Vision
May/June 69 No 55 House Magazine of Rank Xerox Mitcheldean Plant
Mr. George Kelly, Manager Overseas Operations of Xerox Corporation, visited our Plant on March 26.
Here he is seen (right) in the Machine Shop with Mr. Ken Bunn, Component Manufacturing Manager,
Mitcheldean, examining an optical frame casting for a 3600 machine produced on the multihead drill.
Thanks from Welwyn
In the November/December 1968 issue, I said :
‘For Welwyn and Venray, particularly Welwyn,
freedom to draw on the manufacturing skills and
experience of Mitcheldean is a first need. It is
absolutely vital that this is recognised and accepted
by us all at Mitcheldean’.
I was very pleased recently to receive the following
letter from Jack Taylor of Welwyn :
Welwyn
March 17, 1969.
Dear Mr. Wickstead,
Now that Welwyn have built their first CFP
Processor, and final testing is under way, I thought
I should write and thank you for all the assistance
that Mitcheldean has given us on this project.
Starting up the machine production facility at
Welwyn would have been immensely difficult, and
certainly not even possible in the time, if we had
not been able to call on the reserves of skill and
ability available at Mitcheldean.
Your people have given us prompt and unstinted
assistance in every area and every phase of the
job, and it is to their credit that at no time has
there ever been a hint of ‘that’s Welwyn’s problem,
let them get on with it’.
Many of our people have spent a lot of time at
Mitcheldean being trained and working with you,
and all have come back full of praise for the help
and guidance they have received.
I think it would be difficult to find a better
example of co-operation between two factories;
we now know each other well and many
friendships have sprung up which should stand us
in good stead in the future.
I am sure that everyone at Welwyn will join me in
asking you to pass on our thanks for Mitcheldean’s
help, so willingly given.
Yours sincerely,
Jack Taylor (Signed)
Manager, Machine Manufacture
I am sure you will very much appreciate his
comments, which I heartily endorse.
2
Director of Production and Supply Operations
MACHINES FOR
OUR MACHINES
Because of increasing requirements, the group of
machines originally installed in 1967 to handle the
main frame and side castings of the 2400 (see
VISION no. 45) have had to be augmented to
cope with the rising output in 3600 Department.
The Brasshouse six-way shuttle drill, tap and
reaming machine has been joined by a second one
identical with the first so that the drill heads and
bush plates are interchangeable between the two
machines.
Also joining the group will be a second Kendall 8
Gent milling machine which is at present on
order; a site for this is now being prepared.
In addition, a fourth stage has been added to the
EFCO three-stage washing machine, together with
a Hydromation automatic swarf removal unit.
The additional stage -a pre-clean unit – removes
heavy dirt from castings by means of a cold
pressure spray. The used water runs away into the
Hydromation unit where it is filtered through a
cloth and is pumped back for re-use in the
pre-clean. The filter cloth is fed into the tank in a
Carrying a load of swarf and dirt, the used cloth
emerges from the automatic filter unit.
continuous roll ; when the swarf collected has
reached a pre-determined limit, the roller
automatically dispenses a fresh stretch of cloth,
the used part moving on out of the unit.
This filtering system has greatly eased plant
maintenance by reducing clogging of the jets in
the washing machine and making the necessity
for water changes less frequent.
Final assembly of the new
six-way drilling machine,
which is expected to be
operational this summer.
3
*****PRIZE NIGHT*******
Barrie Lewis receives first prize for his
slides from Mr. S. Kee ly.
Wednesday, March 5, was the Cine Et Photographic
Club’s big night of the year and members
gathered in the Social Centre to give a showing
of their efforts and receive competition awards.
The programme began with the projection of the
25 best slides; these included the prize-winning
ones taken by Barrie Lewis, his father Ted,
Mrs. Valerie Jordan and Tony Hehir (placed in that
order), as well as commended entries from
Mrs. D. Berks, Miss Deirdre Hunt. Brian English,
Brian Hill, John Gurney, Lionel English and Peter
Sperring. Judged by Bob Evans, this competition
attracted about 120 entries altogether.
The prize-winning colour films in standard and
super 8 mm. which followed were judged by
expert amateur film-maker Mr. Traynor of
Cheltenham who awarded first prize to Robin
Berks with his family picture of a holiday at
But !ins. Minehead, and second to Cyril Jamieson’s
pictorial record of a visit to Alton Towers in
Staffordshire. Third and fourth places both went
to Fred Brown whose films featured Gloucester
carnival procession, and the Rank Xerox 14-mile
road race which took place in conjunction with
Longhope carnival last summer.
