Return to 1970-1974

Vision 093

November 73 No. 93
THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITGHELDEAN
Surveying the ‘tank traps’, as the Terrapin building supports became known, are (left) Bill Phelps, Manager, Projects
Planning, of Works Engineering, and Peter Walker Engineering’s Assistant Manager. Planning Et Control.
NEW BUILDING GETS OFF THE GROUND
By the time this issue appears, the
temporary buildings in the central car
park, designed to relieve the
population pressure in Engineering,
will be taking shape.
It was felt that a larger building
would be more suitable than a
number of smaller ones;
consequently the supporting piers,
which are reinforced and range from
a f ew inches to some 6ft on the
sloping site, are higher and stronger
than would normally be the case.
Accommodating around 130 people,
the single-storey Terrapin building
will provide some 15,000 sq. ft. of
office space, divided by a central
corridor, w i t h toilets, thermostatically
controlled convector and radiant
heaters, and carpeting throughout.
The entrance will be opposite that of
Building 38.
If all goes according to schedule, the
offices will be completed and handed
over by early December. It is hoped
that the intended occupants will be
housed in their new location before
Christmas — and that the temporary
building will make working conditions
better for everyone concerned.
Mr M o r f e e , w h o t o o k up his
a p p o i n t m e n t as General Manager,
M i t c h e l d e a n Plant, on
November 1, j o i n e d t h e Plant j u st
over a year ago. He has been
w i t h Rank Xerox since 1966,
having held several senior
a p p o i n t m e n t s , f i r s t as
Consumables Planning Manager
and later w i t h t h e Management
Services Group, b e f o r e m o v i ng
in 1968 t o our W e l w y n Plant as
P r o d u c t i o n Manager. His most
recent a p p o i n t m e n t t h e r e w as
t h a t of W o r k s Manager.
M a r r i e d , w i t h t h r e e c h i l d r e n —
t w o g i r l s aged 14 a n d 12 a n d a
5 – y e a r – o l d boy — he n o w l i v e s in
Cheltenham. He l i s t s his
l e i s u r e – t i m e i n t e r e s t s as f l y i ng
(he served in t h e RAF as a p i l o t)
and bridge.
VISION TALKS TO
RON MORFEE
V i s i o n : How do you feel on taking
over the pilot’s seat at Mitcheldean ?
Ron M o r f e e : My feet haven’t
touched the ground y e t ! The task
ahead is a formidable one, especially
in view of the seemingly supersonic
rate of change we have to take as
normal these days, and I am very
conscious of the fact that I have
no chance of succeeding unless I
have other people’s co-operation.
There are, of course, t w o kinds of
pilot — one kind flies aircraft and
the other directs the course of a big
ship. This job has something in
common w i t h both.
Like the aircraft pilot, if you don’t
do the right thing at the right time,
a lot of people get hurt, including
the pilot I At the same time, if you
are piloting a big ship and it has to
turn, then because the ship is so big
and has gained so much momentum,
it is a long time before you see the
effect.
V : ,4s General Manager, you face
more pressures than most. In what
areas do you consider the pressures
are greatest ?
RiVI: A factory exists only to
produce, and if it does not produce
what is required when it is required,
for whatever reason, then that is not
a good thing for anybody whose
livelihood depends on it.
Even at general management level,
one is involved w i t h the problems of
getting the right parts to the right
place at the right time; and this has
a direct effect on the people on the
shop floor. A great deal of time too
is taken up w i t h industrial relations
issues.
V : Bad communications are often
blamed for misunderstandings in
industry. Do you feel our
communications system, of which
VISION is a part, is effective ?
R M : It is not easy to get
understanding from large numbers
of people at various levels.
Personally, I don’t see life in industry
as a battleground between one
group called Management and
another group called Employees.
I believe that the needs of the
Company and its workers overlap to
a great extent. I feel we should try
to concentrate, in our negotiations
and discussions, on those things
that are of benefit to both — stable
employment, opportunities for growth
and development, and so o n ; if we
can enlarge this common ground,
then we can cope better in the areas
where our interests are not identical.
