . . .
WHICH girl said she did not want Father Christmas to get stuck in her chimney?
WHO ‘phoned the Herefordshire Police to wish them a Merry Christmas’?
WHO shaved off his moustache ready for the Christmas snogging session?
s..ww-v-tew WANTED!
.1 ‘Mr. Rank, Mitcheldean’ Contest
to be held in conjunction with the
‘Miss Rank’ one. Contestants to be
judged on physique and personality! c” wwwwwww
6
HOLIDAY HINT
Caravan to Let. 22 ft. four-berth, sited
at Burnham-on-Sea. Apply Mr. B. A.
Moger, Security Officer.
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29
ACROSS
1 & 4. Successful “What’s-my-liners”
in the workshop. (5, 7)
8. Sirius or Lassie. (3. 4)
9. Bury in between. (5)
10. Animal which could make pots if
it had a P! (5)
11. Make a deep impression. I -)
13. Comes from Laos as well. (4)
15. Pretty, when full of fish. (6)
17. Speaker from a Labour or a Tory
platform. (6)
20. Where the pimply Cockneys live?
(4)
22. But not Rachmaninov’s first works
(7)
24. An office girl does this sometimesin
fact, all kinds. (5)
26. Positive protection. (5)
27. A chemist will weigh it in the
balance without a qualm. (7)
28. Satellite-for home entertainment
possibly. (7)
29. This small fish is almost Chief
Engineer! (5)
DOWN
1. Field-secretary. (7)
2. A different thing. this darkness. (5)
3. According to the letter it is according
to the letter. (7)
4. Clumsy boats. (6)
5. Copying (but not monkeying about
with Xerox). (5)
6. A passage from a dentist’s casebook?
(7)
7. Outing on a German river. (5)
12. Time both ways. (4)
14. Heavy going at the front. (4)
16. Clover, for example. (7)
18. Changing the traders hinders progress.
(7)
19. One of the things you pay for good
wishes. (7)
21. Banner. (6)
22. Another rare bird-what a lark!
(5)
23. Out of sorts. (5)
25. The 111,%011 Of \CrOgra011 I 5
PUZZLE BY PAUL GREGORY
CANTEEN SKYSCRAPE
THE new Canteen Block which has
risen since last summer on the old
car park near the Club House now
towers over every other building on the
Rank Mitcheldean Plant site. It may
well lay claim to another distinction
when open-that of being the largest
best appointed amenity block in the
West Midlands.
Built with similar external features to
the Administrative Block, it consists of
three floors: on the ground is the Works
Dining Hall, on the first floor the S. iff
and Executive Dining Halls, and, on
the top floor, an Assembly Halldescribed
by the architects (Messrs.
Gordon Payne & Preece) as the ‘Demonstration
and Display’ area.
THE DINING HALLS
The ground floor Works Dining Hall
seats 240 personnel in bright, spacious
surroundings. All the artificial lighting
is concealed: the ceiling is sound absorbent:
the floor is of plastic tiles laid
in an abstract pattern. Great care has
been taken with the colour scheme to
ensure that the room is gay without
being garish. The basic colour throughout
the whole building is mushroom,
and in this Dining Hall it is offset by
walls in claret and blue. Tables and
chairs have been chosen to blend with
this decor.
8
The counter is based on an entirely
new system of serving designed to cut
dow n, or even eliminate, queueing. The
system involves the separating of the
long counter into sections serving different
items so that, instead of one main
will be a number of short
queues, if any, at right angles to the
counter.
Thus, if a person requires only one or
two particular dishes, he or she will not
have to spend a long time queueing
behind others before getting to the part
of the counter they want.
Other amenities here include cloakrooms,
and a fitted shop serving cigarettes
and confectionery.
The Staff Dining Hall has been designed
to seat about 270 personnel. Part of
it is arranged for self-service and part for
waitress service.
Here again the lighting fittings are
recessed, the vinyl floor is in an abstract
pattern, and the ceiling is acoustic. The
colour schemes for each area, while
forming an entity in themselves, together
present a restful and harmonious
whole. While the use of mushroom is
common to each. the self-service section
has one wall in flame red, another
area has one wall in chocolate brown.
while a third section has one wall in
grey-green.
It is hoped to open both these Dining
Halls soon after Easter.
THE TOP FLOOR
This part of the building is. in fact, a
large hall that will be available to the
Social Club for their bigger functions,
and has been designed to permit the
staging of many forms of entertainment.
