. . . the Company is not expanding, it is
exploding.” This statement made by the Chairman
of the Organisation a short while ago has
certainly proved to be true as far as my
Department is concerned.
Back in 1962, Rank Xerox Limited decided to
open a Warehouse at Mitcheldean to cater for
the storage and distribution of 914 office
copier machines. The Warehouse was officially
opened on August 22 with a staff of nine, and
the production of machines then was at a rate
of about one-fifth of present output. Only one
vehicle was available for despatching
machines, and, as a point of interest, the
very first 914 machines to be despatched
direct from Mitcheldean for sea shipment to
Australia were packed by my assistant and
myself two days before the Warehouse
officially opened!
We now have a fleet of eight vehicles with 20
drivers and crewmen, and will shortly be
increasing this to 12 vehicles. The total
staff employed in the Warehouse and
Administrative Offices at the moment numbers
70, and, as the weekly production is now
five times what it was when we started, the
‘explosion’, in something like 18 months, is
easily seen.
Also in August last year, it was decided that
storage and despatch of all spare parts for
the 914 copiers would be handled at
Mitcheldean, instead of in London as
previously, and this operation is now a part
of our work, handled completely by staff
transferred from the Bell & Howell side of
Rank Precision Industries.
Approximately 70 per cent of our copier
machines are packed and despatched from
here to Europe including Scandinavia,
Australia, New Zealand and parts of the Middle
East, likewise spare parts to keep the machines
fully operative in these territories.
The remaining 30 per cent are installed each
week in customers’ premises throughout the
United Kingdom by our crewmen, and this entails
a considerable amount of physical effort,
including a complete ‘know-how’ of the way to
They’ve got it taped!
Two of the warehousemen
prepare a 914 office copier
for despatch. With them
is Ali. 13. J. Ferriman, the
writ er of our editorial.
C. &ROOKS
transport a machine up and down stairs, round
corners, and sometimes even through windows!
The farthest point north, so far, for a
delivery, has been Aberdeen, and we have also
delivered a machine at the other end of
Britain, at St. Austell in Cornwall! (Some of
the routing details for a van-load of
machines look like a Cook’s Tour leaflet!)
Thanks to the keenness of the whole staff, and
despite the demands of speed in operation, the
work has been carried out in a very
satisfactory manner and I only wish I had the
space for a more lengthy explanation of how
the Warehouse ‘ticks over’.
It is essential to our operations that good
healthy working relationships are maintained
with other departments of the factory and I am
very pleased to say that this is so. As a
result, we can carry out our work here very
much more easily, and maintain a scheduled
flow of machines and spare parts to all our
customers at home and overseas.
All-in-all, I feel that our operations play a
very important part within the structure of
the Group, and I sincerely hope that the
article I have written (albeit perhaps rather
disjointedly!) will serve to put you all in
the picture regarding our functions at
Mitcheldean.
COVER PICTURE: What made this girl’s hair stand on end? Static electricitywhich,
as you probably know, is part of the principle of xerography. The photographer,
Olaf Nissen of London, obtained this unusual effect by charging the model’s hair with
300,000 volts of static electricity. Come to think of it, he might have achieved the same
result simply by telling her beforehand what he was going to do!
3
THE WORLD OF RANK
WORK on the tirst installation of a Rank Language Laboratory
begins this spring at the City of Westminster College
for the London County Council. The Laboratory will
consist of 16 students’ booths with a tutor control console:
the latter will have three inputs-three-speed tape recorder.
radio tuner and microphone.
THE Rank Organisation is planning to build ‘Motor Inns’
across Europe to provide a service to the motorist that the
coach traveller had from the coaching inns in years past.
A recent acquisition of Top Rank Motor Inns and Motorway
Services Division is an angling centre in County Cork.
Ireland, called Kinsale Boats. Amenities for fishermen are
to be improved by the building of a 40-bedroom hotel and
garage.