When there are issues that seem to
separate us, the constructive thing
to do is to see first of all if we can
agree round the table what our
problems are, then see if we can
agree an objective that we both
endorse. What are the obstacles
that are stopping us? What can
each side do about it? This way
I’m sure we can achieve results to
suit us all.
V : Do you think it possible, or even
desirable, to try to retain the ‘family
feeling’ which has long been a
feature of Mitcheldean Plant ?
R M : Much as we may try to retain
the ‘family feeling’, it would be
unrealistic to expect it to remain so
strong in an ever-growing
organisation such as ours. What is
important is that it should be
backed up by a consistent approach
throughout the Company to how
we regard and treat people.
Every manager and supervisor has
to share some of this responsibility.
However hard it is under day-to-day
pressures, there should be a
consistent approach to our dealings
w i t h each other at all levels so that
people can see, can really believe,
they work for a company that cares
about people.
What we have to build up is the
mutual trust and respect that enables
a family to overcome occasional
differences of opinion within it. I
shall do my best in this d i r e c t o i n—
I hope most people at Mitcheldean
feel the same way.
2
MATERIAL CONTROL
MEN
Earlier this year Mike Hill was
appointed to the Manufacturing Group
Management Committee. Mr Hill’s
job as Manager, Material Control,
Manufacturing Group, covers the
management of Purchasing and
Production Control activities at our
manufacturing plants in this country
and in Europe.
Terry Quartermaine, formerly
Production Control Manager for
Mitcheldean Plant, has been
appointed Manager Material Control
for the Lille Plant. He will report
directly to the General Manager,
SIRX, and takes up his appointment
early in the New Year.
Build-up for 1974
November marks the beginning
of a new year as far as Rank
Xerox is concerned.
The Company year runs from
November 1 to October 31 for
various business and financial
reasons — and 1974 will be one
of the most interesting, stimulating
and challenging years which the
Manufacturing Group has faced.
It will see our new plants at
Madrid in Spain, and at Lille in
France, come on-stream. The
factory buildings are coming on
w e l l ; the steelwork is being
erected at Lille and the bricklayers
are hard at work in Madrid. Work
will also get under way on the
new factory at Aachen, Germany.
Although these plants are not yet
ready, recruitment of people to
staff them has commenced
because, if the rate of growth and
development of our Manufacturing
activity is to be sustained, the
new plants will have to reach
maturity extremely quickly and
this means a rapid start.
The launch of the new plants will
make heavy demands on
Manufacturing Group management
and technical resources. We have
already announced that Peter
Salmon has joined Don Shryane,
Director of Manufacturing
Planning, as Manager, Industrial
Engineering, and that Ron Morfee
has taken over as General
Manager of Mitcheldean.
Norman Fisher, who has been
one of the Manufacturing
Programme Managers, will be
helping Mr Morfee as Assistant
General Manager.
We have added muscle to the
team by putting Production
Engineering, Quality Assurance
and Productivity Services under
one manager. Jack Tester, who
becomes Manager, Manufacturing
Engineering.
The market-place is demanding
increasing numbers of the 4000
copier; if we are to ensure the
continuing success of the
Company — and therefore of the
Plant — it is important that these
demands are met on a timely and
efficient basis. The 4000 is
regarded as being an outstanding
product and represents a major
technical advance over its
predecessors.
The future stability of our
employment and prospects here
turns very largely on meeting the
needs of our customers with the
right product at the right time.
If we do not meet the demands
of the market-place for more
copying capacity, others w i l l.
Director,
IVIanufacturing Group
Stan Pratt – Leading Engineer
When Stan Pratt closed his
Mitcheldean office last month, it
marked the end of an era in Rank
Xerox Engineering which shaped
the destiny of Rank Xerox.