It will open later than the rest of the
building-probably in early summer.
The ceiling is of a most unusual
design. consisting of a series of deep.
wide troughs, concealed lighting shining
up into the high parts. It is constructed
of a new fibreglass tile IA ith a textured
surface, giving a most pleasant and
interesting overall effect. The main
colour is again mushroom. ith one wall
of peacock blue.
Artist’s impression of the
Assembly Hall. with its 30-ft. long bar.
At the far left are seen the
projection room ports.
A stage is provided in one corner of
the room with microphone sockets as a
built-in feature, the loudspeaker being
mounted permanently in the ceiling.
Provision has been made for the later
construction of a full-width stage with
curtains and lighting.
The floor is semi-sprung maple strip.
ideal for dancing. and a 30-ft. long bar.
with adjacent bottle store, is built in.
Another feature of the room is a cine
projection screen, which is housed out
of sight in the ceiling when not in use.
and can be lowered automatically into
position from the projection room.
The latter also contains facilities for
controlling future. stage lighting.
NI.\./1. ‘,A. VI,,,./1, ‘Vl. 1.A.VI.,./1.,,,VVVI. ‘Vt. “VI, “V1., VI., ‘NfleVlaNN. 11.10,-11. ‘VI”
Is ISPINPIN.A.”1″,”VW^P./WN.A,VVINN.P.”. .
‘ Open Day ‘ at our Plant
In the last couple of years the Plant at Mitcheldean has undergone some
sweeping changes-new buildings hare arisen, partitions have been set up here
and taken down there, whole departments hare exchanged places.
However, it is hoped that soon the change-round will be completed and, as
mentioned in %fr. Wickstead’s editorial, arrangements are in hand for the
holding of an ‘Open Day’ this year when employees’ families will he invited
to see over the entire works.
In addition, conducted tours over Project 9 are to he arranged for groups of
employees whose work does not normally bring them into touch with the latest
huildinz developments at 11itcheldean.
HAVING A
WONDERFUL TIME
WITH
Production Control
at the White Hart,
Ruspidge
C. BROOKS
Machine Shop
at the Chase Hotel,
Ross-on-Wye
. ‘,ANS
Xerox
at the Chase.
(Is it? No it can’t
be’ But it does look
like Benny Hill
there, doesn’t it?)
Accounts Department
at the
Chase Hotel
A FAB’
FOURSOME
GIRLS screamed and shirts were torn
when the ‘Beatles’ made their appearance
at the B. & H. Assembly Christmas
party at the Club House, singing hits
like ‘She Loves You’ and ‘I Want to
Hold your Hand’. In fact, they were
such a success that their agent. Jackie
Smith, arranged for them to give a
charity performance on the shop floor
after the Christmas close-down, as a
result of which £8 13s. was raised for
the Dilke Hospital.
Certain people (probably fans of the
Dave Clark Five) have hinted that the
‘Beatles’ were wearing false wigs, were
using home-made guitars and were only
miming their songs to hidden recordings.
It has also been hinted that ‘Ringo’
was really Bob Howells, ‘John’ Roger
Brookes, ‘George’ Mike Bullock and
‘Paul’ Stan Kirton!
NB. They’re open to bookings for charity !
CINE PRIZE NIGHT
ONE OF the most popular events in the
Cine Club’s programme is their Prize
Night. and that held on February 19
was no exception. This is the occasion
when prizes are awarded to the winners
of the Club’s annual film competition.
This year the first prize of an 8 mm.
projector went to the Club’s Chairman,
Arthur Mason (Assistant Controller.
Xerox Warehouse) with his 270-ft. film
‘Cotswolds’. This film of life in the
Cotswolds unexpectedly includes pictures
of film star Rossano Brazzi on
location with M.G.M. at Bibury!
Last year’s first prize-winner, Fred
Brown (Tool Room), came second with
his 175-ft. ‘Travel Time’. His prize
was a film editor.
Third came R. 0. Kibble (550 Department)
with an unusual entry, a 400-ft.
film entitled ‘Whaling’, taken when he
was working as member of the crew of
a whaling ship. He won two Kodachrome
II films.
Presentation of the prizes was made
by our Chief Executive, Mr. F. Wickstead.
Skittles Champs Unbeaten
ON February 13 a long awaited skittles
match took place at the Club House.