Motor
Inn
Plans
Language
Lab
ANOTHER new Top Rank Coin-Operated Laundry ha. been
opened-this time at Dagenham. Essex. Here the housewife
can leave her washing in a machine while she relaxes
in a refreshment lounge which also features a TV set.
Pinewood
Pictures
Washday
T. V.
EIGHT of the 17 British pictures to be made at Pinewood
Studios in 1964 will be made for the Rank Organisation.
They include a Norman Wisdom comedy ‘Almost a Hero’:
the sixth in the successful ‘Doctor’ series-this time ‘Doctor
in Clover’: ‘Female of the Species.’ a thriller based on that
famous character ‘Bulldog Drummond’: and ‘Love on the
Riviera’. a comedy featuring James Robertson Justice and
Leslie Phillips.
SHOTS taken at our Plant and at Rank Xerox offices in
London were included in newsreel material shown to those
attending a recent Xerox Corporation shareholders’ meeting
in the U.S.A. Receptionist for the Mortimer Street showroom
scenes was Miss Diana Beall who was a member of
the song and dance chorus in ‘My Fair Lady’ when it was
on in the West End.
Clean-up
for Cars
We
Make
News
FIRST automatic car %%ash to be operated by the Rank
Organisation has been opened at the Forge Garage,
Worcester Park, London.
LATEST Top Rank enterprise-the opening on March 5 of
its first ‘Carry Home’ shop in London’s Westbourne Grove “Carry
by the Theatre Division. Here one can collect a complete
cooked meal, packed in heatproof wrappings, carry it home Home”
and serve without any further preparation. Meals range
from four-course dinners to snack dishes, and the shop is Meals
open twelve hours a day.
Its-raA DESIGN LTD. is the name of a newly formed company
within the Rank Organisation. It specialises in designing for
business houses – whether it be an exhibition stand or a desk
for the boss.
Company
with Designs
4
Mitcheldean’s
TOP TWENTY
(as shown by Xerox Deportment popularity rating)
BITS AND PIECES
IF I RULED THE WORLD
GLAD ALL OVER
DON’T BLAME ME
I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
THEY’LL NEVER BELIEVE ME
FINGS AIN’T WHAT THEY USED TO BE
LET’S FACE THE MUSIC AND DANCE
WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF LUCK
TWIST AND SHOUT
GONE FISHING
I’LL GET BY
Bob Baker
Don Elliott
Trevor Walding & his Shadows
Graham Linley
Maurice Coombes
Norman Dovey
Malcolm Powell
Dick Twohig
Des Gibbs
Ron Pearce
Brian Davis
Charlie:Bamfield
Primrose
I’LL KEEP YOU SATISFIED RovSmith &theFranticStoremen
AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’
HOW DO YOU DO IT ?
TIME ON MY HANDS
THANKS FOR THE MEMORY
TOWER OF STRENGTH
Bill Pearce
John Smith
Glen Ashford
Ira Griffin
Ernie Wood
THEME FROM “Z CARS” 13Linny’ Moger & the Searchers
9
11
7/
14
17
z
20
24
A
26
2 3
z
4 5 6 7
8
/.
z
10
/.
r 13
12
z A
15 16
18 19
21 22
‘.;77
z
23
25
A
27
ACROSS
1. Stones to walk on. (6)
4. Tenders. (6)
9. The TT exile gets weaving. (7)
10. Jolly flag. (5)
11 & 20. Vital production figures.
(4, 8)
12. Spotty red hen with six legs? (8)
14. Concerning a fight, possibly. (5)
16. Short sums. (5)
20. See II.
21. Hot on the heel of a footballer. (4)
24. Not where the Redskins come
from. (5)
25. Strangely enough, this is movable
-in fact, it can jig about in the workshop.