This era began early in 1955 when
Stan Pratt and the late Tom Law,
then Managing Director, went to the
Haloid Corporation in the United
States to study a process invented
by Chester Carlsen for an automatic
photographic copying machine;
they had the wisdom and the
foresight to persuade John Davis
and his Board to take on the
commercial application of this
process, despite the fact that many
well-known companies had already
turned this invention down.
And so was born at Mitcheldean, in
amongst the camera and projector
production, the copying machine
business which, after a short while.
displaced the cameras and grew to
the spectacular success we know
today.
Stan Pratt played no small part in
this success. He has been w i t h the
Organisation for over 40 years,
starting as a Design Engineer with
British Acoustic Films and rising to
his present position of Director of
Engineering for Rank Xerox Ltd.
One door closes and another opens —
and so starts a new chapter in the
Rank Xerox Engineering story. Now
an integral part of Xerox Engineering,
we are growing faster than ever
before at many locations, and in
Europe greater opportunities and
challenges await us. Stan Pratt
moves to Rank Xerox House in
London as a senior and wellrespected
member of the Engineering
Group staff, guiding us into the
future.
MORE NEW APPOINTMENTS
Norman Fisher, formerly one of the
Manufacturing Group team of
Programme Managers, took up on
November 1 his appointment as
Assistant General Manager,
Mitcheldean Plant, w i t h responsibility
for Production Control, Purchasing
and New Product Control.
Jack Tester, Chief Production
Engineer, Mitcheldean, has been
promoted to the new position of
Manager, Manufacturing Engineering,
and will be responsible for
Production Engineering, Productivity
Services and Quality Assurance.
Antony Fleury has succeeded
Mr Quartermaine as Production
Control Manager, Mitcheldean, as
from October 29. Mr Fleury has been
employed by I.T.T. Creed Ltd as
Materials Manager for the past three
years, and was Head of Management
Services with the same company for
the previous five years.
Michael Crow has been appointed
Manager, Parts Manufacturing
(Production Control); he was
previously employed at Automotive
Production Warwickshire, in the
capacity of Production Control
Manager. Mr Crow took up his n ew
appointment on October 1, replacing
Maurice Brain who will be
transferring to another appointment.
Nigel Percival, appointed Manager,
Planning & Control, Engineering,
Mitcheldean, joined us on November
5. Mr Percival has been w i t h the
same employer — successively
Elliott Automation, English Electric
and GEC — since 1953. He has
held various positions, his most
recent being that of Engineering
Manager (Equipment Et Products).
FW RETURNS TO
RANK XEROX
Fred Wickstead has returned to
Rank Xerox as Chief Staff Officer
after spending t w o years as
Vice-President, Manufacturing and
Logistics, of Xerox Corporation in the
United States. His new responsibilities
cover the functions of Planning,
Information and Control, Central
Strategy, Marketing Services,
Personnel, Supply and Finance.
Before going to America in 1971,
Mr Wickstead was Director of the
Production and Supply Operations
Division of Rank Xerox, based at
Mitcheldean. He was appointed to
the Board in 1970.
SOLAR SEMINAR
The training programme launched in
connection w i t h the implementation
of the SOLAR system, to be
introduced at Mitcheidean in 1974, is
progressing satisfactorily.
Appreciation sessions for middle
management have now taken place
and it is estimated that, by t he end of
October, some 220 additional people
in Information Systems and user
departments had heard updated
versions of the SOLAR conference
held at Oxford in May this year.
On October 25 and 26 a seminar was
held at the Wye Hotel, Ross, when
Manufacturing Group Management
Committee and other senior
management from Mitcheldean,
Venray and Welwyn heard
G. W. PlossI, a consultant, talk about
Material Requirements Planning.
Mr PlossI is a respected member of
the Production and Inventory
Control profession; he has lectured
extensively in t he USA and Europe,
and is the author of several books on
the subject.