Bob Evans and Jack Seal jointly judged the black
and white photograph competition and entries
were on display in the hall. Lionel Fisher came first
and Ray Mabbett second, with Brian Prosser and
Bill Hobbs tying for third place.
Mr. S. D. Kee ly, Production Manager, presented
prizes for the slides and photographs while
Mr. D. R. Elliott, Manager, Reconditioning
Department, who was a founder-member of the
club and its first chairman, presented the cine
prizes, all of which took the form of vouchers for
Two of the entries
which gained high
marks and admiring
glances. The heartstealer
on the right
was photographed by
Brian Prosser, the one
below by Bill Hobbs.
photographic equipment at Messrs. Walwins,
Gloucester.
Mrs. Kee ly and Mrs. Elliott received flower sprays
from Miss Yvonne Hart and Miss Doris Barker:
these two committee members also organised a
raffle for a chicken dinner which went to Bill
Austin – quite justly, one felt, since he took on the
job of projectionist for the feature film *Rotten to
the Core’ which concluded the programme.
The club held a showing of the ‘Ten Best’
– winners of the Movie Maker’s international
amateur film competition for 1968 – in the Social
Centre on April 2. Would-be competitors could
take heart from the fact that the first prize-winner
was a simple study that any observant amateur
might attempt.
Next important club date is May 18 when members
plan an outing to Long leat. ******************** 4
Recent
Appointments
Mr. J. W. van Eerde, Chief Engineer at Venray,
has been spending several months at Mitcheldean
in order to promote better understanding,
improved liaison and as far as possible uniformity
of practice on engineering and related matters.
He is located in the Design Office and has been
working closely with the Consumables Engineer.
Mr. John S. Hercock, establishing foundations for
subsequent liaison between Mitcheldean and
Venray on consumables engineering matters.
Mr. van Eerde, who is expected to leave about
the end of June, will be followed by Mr. G.
Kauffeld, Senior Process Engineer (Consumables),
who will visit Mitcheldean for a similar period, and
the present plan is for this cycle to be repeated so
that both will make two visits, each slightly
overlapping the other. By these means
continuity of effort will be obtained and Venray
activities maintained with the minimum disruption.
Other members of Mr. van Eerde’s staff will be
Mr. J. W. van Eerde,
Chief Engineer at
Venray.
Mr. John S. Hercock,
Consumables Engineer.
Variety Nighters!
Comments that have been made in the past
mainly still apply to your excellent work and
performance. Congratulations to all of you on and
off-stage artistes on the latest show This time
there is space only to mention the following :
Seating arrangements – very good, informal and
comfortable.
Presentation of show – much improved, except
that the show was advertised to start at 8 p.m.
and actually started 8.25 p.m.
Xeroettes – they seem an entirely different group
now that they are under the professional
instruction of Miss Elizabeth Corney. Keep it up
girls – you are doing well !
Threepenny Piece – top of the bill artistes.
paying short visits to England to meet their
British colleagues and to get an appreciation of
the UK parts of the Production Et Supply
Operations Division with particular reference to
Engineering activities.
Mr. Peter Hoyland joined the Personnel
Department on March 24. He is a member of the
team under Personnel Controller Mr. L. V. Lyes
which is responsible for developing and
maintaining the new personnel policies now being
forged, and he is currently engaged on special
projects and work associated with the Productivity
Campaign. A qualified engineer, Mr. Hoyland
comes from Hertfordshire and was previously
assistant personnel manager of the Guided
Weapons Division of the British Aircraft Corporation,
with special responsibilities for the personnel
policy of the engineering research and development
areas.
Mr. Arthur Bibey was appointed Apprentice
Instructor (Electrical) at the Training School on
March 24. Prior to this he worked in Goods
Inwards Inspection.
Mr. Helmut (Harry)
Kirsch, whose appointment
as Chief Tool
Designer, TED, was
reported earlier.
Mr. Peter Hoyland,
Personnel Department.
All bouquets have now been handed out, but for
one that should I feel have gone to the miming
act by ‘Prim’ McCormick. She was dressed and
made up perfectly for the part, and many weeks of
practice were absolutely wasted because of
misunderstanding with those backstage. You
did very well to extricate yourself from such a
muddle, Prim – better luck next time !
In general, it was a very good show and the
slickest yet put over, followed by a good dance
which many people enjoyed. Thank you all.
Kritikos
Further shows are to be given at Ruardean on
May 16, at Gloucester on May 23 for ICI, and at
Witcombe on June 6.