(7)
26. Puts a name down and joins up.
27. Turn over. (6)
6
DOWN
1. Obvious protection for inventive
genius. (6)
2. Mrs. Fox. (5)
3. It’s at your fingertip. (4)
5. He should transport you across
the creek, not up it. (8)
6. The Americans use such language!
(7)
7. Not necessarily fast, but a good
pace. (6)
8. Presented for valour. (5)
13. Males are usually in the pink at
this function. (4, 4)
15. Cad or Kangaroo. (7)
I7. Administrative workroom. (6)
18. Takes in sail before striking the
rocks. (5)
19. Stop. (6)
22. However young, it is covered with
wrinkles and has a heart of stone. (5)
23. The cattle in the box enjoy themselves.
(4)
PUZZLE BY PAUL GREGORY
(Solution on page IS
Mr. Jewell with his training class
TRAINING THE TRAINERS
HE Training School had a strong
1 international atmosphere for two
weeks this spring when the first professional
Xerox training officers’ course was
held from February 24 to March 11.
under the leadership of Mr. D. G.
Jewell, Manager of Technical Training,
Rank Xerox, London.
Taking part in this first course were
nine trainers from Rank Xerox subsidiaries
in Germany, France, Italy.
Belgium, Sweden and the U.K. These
men have now gone back to their own
companies to commence the training
of service engineers in their areas.
Said Mr. Jewell at the close of the
course: ‘We would like to take the
opportunity, through VISION, of thanking
everyone at Mitcheldean for the wel-
Cine Club Officers
THE Cine Club has lost one Programme
Secretary and gained two! At its recent
Annual General Meeting. Mr. W. Austin
(Tool Room) retired from office and
Messrs. P. Jordan (T.E.D.) and R. Berks
(Production Control) were appointed
joint Programme Secretaries to look
after still and cine aspects respectively.
Other officers remain as hitherto
Chairman: Mr. A. Mason (Xerox Warehouse):
Secretary: Miss Y. Hart (Mr.
Pratt’s secretary): and Treasurer: Mr.
L. Sterrett (Tool Inspection)
Mr. Austin remains a member of the
Committee, together with Miss D.
Barker (B. & H. Assembly). Mr. W.
Brown (Tool Room), and Mr. W.
Gosnell (Xerox Spares).
C. BROOKS
come, and co-operation, we have
received.
As part of this welcome, the Xerox
Assembly Department rashly invited
the trainers to a skittles match-cumsocial
evening in the Club House on
March 9 and were disastrously beaten
in both games, overall defeat being by
26 pins. However, the losers are not
going to let this setback so early in their
career deter them from making great
plans for the future, which include
entering for the European Cup!
Incidentally, the Assembly team were
warned beforehand that anyone who
didn’t put up a good performance
would be put ‘on the brushes’. We
understand there is now a shortage of
brushes in the Department!
LAN D
FOR
SALE
CD1RTCHE4F)
it
41k
This little fish tvaa ja.shioned
by Ralph out of a sperm
whale’s tooth, polished ivith
toothpaste and ‘Grasso’!
He learned to carve whale lame as
well as to make nets and ropes
from the Shetlanders on board.
As a Shetland Islander would put it,
“I was away to the whaling in
1959, and hame to the croft in
1962” because the whaling company,
C. H. R. Salvcsen of Leith, Scotland,
had sold to the Japanese the two factory
ships Southern Venturer and Southern
Harvester, plus the whaling stations of
Leith Harbour and Strannen at South
Georgia.
These bases lie on the outskirts of
the Antarctic Ice Belt, on an island of
rock, ice and snow 100 miles long by
30 miles wide, inhabited by seals, sea
elephants. sea leopards. penguins, shag
and hundreds of different kinds of sea
birds, including ‘whalers’.
My account of the British Whaling
Expedition with which 1 crewed, aboard
the fishing factory Southern Venturer and
her catchers, starts from Sunderland
Dock, S. Shields, where she is taking
aboard stores, which include live pigs
and chickens. Some of these pigs will
be killed on the way down and the others
are for the island station.