The Rank Champions, B. & H. Assembly,
challenged the Management to pick
a team, the losers to pay for drinks!
The challengers’ team comprised: B.
Mould (Capt.), Mrs. M. Brain. R.
Davies, D. Fisher. R. Howells, E. Knight.
J. Price, R. Turley, J. Weaver. T. Weaving;
Management players were: S. J.
Scott (Capt.). R. E. Baker, W. Beech,
L. Davies, F. Edwards, P. Ellis, M. Pask.
R. Steward. T. Walding and F.
Wickstead.
Play was very keen throughout and
after the second leg the Management
were very optimistic. However, the
Champions made a comeback and.
despite Mr. Wickstead and Mr. Walding
supplying the only spares of the evening,
the Champs finally won by the close
margin of four pins. Everyone
thoroughly enjoyed themselves and it
is hoped to have another such evening
soon. In the next issue we hope to
include a photo of the Rank Champions.
-M. Pask
11
GREAT DENE
AT WOR
It is difficult to trace the original
purpose of the George, but before it
became an hotel it was used as a pin
mill and a shot factory. In 1795 James
Graham. the landlord at that time.
advertised that he held a good stock of
port and other wines and offered good
accommodation to travellers. He also
promised sober drivers for the coachesit
seems that drunken driving was with
us even in those days!
Mitcheldean also had a very flourishing
market to which people came from
miles around. Two of the main items
sold there in those days were meat and
corn, and strangely enough it is due to
incidents concerning those two items
that the market finally ceased to exist.
The meat market is said to have closed
when people refused to buy meat because
of a rather macabre fact. On Friday.
April 28. 1732. between the hours of
seven and eight in the evening, a certain
carpenter. Thomas Twibervile. was
murdered in a barbarous manner with
an axe in his own shop in Mitcheldean.
The person convicted of this inhuman
crime was Ely Hatton who was thrown
into the dungeons at Gloucester Castle
to await execution on September 4. 1732.
at Mitcheldean.
There was some delay, probably
caused by people’s inability to decide on
the actual spot for the carrying out of
the sentence. The place eventually
PART II K by RAY WRIGHT
decided upon was that now known as
‘Ely’s Post’ on Pingry Tump -a hill
high above Mitcheldean.
At 7 o’clock on Monday, September 9,
1732. he was hanged by the neck until
he was dead, and his body was left
hanging for many weeks after as a
warning to anyone with similar intentions.
Hatton’s corpse was finally removed,
by night, because people complained
that the flies that were living and breeding
on his body were tainting the meat
being sold at the market. This rumour
soon spread, with the result that people
stopped buying meat from Mitcheldean
market.
The events that led up to the closing
of the corn market took place during the
time of the ‘Bread Riots’ about 1795.
They arose because the people living in
the Forest of Dean were mainly dependent
on the adjacent farms for their
corn. Owing to hostilities at the time.
however, the Government had bought
up all the corn in order to supply the
army and navy, and the rt.-..ople of Dean
were left without the supplies to which
they considered they were entitled. in
return for the coal and iron they supplied
to the farms.
So they took to raiding the corn
wagons for N hat they thought was rightfully
theirs. Mitcheldean, being the
gateway to the Forest and having a
The brewery in its prosperous days-taken from an old print.
flourishing corn market, was the ideal
place to raid these wagons, especially
since the surrounding Forest offered a
quick and effective getaway. As a
result, farmers and merchants stopped
sending their wagons to Mitcheldean
market and much trade was lost.
The final death-blow to the market
was dealt by William Stallard of Upper
Purlieu above the Hawthorns, near
Mitcheldean. He was said to be the
instigator of the stealing of grain and
flour from Mr. Prince’s flour mill at
Longhope, and of the raiding of many
wagons coming to and from the market.
His lawless career ended at the age of
40, when he was brought to the gallows
at Gloucester on August 16, 1800, for
horse stealing.
The outstanding need was for a railway
and the industrialists of 1870
required a station at Mitcheldean: but
the chief landowners were afraid of
the progress that a railway would bring
and were reluctant to sell their land or
come to any agreement. The impatient
industrialists, therefore, unwilling to
wait indefinitely, purchased the nearest
possible land, which was two miles
away. and in 1872 promoted their own
northern outlet-the abortive M itcheldean
Road Station.