5
FROM MODEL SHOP TO MODEL OFFICE
Anyone visiting our Plant for the first time will find
it hard to believe that the attractive new offices
of the Supply Planning Department on the lower
ground floor of Administration Building 23 so
recently accommodated a workshop. We find it
hard ourselves!
The whole of the floor (except for the cleaning
stores in one corner which will be moved as soon
as space is available elsewhere) has been
converted into a fine 6,000 – sq. ft. office area,
enabling all the functions of Supply Planning to be
centralised for the first time since the department’s
formation.
In designing the new layout, Facilities Planning
have adopted the open plan principle which has
proved basically successful in Design Building 38.
Emphasis has again been on the reduction of
noise disturbance and this has been achieved by
various means, such as the adoption of lightsignalling
handsets instead of standard telephones,
and the changeover of the Tannoy to the ‘switch
system’ whereby calls of a general nature are not
broadcast without prior permission.
In addition, a number of improvements have been
incorporated in this latest ‘model’ office. Wall-towall
nylon carpeting in green, yellow and grey
has been provided to improve sound absorption
and working conditions and also make cleaning
easier and quicker.
Attractive domed ceiling tiles with acoustic
properties lend a striking visual effect and conceal
the ducting for the air input and extraction system.
They also conceal a trap-door !
In Model Shop days a loading bay existed beneath
this trap-door. French windows have now been
set in the entrance and a false floor !aid over the
bay; but should it be necessary at some future
date to install bulky equipment in the Data
Processing Department directly above, this can be
brought in through the French windows and
raised through the trap-door.
Another notable improvement has been the
dispensing with most individual offices to permit
flexibility and layout.
As one enters the department the offices of
Supply Planning Manager Mr. J. W. Evans and his
secretary Mrs. Nina Horton are on the left. Beyond,
ranged alongside the main window wall, are
working areas reserved for Mr. Evans’ personal
assistant, Mr. H. Giles, the three senior
supervisors – M. H. Derrett, R. G. Skyrme and
T. J. Quartermaine – and other supervisory staff ;
these areas are sound insulated to a great extent
from the main area by waist-high partitions,
decorated in gay orange and green hessian
material.
The main working area has been arranged in three
functional groups dealing with materials control,
product and mechanised planning. The staff at
present number about 80 but allowance has been
made for the taking on of additional employees for
necessary expansion in 1969/70.
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The open-plan offices – light, spacious and quiet.
6
Our picture shows Mr. Peregrine with Mr. Swenson on his right and
Mr. Smith on his left.
Supply Get-together
‘This is the first time that representatives of the
Supply Planning functions of Xerox Corporation
and Rank Xerox have had an opportunity of
getting together,’ said Mr. G. H. Peregrine.
Assistant Director – Supply, when he attended
the opening discussions at the Xerox/Rank Xerox
Supply Planning seminar and working party held
at Mitcheldean from March 12 to 14.
Representing the Production Planning Er Control
Department of Xerox Corporation’s Business
Products and Systems Division were Gene F.
Smith, Manager, Manufacturing Planning ;
Ron F. Swenson, Manager, Technique
Development; and William C. Schmidt, Manager.
International Manufacturing Planning. (Production
Planning Et Control in Rank Xerox terms covers
broadly Planning Co-ordination, Supply Planning
and Production Control.)
During the series of meetings Mr. Smith and
DOLLAR DOG
Jim Watts of Goods Inwards Inspection
has been doing his bit to improve the balance of
payments situation – with the aid of an Afghan
hound. Known under the name of ‘Divels
Hounds’ these dogs are bred by him and his wife
at Ruardean.
Not long ago he received an enquiry from
Bermuda for one of his dogs and as a result a black
and chocolate Afghan hound aged five months
was duly put aboard a jet aircraft at London
Airport last January, complete with ‘passport’ -a
Kennel Club export pedigree certificate.
Incidentally the total cost of getting the hound to
Bermuda cost some £80; apparently the freight
charge was assessed by bulk, and though there
was comparatively little weight, there was a lot of
dog !
Mr. Swenson spoke to some 50 members of
PSOD from Welwyn, Venray, Denham and
Mitcheldean, describing their plans for a new
integrated Production Planning and Inventory
Control System – PPICS.
Rank Xerox plans for Supply Planning and
Production Control developments were described
to the visitors and a full exchange of views took
place, special consideration being given to the
improvement of communications between the two
companies.