Robert Pippitt, Managing Director and
Chief Operations Executive of Ranl< Xerox
Ltd, chatting with Reg Powell on 4000
main line assembly when he visited the
Plant recently.
Words are
Barbara’s
work
Communication between people speaking English is tricky enough — translating from
another language into ours holds even more hazards. Barbara has built up a
library of reference books to help her in her task.
‘Just how many languages do you
know?’ we asked Barbara Snell,
translator attached to Group
Information Office.
‘German, Spanish and French — in
that order,’ she replied promptly.
‘Then Portuguese and Italian. Since
I joined Rank Xerox I’ve started
learning Dutch and I’ll be spending
a week at Venray this month
hammering it in. Oh, and I’m
studying Russian too.’
‘What about Japanese?’ We were
joking, of course.
‘Well, I did study it for t w o years,’
came the unexpected answer, ‘but
it would need at least another four
years’ hard work to bring it up to
a useful level.’
It seems that, once you’ve got over
the first t w o or three, the next 20
or 30 come more easily. You acquire
a facility for languages, says Barbara,
flatly denying there’s anything clever
about it.
She acquired her facility the hard
way, at school and evening classes,
later improving on the languages by
living and working abroad.
A member of the institute of
Linguistics, she took German for her
qualifying examination with
mechanical engineering as a
speciality. And today she finds the
contacts provided by the Institute
very useful; as Barbara pointed out,
it isn’t all that easy on your own to
find, say, a Russian national who is
an electrical engineer and who lives
this side of England !
Barbara joined us about a year ago,
at a time when the French project at
Lille was emerging, to handle the
foreign language material coming in.
Prior to that, she spent four years
‘going round the world.’
In the Argentine she appeared on
television, teaching English while
improving her own command of
Spanish. Her t w o years there
convinced her that, if one is to
appreciate fully the differences
between countries other than just
the language, there is nothing to
compare w i t h total immersion in
the life of those countries.
Switzerland proved a useful
classroom, offering her practice in
German, French and Italian. In the
German-speaking part, she worked
in the office of a station restaurant,
typing out menus, correspondence,
etc. (‘No English at all — in fact, I
nearly lost my English altogether.’)
Barbara loves riding; while in the
French-speaking part of Switzerland
she managed to combine work and
pleasure by looking after show
jumpers, and later, in Austria, she
led pony treks in the Alps.
Her last j ob was w i t h a Belgian
mining company in Sydney,
Australia, using French again.
We asked Barbara whether she
preferred translating to interpreting.
‘They’re t w o different skills,’ she
pointed out. ‘To be an interpreter
you need to be completely bi-lingual.
I don’t feel you can interpret
successfully in more than t wo
languages.
‘For translation you must know your
mother tongue very well, and as
many other languages as possible.
I like being a t r a n s l a t o r — I think it
suits my mentality better. When
interpreting you usually have to
work under pressure, but I don’t
mind doing it in a social way,
chatting to foreign visitors and that
sort of thing.’
Barbara is no purist. ‘ I ‘m interested
in how people speak rather than
in what way they should speak.
After all, language is a living thing.
And I’m all for one’s knowledge of a
language being of the practical sort.’
Apart from letters, Barbara’s services
are called upon in connection with
telex messages, invoices and other
types of documentation, not to
mention a host of enquiries. These
have varied from clarifying the
address on a letter from foreign
parts, to explaining to a confused
Greek lady over the ‘phone that
Mitcheldean was not really the
hospital she was trying to contact!
At present, however, the bulk of her
work is concerned w i t h the new
plants, and with technical
specifications and standards.
Barbara has friends of all nationalities,
and last Christmas counted cards
f r om no less than 20 different
countries.
We wondered whether her
wanderings about the globe had
left her w i t h a permanent
Wanderlust.
‘No,’ said Barbara. ‘Gloucestershire
is my home and I’m going to
explore England for a change. I feel
the grass isn’t greener anywhere
else.’