In taking the present tunnelled route,
it left Mitcheldean in an industrial
backwater: had it been allowed to take
its proper place just at that unfortunate
time, it would have formed the centre
and background of the Forest industries.
Half-way up the Stendcrs Hill on the
left-hand side there is a huge chunk
carved out of the hillside which is
known as the Wilderness Quarry. In
1900 this was the source of supply of
carboniferous limestone for a thriving
Portland cement industry. The beds of
limestone here are 165 ft. thick and are
very well exposed, being the most
fossiliferous of the carboniferous system
in the Forest. Many students come here
in search of fossils and one unknown
variety that was discovered here was
named ‘Mitcheldeania’.
In 1912, 50 to 60 tons of cement were
being hauled each weekday to Mitcheldean
Road Station by a traction engine
with a rumbling train of trucks which
had long before reduced the tarmacadam
road to a chaos of loose stones lying
hidden beneath some inches of white,
choking dust.
In 1924 the cement works was purchased
by a company at Penarth which
closed it down to cut out competition
with their own cement works.
The red marl between the layers of
old red sandstone from Barton Quarry
was used by the Wilderness Brick Company
to make a very good quality brick.
If one looks at the bricks from the
demolished houses in the High Street,
one will see, stamped in the recessive
portion, the words ‘Wilderness Mitcheldean’,
proving that they were extensively
used at one time for local building. The
sandstone itself was also used extensively
for local building-a good example is
the old Malt House and adjacent buildings
of what was once Wintles Brewery.
ARE YOU THE OLD FOSSIL
CALLED
MITCHELDEANIA ?
L. G. MILLER
In 1794 a licence was granted to
someone at Mitcheldean for brewing
beer and distilling spirits: this must have
been the beginning of a very prosperous
business that was carried on by the
family of Wintles who brewed a beer
known as Judges Ales, and who also
owned approximately 75 public houses
in the Forest.
In April 1930 this business was purchased
by the Cheltenham Brewery
Company who eventually stopped brewing
beer there to cut out any competition.
but leased the Malt House to a
firm of maltsters.
It would seem that, on the whole,
fate had been unkind to Mitcheldean.
In the past it was a busy centre and
market place. and backed a succession
of industries that flourished and then
faded, among them the manufacture of
13
grandfather clocks (which got only as
far as the making of the cases!).
With the outbreak of war in 1939 the
Government directed many firms from
the large towns to sites in the country
so that they would not be easy targets
for the enemy. One of these firms was
British Acoustic Films (as it was then
known): having been given the choice of
two sites, B.A.F. picked the one at
Mitcheldean as being the best for future
development. At the time they took
up residence on the site of the old
brewery, the Malt House was still being
used to make malt. But in 1947 Rank’s,
as the former B.A.F. has now become
known, took over completely, and
undertook to employ those who wished
to stay on.
Three of these people are still among
our employees-Mr. A. Brain (Maintenance),
Mr. E. Dowell (B. & H. Machine
Shop) and Mr. S. Newman (Production
Control). Mr. Newman was actually
in charge of the malt making process, as
were his father and grandfather before
him: he started work there in 1925, thus
I HEAR
14
l’odRE BEING SENT QUI
coNTRA,-.
achieving a total of 39 years’ employment
on these premises. I doubt if
anyone can beat this record!
During the war searchlights and a
direction-finding instrument, known as a
plotting table, were manufactured as
well as the firm’s original productscameras.
projectors and accessories for
the cinema industry.
With the war over, the cine industry
became a very competitive business,
with cheap foreign imports flooding the
market. Seeing the need to safeguard
the future of the factory, the Management
had the foresight to introduce
another product-something entirely
new in the photo-copying field known
as ‘xerography’. The last few years
have proved how right was their
decision.
With the present expansion programme
and the support of all its
employees. Rank’s are helping to make
Mitcheldean ‘Great Dene’ once again.
We’ll All Miss Ossie
A VERY successful social evening was
held in the Club House on January 18
by the Long Service Association. There
were guessing competitions, free raffles.
and presents for the ladies. Music for
dancing was provided by H. Tooze and
his Band.
During the evening a watch and a
sum of money were presented to Mr.
Osmond Carpenter, who retired on
January 10, by Mr. R. H. Camp, Chairman
of the L.S.A.
‘Ossie’, as he was known to everyone,
joined the Company in September 19A6
and his dry humour will be missed ‘by
all of us.