During the Supply Planning working party
sessions, Mr. Schmidt had discussions with
members of our Purchasing and Design
Engineering Departments.
Prior to arriving at Mitcheldean, Messrs. Smith,
Schmidt and Swenson visited Venray, Welwyn and
Denham.
Jim Watts with his dollar-earning Afghan hound
before it embarked for Bermuda.
7
The Purchasing Man of Today
by Bernard C. Smith, PurchasinglController (Mitcheldean)
Purchasing as an art has come a long way since
the days when it was merely a question of
obtaining a few competitive bids and putting a
signature to a purchase order to the lowest bidder.
Today management looks to purchasing to play an
important and specialised part in maintaining and
increasing profitability. This means obtaining the
right quantity of the right quality from the right
source at the right price and at the right time so
that the flow of production is not impeded.
This is quite a task and its achievement ideally
calls for many personal characteristics in our
purchasing staff – integrity, dependability,
prudence, loyalty, alertness, curiosity,
forthrightness, imagination, initiative, tact, selfcontrol,
not to mention charm !
Make or Buy
It is top management whose decisions indicate the
need to purchase. They then delegate to the
various operative departments primary
responsibility for deciding when and how much to
buy and the qualities to specify, and once
requisitions have been handed over to the
Purchase Department, the latter’s function begins.
The ‘make or buy’ decisions are concerned with
such factors as special ‘know-how’ and plant,
space and labour availability. There are, too, great
advantages in engaging the skilled engineering
capacity of other firms to bring in new products
more quickly. There could also be a safety factor
in any period of economic setback in being able to
bring some items back into our factory, to
minimise redundancy.
It is no exaggeration to say that there are
thousands of people all over Britain who are
contributing to our product by their efforts.
Almost everything we buy is ‘Made in England’ by
hundreds of companies.
Our Responsibilities
Our department’s responsibilities, some of which
overlap those of other departments, are numerous;
they include obtaining quotations, receiving sales
presentations by firms who want us to use new
devices in our equipment, selecting suppliers,
awarding purchase orders, checking delivery
promises, settling complaints arising from quality
questions or payment of invoices, recommending
buying materials which are likely to be in short
supply but for which there is no immediate need,
and maintaining good relationships with important
sources of supply.
8
The author
Perhaps it is in the latter field that the purchasing
man has most need of those desirable attributes
listed above. Vendor relationships have a
considerable influence on our Company’s general
reputation in the market place; salesmen swap
experiences and opinions as they meet each other
on their rounds and this word-of-mouth
advertising can be very valuable or very damaging.
The buyer is handicapped in that for every new
purchase he makes pleasing one supplier, he
disappoints several others, but sensitive handling of
these situations takes resentment out of such
frustration. If, however, the supplier believes he
has been given an unjustified ‘brush-off’ or is the
victim of unfair favouritism, the buyer and his
company risk damage to their reputation.
If he is to protect his company’s good reputation.
the purchasing man must be the focal point of all
relationships with its outside suppliers, though
this doesn’t mean he tries to block the way to
discussions with design engineers, quality control
people. etc.
Careful control of negotiations is essential there is
the occasional outside representative who may
try to get hold of information he isn’t entitled to. or
who may try to use trickery in an attempt to get
orders.
In general we in Purchase Department try to
create in important sources of supply a kind of
(continued on p. 10)
Top right: General view of the Purchase
Department.
Right: Discussing problems on re-scheduling
in the chief buyer’s office are (left to right)
Terry Quartermaine (Supply Planning).
Joe Smith (raw materials buyer). Bill Beech
(chief buyer), John Wi/ks (senior buyer,
mechanical section) and Reg Dixon
(senior buyer, electrical section).
The Purchasing Man of Today
(continued)
partnership and a feeling of genuine involvement
in our firm’s problems and future development.
Specifying what is required is sometimes easy –
as in the case of an established brand name; or it
may be highly complicated – for example, when
asking a supplier to make a special device to
perform a function in a new design machine. But
whatever the circumstances, it is important for us
to know precisely what we want and to be sure
the supplier understands what is expected of him.
If, despite all our efforts, goods have subsequently
to be rejected, sound judgment is required in order
to preserve good relationships with the supplier,
protect the production line from stoppages,
ensure the supplier knows quickly what has gone
wrong in order to avoid defective production
continuing, and convince him that rejection is
justified.
The Purchase Department is in a powerful
position to handle controversial matters that may
arise, such as the possible payment by the
supplier for salvage operations which may avoid
the need for sending goods back to the
manufacturer when time is not available or the cost
of transport is greater than the cost of rework.