5
One tends to think of Brazil as a vast
jungle/forest, all Amazon and
agriculture. But a Brazilian industrial
boom is now gathering momentum;
motorways are cutting through the
jungle, foreign investors are becoming
interested, mineral contracts are
being negotiated, and plants for the
manufacture of a host of
commodities, including Xerox
machines, are being set up by large
international concerns.
About a year ago, our own Don
Presdee went out to assist the
Brazilian offshoot of Xerox
Corporation to set up an assembly
plant at Resende, 112 miles from
skyscrapered Rio de Janeiro.
Approximately the same size as
Goods Inwards Building 32, the
plant has now produced and installed
its first 660 machines with good
acceptability, Don reports.
Initially the parts were provided by
Xerox; however, import duties being
very high, these are being increasingly
replaced by components made in
Brazil, and on May 12, Tommy
Knight jnr, mechanical chargehand
in Goods Inwards Inspection at
Mitcheldean, f l ew out to join Don and
set up a goods inwards inspection
function.
Brazil wasn’t quite what Tommy was
expecting. Instead of the normal hot,
dry ‘winter’ weather, it was wet and
w i n d y ; instead of dark, Latin-type
people, he found himself living among
blond Scandinavians.
Not once during his four months
there did he catch sight of a snake,
and ‘the nearest I got to seeing an
alligator was when Don was
presented with a stuffed one.’
The Brazilians speak Portuguese.
Don took a crash course in the
language before he went out, but
Tommy had no such preparation so
we wondered how he had got along.
‘We managed pretty well,’ he said.
‘Technical terms presented no
problems and we taught each other
our native tongues. They’re a nice
bunch of people at Resende — very
friendly.
‘The main problem out there is getting
sufficiently skilled engineering staff.
Labour has to be drawn from Rio and
even Sao Paulo 185 miles away;
some of the workers stay in Resende
and go home for weekends.’
IT’S HOI
INBI
Tommy stayed where Don lodges, in
the lovely home of an Austrian,
Roberto Aichinger, and his wife, at
Penedo, about three miles from
Resende; Mr Aichinger is
Administration Manager at the Plant.
Reached down a dirt track (dust bath
in dry weather, mud bath in wet),
Penedo is about 2,000 ft up and
therefore reasonably cool. It’s a
retreat for city dwellers, well laid out
w i t h beautiful homesteads.
What about those Scandinavians?
we asked. Tommy explained the
mystery: Penedo is really a Finnish
colony — the Finns went out there to
start up market gardening some 70
years ago.
No self-respecting Finn would exist
without a sauna, and today people
come from miles around to exchange
the humid heat of the climate for the
F r om t h e l e f t:
Don Presdee with his wife, Jean, and two
children, pictured before they went out to
Brazil last year. Mrs Presdee and the children
found the heat too great for them and had
to return; Don expects to be at Resende
until next spring.
Tommy Knight, mechanical chargehand
in Goods Inwards Inspection.
All lit up — a night shot of the plant at
Resende.
A high-riser— not of flats though. It’s the
water tower at the plant, forming an
attractive architectural feature of the
building.
6
TING UP
AZIL
dry heat of the commercial saunas of
Penedo.
The change in the seasons is marked
chiefly by the absence or otherwise
of rain. Winter temperatures are
around 80°F.; in the summer, or
rainy, season which Tommy told us
was now arriving over there, these
soar to 120°F. and in certain parts the
rain buckets down so punctually at
about 4 pm you can almost set your
watch by it.
Tommy and Don spent their days
getting ‘soaked in Xerox’. At
Resende work starts at 8 am and
finishes at 5.35 pm. ‘Then we’d go
home to Penedo, sip our gin, tonic
and Campari, eat our dinner and
talk — about Xerox.
‘1 enjoyed the food. Beans and rice
was a typical dish, and we had lots
of meat. Bananas too : I never
realised that they came in more than
The Resende plant of Industrias Xerograficas
SI A. The headquarters are in Rio de
Janeiro, 112 miles away, where a vast
neon sign on the skyline helps to keep
Xerox on top.
one variety,’ said Tommy.