The cost of sending down a whaling
expedition is somewhere in the region
of a million pounds.
The factory ship sails to Tonsberge
in Norway to take on more men and
stores. Soon we are turning round and
steaming down the North Sea and out
into the Atlantic. After one week at
sea you wake up to a arm and sunny
8
Ralph Kibble tells
of his adventures
when he was
AWAY TO THE WHALING
The ‘Southern Venturer’ fishing
factory-estimated to be
about the same size as a small
football field! The caught
whales are pulled up through
the chute.
morning and see one of the Azore
Islands to the South.
In just under two more weeks of fine
steaming W.S.W., we arrive at Aruba in
the Caribbean Sea, where we take on
fuel oil and fresh fruit and spend a short
time, roughly about eight to 12 hours,
on shore.
In that time about 500 men go ashore
to the small town of San Nicholas, each
with an average of £10 to spend, and
have only a few odd cents left when
they manage to get back aboard. No
alcohol is allowed to be carried through
the dock gates-only under your belt!
One Shetlander named Wily had two
bottles of gin in a shoe box, wrapped
up in fancy paper. On walking through
the dock gates, as steady as he could, a
big brown hand landed on his shoulder
and a voice said: “Was you got in the
box, bo?”
Wily said: “Only a pair of shoes.”
“Then let me see.” said the dock
policeman. “They sho am heavy and
sho do rattle: yo’s better go outside and
drink them.-
Wily did-and woke next day saying
he was thirsty!
There are some strange phrases to be
heard ‘in the whaling’ concerning drink:
like “I’m away for a bottle”, or
“scrounging a drink”: “scooping up “:
“fast drinking at a party”: “steaming-:
“staggering drunk”: and “Bow -wow —
a Norwegian going round the bend!
By this time we have left Aruba a
long way astern and are heading down
along the north-east shoulder of South
America. Here we pass between the
islands of Tobago and Trinidad and
then out into the Doldrums-a stretch
Leith Harbour in South
Georgia where the whale
catchers are laid up and repaired.
of water where no wind may blow for
weeks and the heat muffles all sound.
A little further on, flying fish shoot
out of the sea in all directions, like silver
spray. Dolphins appear at the bow of
the ship, and disappear as quickly as
they came. Swordfish can be seen leaping
out of the water and falling back,
tail first.
Then all too soon the Southern Cross
shows up at night and the film shows
which we had on deck at night arc
finished, and as we steam into the
Forties, so the big seas start spraying
over the bows.
A little farther south small icebergs
appear, and next day a white and black
peak shows up and appears to hang in
the sky with dirty cloud streaks at the
base. This is South Georgia where the
whale catchers are laid up, repaired and
painted by the whalers who stay down
there for the winter.
With the bows of the factory ship
grounded ashore .and ropes and chains
holding her steady in Leith Harbour,
411110.–
– – – “”””
_
A striking shot of a South Georgia glacier
the catchers come alongside one at a
time to load their stores and whale lines.
Reunions are celebrated as the men
work between those who have wintered
down and those who have just arrived.
The watchers aboard the factory ship
start the day, half the men on 12 hours
a day and the other half 12 hours a
night: this will continue until the end
of the season, which lasts four months.
It takes about 24 hours to get all the
catchers bunkered and then we are
away, steaming hard for the ice.
On the way down the south-east coast
of South Georgia we pass Grytvicken. a
whale station where Shackleton, the
Antarctic explorer, lies buried.
The burial place of Shackleton,
the Antarctic explorer, at
Grytvicken, South Georgia.
I()
411
In 1916 Shakleton was heading for
the Antartic Continent when his ship
was wrecked at Elephant Island in the
South Shetlands. To save his ,’crew, he
sailed in an open life-boat with three
companions 1,350 miles through storms.
and landed at King Haakon Bay, South
Georgia, then crossed over mountains
and glaciers to Stromness.