We try to minimise the possibility of rejections in
the first place by good selection of suppliers, by
ensuring statistics of individual supplier quality are
kept and, most important of all, by educating
suppliers, and motivating them to serve us well.
Before selecting a supplier, the particular skills
10
John Wilks (far right)
interviews a supplier’s
representative in the
Purchase Visitors Room.
Trainee Stuart Fox
(far left) watches for
points arising!
needed for the production of the item(s) required
must be appreciated. Choice of a supplier may be
prompted by the desire of a certain firm to do
business with us: it may be through
recommendations from a buyer in a neighbouring
concern or merely by reference to advertisements
or entries in a trade directory.
Whichever it is, the buyer has to ‘go and look them
over’ and in so doing enlist the help of as many
specialists as possible. Certainly Quality Control
must be involved.
Such a survey enables us to discover what plant
and equipment are available, what type of
inspection is utilised and who is running the show.
We have to ask ourselves: What is the organisation
like ? Is it a subsidiary of a group of companies?
Who are its major customers? How many are
employed and is much overtime being worked ?
Who is responsible for progressing customers’
orders and what system is being used ?
In addition, our alert buyer seizes the opportunity
to improve his own knowledge of the particular
processes and special know-how. A good survey
team usually gets a good reception but clearly
great tact must be shown. Good manners can
reap untold benefits in terms of breaking down
resistance to new ideas or criticism.
Once it has been decided to place an order, and
the supplier is charged with a specific
responsibility, further education as to the quality
specification, function and environment of the
item(s) may be necessary.
When you realise that machines such as ours
consisting of hundreds of different parts are
useless unless every screw and washer is right and
on time for incorporation in the correct assembly
sequence, you can appreciate why the buyer must
seek close co-operation and loyalty from all his
supply sources if he is to get any sleep at night !
Equally, he must always realise the possibility of
failure and be seeking a second string to his bow.
However, this aspect of his job is of a long-range
planning nature; constant skipping from one
source to another is like looking for the rainbow’s
end.
The experienced buyer knows that even the best
manufacturer will sometimes ‘come unstuck’ and it
is usually far better to work with a well-selected
supplier who is currently in trouble, and help him
out of his problems than to change horses in
mid-stream, or merely to hurl abuse at him.
In insisting on this patience from his colleagues
the purchasing man must be strongly convinced of
the rightness of this course. He will sometimes be
criticised for it – he may even be accused of
having shares in the supplier’s company !
The Purchase Department sometimes has problems
of law on its hands. Whenever a purchase order is
placed, a contract is entered into and sometimes
it is necessary for purchasing people to decide to
obtain the advice of the Company’s legal experts
as to whether or not they can extricate themselves
from a contract no longer advantageous, or whether
the Company is in danger of involving itself in
patent infringements.
The good purchasing man must be aware of legal
requirements so that he does not unknowingly
involve the Company in difficulties by
irresponsible action or ignorance of basic
commercial law.
From the foregoing it will be obvious that a
successful career in purchasing demands a high
calibre of person. As a company we are trying
increasingly to develop and train buying personnel
as well as encourage those already employed to
get the professional qualification which is
available to them through the Institute of
Purchasing and Supply.
The growing complexity of our business has called
for more sophistication in all our business
methods, the introduction of electronic data
processing, and so on.
But no system or machine is as vital to efficient
purchasing as those human values we listed
earlier – plus, perhaps, that undefinable quality
we call ‘instinct’.
II ID II I/ lb 41 ID I/ lb
Last February
Sir Alfred Owen, chairman
and joint managing
director of our supplier
Rubery, Owen & Co. Ltd.,
paid his first visit to our
Plant. The company
supply us with sheet metal
assemblies for the 3600
and the sorter from
their metal equipment
division which also makes
the well-known Leabank
range of office furniture.
Here Sir Alfred is being
shown the 3600 ‘B’ transport
assembly by Mr. Wickstead;
in the background is
Mr. L. R. Fairey, western
region general manager of
Rubery, Owen.
11
AVOID SESQUIPEDALITY!
The following bit of advice was sent to the editor
of the house magazine produced by Hargreaves
Group Ltd.; nothing personal was intended by the
writer – or by us in repeating it here
‘Promulgating your esoteric cogitations or
articulating your superficial sentimentalities and
amicable, philosophical, or psychological
observations, beware of platitudinous ponderosity.