Occasionally they went into Rio.
It’s a beautiful city, spread along the
sea front and towered over by hills
and t w o mountains — the Sugar
Loaf, and the famous Corcovado,
topped by a 130ft high figure of
Christ.
Brazilians and football are
synonymous, and Tommy recalls one
game he watched in Rio’s
Maracana soccer stadium, the biggest
in the world, featuring some of the
players in the Brazil team.
Tommy’s own game is cricket. As
wicket-keeper, he plays for Berry Hill
in the Gloucester League, and for
Mitcheldean C.C. on Sundays.
What, we asked him, did he miss
most, apart from his wife Pam and his
t w o boys ? ‘The cricket season,’ he
replied !
FAMILY FOOTNOTE
The Knights have the distinction
of being the only family in our
Long Service Association.
Tommy Knight senr is a
foreman in the Machine Shop
and has been with us for 33
years. He has been off work
for some time, but we’re glad
to know his broken leg is
gradually mending.
His wife Winnie, who works in
Engineering Records, has
17 years’ service to her credit.
Their son. Tommy, came to us
straight from school, and his
sister Brenda, whom many will
remember, used to work in the
Export Sales Department in
the Bell Et Howell days.
The contestants of the RX Resident l^ixed Doubles Tournament in Webster N.Y.—
(from the left) David Willday, Bob Ford, John Smith and Martin Fenn-Smith.
For reasons of security it was not disclosed who of the pairs was playing as the lady!
RESIDENT TENNIS
The Rank Xerox Resident Tennis
Tournament held in Webster, N.Y.,
may not have outshone the
King-Riggs match for publicity, but
certainly most of the matches were
more exciting.
The Tournament was organized on a
doubles basis, partners being drawn
from a hat. The organisers ensured,
however, that this would not be
another victory for Women’s Lib by
fiddling with the draw to ensure that
no t w o girls played together.
The winners were David Willday
(Corporate Mfg.) and J o h n Smith
(FED) who defeated, on their
way, the strong Anglo-Dutch
combination of Peter Gordon (PED)
and Hans Van Nuenen (Venray),
John Dennis and Susan Mayall
(Design), Robin Berks (Prod. Control)
and Carol Sproson (Uxbridge); then
finally, in t he three-legged final, beat
both John Mayall (Design) and
Barbara Hanley (London), and
Martin Fenn-Smith (Prod. Control)
and Bob Ford (Design).
Possibly the best match of all was the
John Mayall and Barbara Hanley
clash against another Anglo-Dutch
combination — t h a t of J o h n George
(PED) and Bart Van Gils — which
went to three sets, and couldn’t be
finished in one evening, but had to be
continued at 8.30 am the next
morning, such was the enthusiam I
D i s c o v e r d i v e r s i o n s o n t h e w o r k s c e ne
An article in the magazine ‘International
Management’ discussed present-day
j ob pressures and suggested ways of
coping with them. This is h ow our
cartoonist interpreted one suggestion.
LETTER
‘One of the best we’ve ever had,’
was the verdict on the LSA social
held on November 3 in t he Social
Centre; the same went for t he buffet !
The association was particularly glad
to welcome Pat O’Hare and his w i fe
among the guests.
Chairman Henry Phillips has had a
letter from Wally Vaughan w ho
now lives in Brighton. He writes:
‘My niece is an excellent cook and
my j ob is to keep my waistline down I’
Wally says he is always interested in
VISION and t he progress of ‘the old
firm’, and sends his best wishes to
everyone.
We are sorry to record that Emily
Marshall and Ted Wenderlish are
on the sick list and we send them
our best wishes for their recovery.
Looking towards 1974 — the
association will be welcoming 38
new members during the year.
AUTOSPRECHEN
Some time ago a notice, referring to
the establishment of new Rank Xerox
plants in Europe, invited people w ho
might like to be considered for
assignments abroad to come forward,
stating the country or location of
particular interest to them, and their
knowledge of t he language spoken.