Here he knocked on the door of the
manager’s cabin. He was not recognised
at first because of the terrible hardships
he had endured in the last four weeks.
A hard man was the manager, but he
burst into tears when told who it was.
The second part of this story, ‘Thar She
Blows!’, will appear in our next issue.
S.,,,Letr1″.1111,1″1.”M.1.1,”11./WLIVW1.M.”….?
POTTED BIOGRAPHY
Ralph Kibble of 550 Department has spent
most of his working life being exposed
either to all weathers, or to none at all.
After serving in the Royal Nam he
worked at the Northern United Colliery for
12 years. Not surprisingly, he pined to get
back to the sea; but he didn’t wish to rejoin
the Navy and, being attracted to the idea of
fishing, he applied, successfully, to join the
whaling fleet of Messrs. C. H. R. Salvesen.
The rest of the story is told by Ralph. A
keen photographer (both cine and still), he
took the pictures we publish here. As we
have reported earlier, his whaling film came
third in the Cine Club’s Annual Competition.
He is also a member of the Angling Clubthough
even with the benefit of his experience
they have not yet managed to hook anythine
larzer than salmon!
ISEE that the partition for the protection of those near the dart board in the
1 Club House has now been erected. It is on the agenda that at some time in the
future the stairway will come down and be re-erected sideways, thus giving more
room and an outlet to the gents’ powder/smoking room.
* We shall have to come to some decision as to what form the opening celebration
for the new Club Room will take. By all accounts it is going to be a fine roomy
place. Now, we’ve got our own ‘Beatles’; couldn’t we muster up some ‘Tiller
Girls’? I’ve noticed quite a few decent pairs of stems flashing about up and down
Project 9 and some of them can move at a rare pace around 5.10 p.m.!
* We’ve had quite a few social events worth noting recently. The dances for the
over- and under-thirties were well attended: but one event that I should have
thought would attract a good bus-load, and didn’t, was the musical show, ‘The
Desert Song’, put on by the Gloucester Operatic and Dramatic Society during the
week March 16-21. We had the chance of advance booking and only 17 took
advantage of it. A pity, because it was well worth seeing. Also on the schedule
for March 21 was a trip to the Ideal Home Exhibition which attracted three
coach-loads.
* There is no truth, by the way, in the rumour that the Canteen is to employ
‘Bunnies’ to cheer up tired executives!
* Cinderford Town Band paid us a visit on March 14 for a social evening and a
game of skittles. Three matches were played: the first was won by our ‘B’ team,
the second by Cinderford, and the result of the third was still in doubt at the time
of writing! It was a most enjoyable evening and full justice was done to the
refreshments for which thanks are due to our stewards, Mr. and Mrs. Beard.
* I have my doubts about the story of a chap who applied here for w ork and
after revealing that he had been an Army drill sergeant for 21 years, was started
on Grade A in the Drilling Section!-GENE LARK
A SPECIAL DATE
A Very Special Dinner will take place
on June 16 in the Assembly Hall at the
top of Project Ten, the new Canteen
Buildingspecial
because it %% ill mark the official
opening of the hall:
special because Mr. John Davis, Chairman
of the Rank Organisation, has
promised to be guest of honour:
special because it will also be the llth
Annual Dinner of the Mitcheldean Long
Service Association:
special specially for five people who
will be receiving their 25-years’ service
awards: Messrs. G. S. Hemingway
(Chief Accountant), B. C. Smith (Purchasing
Controller), R. Walton (foreman,
Drilling Section, Project 9), J.
Currie (foreman, Milling Section,
Project 9), and R. Payne (Xerox
Assembly):
special because entertainment is being
laid on by Mr. Roger Payne (of Gordon
Payne & Preece) who designed Project
Ten. Mr. Payne, who is in his spare
time publicity officer of the Gloucester
Operatic & Dramatic Society, is arranging
for a programme of light entertainment
to be given by various members
of G.O.D.S., and other artists.