‘Let your conversational communications
demonstrate a clarified conciseness, a compact
comprehensibleness, no coalescent conglomerations
Reconditioning Rapport
This extract from a letter to senior reconditioning
engineer Arthur Thomas from the Sydney
Remodelling Workshops of Rank Xerox Australia
illustrates the rapport that exists between them
and the Mitcheldean reconditioning engineers.
The Australian boys had been experiencing
difficulty in removing a pin from a 914 casting to
convert it for 720 remodelling. Now read on :
‘Dear Arthur, Thank you for your reply to my
telex requesting information regarding the removal
of 30-P-90075 pins. Unfortunately the methods
you suggested had already been attempted.
However, with added vigour and inspiration we
tried again. The results were slightly different to
of preciose garrulity, jejune bafflement and
asinine affectations. Let your extemporaneous
verbal evaporations and expatiations have lucidity,
intelligibility and veracious vivacity without
rodomontade or Thespian bombast. Sedulously
avoid all polysyllabic profundity, pompous
propensity, psittaceous vacuity, ventriloquial
verbosity and vaniloquent vapidity.
‘Shun double entendre, obnoxious jocosity and
pestiferous profanity, observable or apparent . . . .
in other words, say what you mean and don’t use
big words !’
those previously experienced : for example
Our 4 in. offset vice was broken.
I have wrenched my left arm and cannot change
gear in the car.
Our staffing policy has had to be altered to
permit only experienced weightlifters, wrestlers
and karate experts to be employed.
Our workers’ compensation insurance has been
increased to cover added injuries.
A new budget has been prepared to include
the cost of a new tractor or tool to assist in
removing the **** pins!’
An amusing cartoon pressing home their point accompanied the letter from the reconditioning lads
down under; here it is, redrawn for publication purxises by Ann Osley of Design.
12
LETTER
Works Superintendent Mr. R. E. Baker will present
25-year awards to the following at the 16th
annual dinner which takes place on May 9:
Mrs. May Stidder (Quality Control Inspection).
D. John Brain (Reliability Laboratory), Roy
Nicholls (Supervisor, Heat Treatment). Roy D.
Smith (Assembly No. 1 Shop), Les Wright (Sheet
Metal Shop).
Midsummer Outing
A trip for retired members to Monmouth,
Abergavenny and the Brecon Beacons is
planned for June 24 midsummer day.
Seeing Cilia
A coachload of some 50 members enjoyed an
outing to the Cilia Black show at Coventry on
April 26.
Retiring
Our best wishes for a long and happy retirement
go to Charles Baker (polisher) who has served
with the Company for some 20 years, and to
Leonard Beizsley (Machine Shop labourer) who
has been with us for over 14 years: they both
retire on May 29.
Open Evening
Some 250 people turned up for the Open Evening
organised for shop stewards and supervisors and
their families on April 11. Guests in parties of 14
toured the Plant, visiting the Press & Sheet Metal
Shop, Tool Room, Administration Building (seeing
the computer in operation), Reconditioning.
Spares Assembly and Machine Shop, Design, and
3600 Machining and Assembly where a 3600
machine was demonstrated. They then returned
to the Social Centre for refreshments, followed by
a social evening.
No, LSA chairman Henry Phillips has not joined
Security! He was appearing as a police sergeant
in the comedy ‘Don’t Utter a Note’ recently
performed by Longhope Amateur Dramatic Society
and to be staged at the Social Centre in May.
Also in the picture (centre) is Mrs. Ann Miller,
wife of our cartoonist ‘Max’ who was stage
manager. Proceeds will go to the Longhope
(Orkneys) lifeboat fund to which Longhope, Glos.,
has contributed for some years. Longhope in the
Orkneys was the scene of the recent lifeboat
tragedy and it is good to know we shall have an
opportunity of helping the charity at this
particular time.
Amid the mud is the ball which Ken Hobbs
(Autos) is passing to goalkeeper Dennis Williams
(Internal Transport) during the Frampton v.
Mitcheldean home match last winter. Rank
employees make up about half Mitcheldean FC’s
first eleven, who are captained by forklift truck
driver Graham Jones. The club’s past season was
marred by injuries, but they are hopeful of a
more successful season in 1969/70.
13
Putting IYOUlin the picture
New Arrivals
Andrew John, a son for John Bowkett (Transport)
and his wife Ruby who used to work in the
Warehouse, on January 9.
Jacqueline, a daughter for Ken Jones (Autos), on
February 26.
Michael Andrew. a son for Terence Morgan
(Maintenance), on March 4.
Sheryn, a daughter for Roger Roberts (Design
Engineering), on March 14.