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS
1 & 4-Panel Beaters. 8-Dog Star.
9-1 nter. 10-Otter. 11-Engrave.
13-Also. 15-Kettle. 17-Orator.
20-Acne. 22-Pre I ude. 24-Types.
26-Proof. 27-Scruple. 28-Telstar.
29-Sprat.
DOWN
1-Paddock. 2-Night. 3-Literal.
4-Barges. 5-Aping. 6-Extract.
7-Spree. 12 -Noon. 14-Lead. 16-
N Trefoil. 18-Retards. 19-Respect.
2I-Censor. 22-Pipit. 23-Unfit.
32*-1=”, 25-Paper.
Putting YOU
in the Picture
Mr. V. (i. Parry has taken up the new
appointment of Inspection and Quality
Control Manager at our Plant. Mr. F.
Court retains his title of Chief Inspector
and is directly responsible to Mr. Parry.
Mr. II. Helm has been appointed to
succeed Mr. D. King as Project Engineer,
Bell & Howell, Mr. King having
left the Company’s employment.
Mrs. Edna Jones (formerly in Xerox)
has taken charge of the new First Aid
Department on the first floor of Project
Nine. Mrs. Jones is a Red Cross and
St. John’s trained nurse and has had
wide hospital experience.
We wish a speedy recovery to Mr. R.
Holliday (Gate Staff) and welcome back
Mr. G. Fordham (Quality Control); both
have been on the sick list for some time.
21st Birthdays
Apprentice Terence Hcmms on January
11.
Miss Diane Woolley, secretary to the
Assistant Chief Accountant, on February
3.
Newly Born
Clive Anthony, a son for Mrs. Janet
Leighton (formerly Xerox Assembly) on
December 3.
Melanie Jane, a daughter for Mr. and
Mrs. Myles Brookes (B. & H. Machine
Shop) on Christmas Day.
Anthony David, a son for Mrs. Kathleen
Evans who used to work in B. & H.
Assembly, on December 28.
Sarah Jane, a daughter for Mr. William
Pearce (Production Control) on December
30.
Sara Louise, a daughter for Mrs.
Margaret Holloway (formerly Accounts)
on January 5.
Karen Jane, a daughter for Mrs. Barbara
Wright (formerly Accounts) on
January 6.
Timothy Julian, a son for Mr. Jeremy
Henwood, Assistant Manager, Xerox 813
Product, on January 6.
Paul Geoffrey, a son for Mrs. Doreen
Williams (formerly Production Control)
on January 9.
Kevin John, a son for Mr. John Buck
(Xerox Machine Shop) on January 14.
Mr. and Mrs. E. refry R. EVANS
Newly Married
Mr. Edward Tuffley (T.E.D.) and Miss
Regina Phelps (who used to work in
Export) at Lydbrook Church on December
3.
Newly Engaged
Miss Daphne Walding (Hollerith) to
Mr. Roger Preece on December 21.
Miss Eileen Smith (Xerox) to Mr.
Robert Howells (B. & H. Assembly)
also on December 21.
Miss Stephanie Jayne (Dictorel) to Mr.
Neil Ramsey (Apprentice), Miss Pat
Gwatkin (Hollerith) to Mr. Ken Kear
(Xerox Assembly), Miss Jean Roberts
(Canteen) to Mr. Keith Phelps. Miss
Sylvia Pearce (B. & H. Assembly) to Mr.
Bernard Wright, and Mr. Sam Phillips
(Project Engineer) to Miss Thelma
Wilding-all at Christmas.
Going a long way’to keep an engagement-
Mr. Robert Morse (formerly
Planning Department). He emigrated
to Sydney, Australia, in December and.
a week after landing on January 4,
became engaged to Miss Jacqui Farley,
who used to be secretary to a senior
executive at Mitcheldean!
FOUND
One gent’s brow n leather glove. Apply
Gate House.
Scarf left behind on pantomime outing
coach. Oatmeal colour, embroidered
in red with letter T. Also pinned on
scarf is medallion engraved ‘Thou shalt
not steal’! Apply Personnel Office.
Printed by the Victor James Press Limited, Coulsdon, Surrey
15
APO – – -t. – –
1
AT-47,k,
1*. « 910;te.
2 1tlijohr,
1644,
trrit.40
p.pr.4.7.-
adz
_411.314′