11
ANY Alums
WHICH planner has designs on a lady’s legs?
WHICH senior executive has taken up cycling again?
WHO in Production Control has a gift for designing very original hats?
WHO announced her arrival for a party by pressing the night bell and setting the
hooters going throughout the Plant?
WHICH lady filled her handbag with water to top up her boy-friend’s car radiator?
WHICH young lady waited two hours for her husband, then asked a policeman to
walk her home?
WHO, when asked if he needed any rejuvenating pills, replied: “You’re never too
old!”?
WHO carried on working with a cat asleep on her lap?
WHOSE Scottish terrier likes a snack of false teeth?
WHICH supervisor sprained his toe playing darts?
WHO went to Gloucester especially to buy a car. met a pal and forgot w hat he had
gone to buy?
WHO has sparrows and thrushes on his section?
WHICH two young ladies were confused by brackets and arrived ten days late
for a party?
WHO wondered whether the setting up of a Reliability Engineers section meant that
all the other engineers were unreliable?
WHO is the sweet-smelling boy on the 642 main line?
WHO reversed a works car into a works lorry, then blamed the lorry driver?
WHO has given up the Daily Worker and now reads the Financial Times?
WHOSE Easter eggs turned out to be pigeons’ eggs?
WHO brought an umbrella to the office for the first time, and was showered with
`confetti’ when he opened it?
WHO has had ‘Dung’ attached to his name? Would it be anything to do with his
interest in fruit trees?
R_WRIGHTa SOK
BUILDERS
MERCHANT.
12
WHICH Cheltenham gentleman sold his
car on the strength of a rumour that
British Railways contemplate running a
daily service between Cheltenham St.
James and Mitcheldean Road Stations?
WHO brought a Smith’s clock to work
when 1w got a job at Rank’s?
WHO wears a white miner’s helmet when
servicing his car from his garage pit?
(Q.C. please note!)
WHICH executive asked over the ‘phone
for the Site Office and nearly got booked
for a perm as a result-the hairdresser’s
number being similar to that of the
Office? There is no truth in the rumour
that he settled for a short back and sides.
MUSIC
AND MIKE
VVHAT is there about Design Drawing
Office that attracts so much musical
talent? There they all are-Ray Dance,
clarinettist with the Wye Valley Stompers,
Jeff McCoy. guitarist with the
Hilltoppers, Robert Davis who sings
with the Zeroes; then, let’s see-Harry
Tooze plays the electronic organ, John
Evans is a violinist, Roy Barton is
reputed to be quite a kitten on the keys
and ‘Max’ Miller strums the banjo.
And now, to prove our point still
further-vistoN has discovered a former
full-time professional pianist in Mike
Hutchings, who joined Design a couple
of months ago as a clerical worker.
Mike, whose professional name is
Michael Austin, started his musical
career at 15 years of age when an opportunity
came his way to join ENSA, the
war-time entertainments organisation.
As Mike puts it, he ‘worked around
England’ as a classical pianist for three
months. Then came a really big chance.
Tommy Trinder heard him performing
and sponsored him, as a boy prodigy,
in variety theatres and in broadcasting
with Variety Bandbox. For the next
three or four years he was busy with
solo work, both in broadcasting and
variety.
Then Mike took his music to sea.
For two and a half years he entertained
the passengers with his playing aboard
the big liners on the Australian run and
also on the Queen Elizabeth plying
between Southampton and New York.
The art of accompanying vocalists
next appealed to him, and he started
this new aspect of his musical career
with singer David Hughes. For several
years he was accompanist to Billie
Anthony, the Scottish singer who made
famous the song ‘This Old House’:
other people he has worked with include
Harry Secombe; Lee Lawrence; Kitty
Bluett (Ted Ray’s radio wife); Ronnie
Carroll; Paul Anka; and Malcolm
Vaughan, an old friend who started in
show business at the same time with
Mike.