Ian Mark, a son for John Bosley (Gloucester
Warehouse) and his wife Carole (formerly
Accounts), on March 19.
Colin John, a son for John Linley (Model Shop),
on March 23.
Ian Stuart, a son for Mrs. Vera Crawford (formerly
Personnel Services), on March 31.
Paul, a son for Keith Sainsbury (Tool Room) and
his wife Yvonne (formerly Supply Planning,) on
April 15.
Julian, a son for Keith Horrobin (Quality Control)
and his wife Diane (formerly secretary to
Mr. F. Court) on April 17.
21st Birthdays
Mrs. Penny Davies (Accounts) on March 8.
Barrie Lewis (Purchase) on March 20.
Miss Wendy Smith (Accounts) on March 22.
Engagements
Graham Lockwood (Model Shop) to Miss Cynthia
Morris on February 20.
Gordon Meek (Machine Shop) to Miss Georgina
Pearson on March 16.
Miss Diane Jones (Personnel Services) to
Robert Harris (Supply Planning) on Easter Sunday.
Silver Wedding
Congratulations to Fred Hopkinson (3600
Inspection) and his wife who celebrated their
25th wedding anniversary on June 17.
Weddings
Miss Rosemary Creed (formerly Spares Assembly)
to Brian Meredith (Spares Assembly) at Ross
Baptist Church on February 22.
Michael English (Works Laboratory) to Miss June
Maskill at Holy Trinity Church, Longlevens,
Gloucester, on March 15.
Mervyn Yemm (3600 Assembly) to Miss Maureen
Dare at St. Michael & All Angels Church,
Loddiswell, nr. Kingsbridge, Devon. on March 22.
Miss Christine Burford (Design Engineering
secretary) to Bob Meek at Ross Register Office on
March 29.
David Morris (Wages) to Miss Brenda Carpenter
on Easter Saturday at the Baptist Chapel.
Cinderford.
Miss Susan Ingram (Accounts) to Alan Hyett at
St. Michael’s Church, Mitcheldean, on April 19.
Also on April 19, Michael Wilkinson (Facilities
Planning) to Miss Marlene Tippins at Holy
Trinity Church, Drybrook.
Controlling Production?
A new girl employee, looking lost, approached
Stan Cherry (TED) and asked him: ‘Can you tell
me where the Family Planning is, please ?*
ANY NEWS FOR VISION?
If you have, then please
tell your departmental correspondent
leave it at the Gate House for collection by me
post it to me at Tree Tops, Plump Hill,
Mitcheldean or
ring me – it’s Drybrook 415
Myrtle Fowler, Editor
14
Left: Mr. and Mrs. R. Meek
Above: Mr. and Mrs. D. Moms
Right: Mr. and Mrs. T. Harris, whose
wedding was reported in our
last issue.
J. Ingram
J. Ingram R. Evans
2
\I”Pani
Retirements
Best wishes for a happy retirement to Walter M.
Herbert (storeman) who leaves us at the end of
May and to Mrs. Florence Mason (Reliability Test
Laboratory) who leaves at the end of June.
Mrs. Mason has been out of action for some time
as the result of leg injuries and we hope her
recovery will soon be complete.
(See also LSA Letter.)
Obituary
We regret to have to record the deaths of Eric L.
Bourne (Maintenance) on March 11 at the age
of 57, and of Harold Sterry (labourer,
Reconditioning) on March 31 at the age of 61.
ACROSS
1 A most undeliberate occurrence.
(8)
/ Black singer. (5)
8 Have a coffee? No grounds for
complaint if you trickle. (9)
9 I see eye to eye with the
chemists. (1, 1. 1)
10 Wild animals wouldn’t make me
live in one. (4)
11 Top tool man – does he also try
it out ? (6)
13 Unanimous about a voracious
appetite. (6)
14 A story continued at breakfast
time by the sound of it. (6)
17 Three for hip-hippy types. (6)
18 In many a Siamese land-mass. (4)
20 Girl’s first name – her second
name should be Brick. (3)
22 How to get well-oiled. (9)
23 Presses round the leg. (5)
24 Gave the news and went off
with a bang. (8)
DOWN
HOME MARKET
For Sale
M PP 2, x 31 in. enlarger with Wray Supar lens,
£17. Also Gamer Super 35mm enlarger with
colour drawer, £15. Contact : A. J. Palmer, Data
Processing. Tel. 194 int.