He did a number of tours of the
Middle East while working with Billie
Anthony and Kitty Bluett. One day he
and Billie were doing some last minute
shopping in the NAAFI shop in Nicosia:
also in that shop was a certain John
Brain, doing his National Service in
Cyprus. Naturally John noticed the
celebrities-and great was this Design
draughtsman’s astonishment recently
when, after so many years. he recognised
in the new Draw ing Office employee the
stage personality Michael Austin!
How did the latter come to work in
C. BROOKS
Mike works on a manuscript
Design? Well, we’ll come to that in a
minute.
In November 1959 Mike went to
Germany for five weeks-at least, that
was his intention. Actually he stayed
away for three years, accompanying
American artists on the Continent,
playing in Switzerland, France, Italy,
Holland and even working for a year in
Turkey.
We should need more space than is
available here to tell of his many
interesting experiences, but one story
we must not omit-the one of how Mike
came to adopt a wild hare.
While driving through Turkey to the
South, he stopped in a village for
refreshment and noticed a little Turkish
girl carrying, rather roughly, a baby
13
hare-an adorable ball of fluff with
enormous ears.
Fearing for its future, he persuaded
her to part with it for a few coins. Raki,
as he decided to call it (after a favourite
drink !), became quite tame and a most
affectionate companion, hardly surprising
since he shared Mike’s hotel accommodation
and was fed on cucumber and
peaches!
Eventually Mike had to return to
Istanbul, and, as he wasn’t sure how
Turkish Airlines would view a baby
hare, he stuffed Raki down the front of
his shirt for the journey. During the
flight Mike fell asleep and Raki chose
this moment to come up for air. You
can imagine the expression on the face
of the stewardess when she saw a furry
face with huge ears emerging from
Mike’s open-necked shirt! It was
doubtless the first hare she had ever
seen on a man’s chest!
This animal story has a happy ending.
While in Istanbul, a resident American
lady met Raki and fell for him on sight.
Since Mike realised that there would
soon come a time when European travel
might not appeal to Raki any more, he
said goodbye to his unusual pet and
handed him to an adoring new owner.
Fate Takes a Hand
In 1962, something happened that
altered the course of Mike’s life. He
was performing in Paris when he met
with an accident that seriously damaged
his right arm-and his career.
His parents had come to live at Soudley
and so it was to the Forest of Dean
that he came for recuperation, and a
restful atmosphere in which to develop
a new technique that would enable him
to take up work once more as a full-time
professional pianist.
But once again something unexpected
happened. He fell in love with the
Forest. Full-time show business lost
its attraction for him and he made up
his mind to find regular employment in
the Forest and settle here. Which is
how he came to join the Rank Mitcheldean
Plant.
That doesn’t mean that he and his
piano have parted company, however.
On the contrary, he fulfils many engagements
as a spare-time performer.
He also composes. And at the moment
he is working on a piano and orchestral
suite dedicated to … the Forest of Dean!
14
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Hill
HAPPY DATES
They’re 21
Two people celebrated their 21st birthday
on March I I-Terry Weaving
(B. & H. Assembly) and Tony Wood
(Xerox Machine Shop).
They’re Engaged
Last Christmas was even more popular
a time for popping the question than we
intimated in our last issue. Here are
some more engagement announcements
that arrived too late for inclusion: Miss
Carole Bowdler (Xerox Spares) to
Mr. Barrie Hughes; Miss Barbara
Prothero (Xerox Electrical Subs.) to
Mr. Dennis Baldwin: and Miss Carol
Kear (Works Management Dept.) to
Mr. Brian Simmonds.
February 2 was a great day for Miss
Marjorie Knight (Xerox Time Office) –
she gained her majority and a fiancé in
the person of Mr. Graham Jenkins.
Miss Myra Williams (B. & H. Assembly)
and Mr. John Wooding (Xerox
Machine Shop) became engaged on
February 22.
Mr. Robert Hart (Tool Room) and
Miss Margaret Haile became engaged
on March 29.
Mr. and Mrs. Harold Ennis
They’re Wed
Miss June Malliband (Inspection) to
Mr. Edward Lewis (Tool Stores) on
February 8 at Holy Trinity, Drybrook.
Miss Barbara Robinson (B. & H.
Assembly) to Mr. Harold Ennis at
Ruardean Church on February 22.
Miss Betty Hale (B. & H. Assembly) to
Mr. Roy Barton (Design D.O.) at
Gloucester on March 14.
Three couples on March 21-Miss Gillian
Weaver (Xerox Assembly) to Mr. Roger
Hill at Ruardean Church; Mr. Richard
Wright (Design D.O.) to Miss Vicky
Heald at Brockworth on March 21; and
Mr. Royston Hamblin (Xerox Machine
Shop) to Miss Yvonne Smith. The
latter couple are both playing members
of Lydbrook Silver Band whose conductor,
Mr. Neville Barnett. works in
Xerox Assembly.
Miss Marjorie Greenway (B. & H.
Assembly) to Mr. Derick Milton at
Lydney on March 26.
Easter weekend weddings: Miss Denise
James (B. & H. Assembly) to Mr. Brian
Jones (Xerox Machine Shop) at St.
Stephen’s, Cinderford; Miss Christine
Lewis (Transport Supervisor’s Office,
Xerox Warehouse) to Mr. Brian Lewis
(Planning), also at St. Stephen’s,
Cinderford; Mr. Brian Mould (Xerox
Assembly) to Miss Deanne Turner at
St. Paul’s, Parkend; and Miss Marie
French (Comps., Accounts) to Mr.
David Godwin at Cinderford.
Miss Marylyn Nicholls (B. & H.
Assembly) to Mr. Gerald Brain at Holy
Trinity Church, Drybrook, on March 30.
Mr. Richard Skyrme (Press Shop Office)
to Miss Denise Lewis on May 23 at
Coleford Church.
Mr. and Mrs. Brian Jones
C. BROOKS
C. BROOKS Mr. and Mrs. Brian Lewis
They’ve Arrived
Amanda Jane, a daughter for Mrs. Judy
Evans (formerly Production Control) on
January 31.
Kim Sheree, a daughter for Mr. John
Notley (Transport Supervisor, Xerox
Warehouse) and his wife Doreen, who
used to work in Xerox Inspection. Kim
arrived on February 7.
Cheryl May, a daughter for Mr. Rod
Powell (Supervisor, Xerox Assembly) on
February 24.
Ian Richard, a son for Mr. John Brain
(Design D.O.) on March 20.
Get Well Soon
We wish a speedy recovery to Mr.
Albert Faulkner (Press Shop) after his
motor-cycle accident.
Mr. George Fordham
We regret to report the death, on April
19, of Mr. George Fordham, aged 53.
George, who was in charge of Goods
Inwards Inspection, had been with us for
27 years.
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS: 1- Paving. 4-Offers. 9-
Textile. 10-Roger. 11 & 20-Nine
Fourteen. 12-Ladybird. 14-About.
16 – Maths. 21 – Spur. 24 – India.
25-Fixture. 26-Enrols. 27-Invert.
DOWN: 1-Patent. 2-Vixen. 3-
Nail. 5-Ferryman. 6-English. 7-
Stride. 8-Medal. 13-Hunt Ball.
I5-Bounder. 17- Office. 18-Reefs.
19-Arrest. 22-Prune. 23-Oxen.
WATCH IT!
We refer to your Works notice board,
where you will soon be seeing an announcement
about the ‘Open Days’, or
rather ‘Evenings’, in June when the
Plant will be ‘at home’ to visitors.
Printed by the Victor James Press Limited,
Coulsdon, Surrey
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