1960 Zephyr – taxed, MOT, excellent all-round
condition, many accessories, £125. Replies to:
V. B. Constable, Data Processing. Tel. 154 int.
One 5.50 x 12.G8 tyre (tubeless), almost new.
Please contact : C. Brennand (3600 Assembly).
Wanted
Small unfurnished flat, self-contained, preferably
in country area. Reply to : Miss J. Foley.
Tel. 430 int.
To Let
Holiday cottage in Snowdonia. Enquiries to:
M. Hartley (Maintenance). Tel. 123 or 234 int.
1 2 3 4
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1 Sounds like a me! It’s enough
to frighten anybody. (5)
By Paul Gregory
Solution p. 16
2 Vehicle for germs. (7) 13 Element of bloodless murder –
3 In Trinity Church I met it – with
uplifted disposition. (4)
or what Sweeny Todd gave his
customers? (7)
4 It can’t be further away. (6) 15 Answer immediate. (7)
5 A natural ability. and most of it
is in 10. (5)
16 A chance to make a quick
fortune. (7)
6 A perfect city – like London, for
example. (7)
17 Not entirely a bare-headed
cock. (5)
7 Lathe operator’s middles. (7) 19 Modify at noon. (5)
12 Shows a tasty little bull (or little
cow) inside. (7)
21 A farmer’s storage place for
mixed soil. (4)
15
Training within Industry
Two Training Within Industry courses, organised
by the Department of Employment Et Productivity,
have been held recently in the Training EI
Education Department.
The first, an office supervision course, took piaci.-
from February 17 to 21 and was attended by
supervisors V. Baxter, K. Burris, A. C. Cryer,
E. M. Lewis, B. Partridge, V. Pickles, K. J. Scrivens,
G. T. Trafford, P. Trollope and W. Warren.
The second course, which ran from March 10 to
14, was attended by some 20 chargehands and
supervisors and was designed to teach them the
POSTER COMPETITION
4 1-
The recent Procluctivai
Competition certainly produced a good output –
there were 42 entries from 26 entrants.
Bill Kibby, records clerk in Design, is seen (centre)
beside the poster which won him first prize of
£15. With him are (far left) spot-welder Brian
John who came second, and third prize-winner
Ernest Holmes of Quality Control (second from
right) otter being presented with their prizes by
Personnel Controller Mr. L. V. Lyes, chairman of
the Joint Productivity Working Party who acted as
judges.
All the winning posters, including those
submitted by consolation prize-winners Mrs. Ann
Osley and Keith Rea (both of Design), John
Hutchins (Supply Planning) and Royston Meek
(Tool Engineering), have been displayed
throughout the Plant and have proved eye-catching
and thought-provoking. Incidentally the
competition resulted from a suggestion put
forward by Mr. H. Berry, Industrial Distribution
Manager, and, Mr. Lyes told VISION, ‘We were
delighted with the response and with the interest
shown by people.’
16
Mr. Eric de Villiers, Technical Training Officer,
Rank Xerox South Africa, who was on a visit to
Mitcheldean at the time, looked in during the
office supervision course. Here he is seen talking
to Education & Training Manager Mr. Frank
Edwards.
techniques of job instruction, with particular
reference to the forthcoming module system of
craft apprentice training as recommended by the
Engineering Industries Training Board.
Incidentally, the six supervisors who have been
attending Bristol College of Commerce to study
for the diploma of the Institute of Office
Management will be sitting for their first year
examination at the Training Centre on June 4. 5
and 6. We wish the best of luck to R. Berks,
E. Evans, J. Perry, C. Phillips, Mrs. R. Phillips and
B. Prosser.
THANK YOU DONORS!
Sister Collins of First Aid would like us to pass on
her thanks to the 200 people who donated a pint
of blood at the recent donor session. This number
was somewhat down on the October figure,
possibly because end-of-winter ailments prevented
would-be donors from coming along. A better
response is hoped for at the autumn session.
CROSSWORD SOLUTION
ACROSS: 1 – Accident. 7 – Cilla. 8- Percolate.
9 – ICI. 10 – Lair. 11 – Tester. 13 – Agreed.
14 – Social. 17 – Cheers. 18 – Asia. 20 – Eva.
22 – Lubricate. 23 – Irons. 24 – Reported.
DOWN: 1 – Appal. 2 – Carrier. 3 – Doom.
4 – Nearer. 5 – Flair. 6 – Capital. 7 – Centres.
12 – Reveals. 13 – Arsenic. 15 – Instant.
16 – Treble. 17 – Capon. 19 – Amend. 21 – Silo.