It occurred to us that the following
list of useful motoring phrases might
help to widen the knowledge of those
interested in opportunities in
German-speaking countries:
Exhaust pipe: Das Spitzenpoppen
Bangentuben.
Speedometer: Der Egobooster und
Lineschootinbackeruppen.
Air horns: Der Vhatderhellvosdat
Klaxenfanfaren.
Puncture: Das Phlatt mit Dammundblasten.
Learner driver: Dumkopf Elplatt.
Estate car: Der Schnogginwagon mit
Bagzerroomfurrompin inderback.
Petrol: Das Koslijooze fur
Geddinsegreezeoffendentrousen.
Motor club: Der Mettighaus fur
wagennatterin elbowraisen und
Chaddenupziebirds.
Parking meter: Das Tannerpinscher
Blockenwerks.
Windscreen wipers: Das Flippenfloppen
Muckschpredunsticken.
Roundabout: Das Eeoohezitatsisschlost.
With acknowledgment to ‘Rotary’magazine
8
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So m a n y p e o p l e a t t h e P l a n t
t h e s e d a y s y o u n e v e r g e t t o
k n o w t h e m ? W e a i m t o h e l p by
i n t r o d u c i n g a f e w o n t h i s page
e v e r y issue.
There are tensions attached to most
jobs, but J o e B e a r d finds that being
a bool Weld doesn’t start the adrenalin
flowing quite like his former
occupation. Before he came to us
13 years ago he was deputy
(foreman) at Cannop, and he often
exchanges a bit of ‘pit slang’ w i th
other ex-miners working at
Mitcheldean. As captain of the
miners’ rescue team for 13 years, he
took them to South Wales and every
pit in the Forest whenever an
emergency arose. ‘My proudest
possession is a certificate authorising
me to administer morphia,’ he t o ld us.
Along with this and his St John
Ambulance Brigade awards he has
now added a long service medal,
recently awarded him by t he police
force in recognition of the ten years
he has been a ‘special’. Operating
from Berry Hill station, Joe spent
many of his non-working hours last
summer on traffic duty at Symonds
Yat. His son, too, is a policeman —
but in the regular force.
Joe’s wife has been suffering
ill-health for some time, and his
experience in caring for people has
proved a blessing.
Though Joe can’t match the record
set by the Matthews family featured
in our October issue, he has t w o
brothers, a sister, t w o sisters-in-law,
a son-in-law, and t w o nieces all
working at the Plant.
They’re sisters and they both work in
Engineering — but there the likeness
seems to end. Twenty-four-year-old
B e r n i c e T i n t o n (on t he left) likes a
challenge; a programme planner, she
was one of the first girls from
Mitcheldean to go on a Sail Training
Association cruise in 1970. Then in
1972 she hit t he headlines of The Sun
when, as women’s representative for
TASS, she (and we quote) ‘lashed
the TUC Congress w i t h her tongue
and demanded : Give women a
break I’
Her sister Sally, a year younger, is a
tracer; if she looks over her drawingboard,
she can catch sight of her
husband, Terry, a leading
draughtsman and former apprentice.
Sally likes the variety in her j ob —
doing artwork on drawings,
stencilling, scaling, or operating the
Varitype machine which types notes
on engineering drawings. She finds
that doing a f u l l – t i me j ob and running
a home leave little time for hobbies.
But she likes to go along and watch
Terry when he takes part in motor
racing hill climbing.
J e f f S l e e m a n , import supervisor for
the Plant, travels the world
without leaving his desk. While
coping with the specialised
documentation through from
suppliers to international forwarders
and clearing agents based at air and
sea ports, he and his section have
contact w i t h many countries.
Queries w i t h regard to the most
economical and effective methods of
routing our imports involve
communication with people and
places as far apart as Tokyo and
New York. ‘ I ‘m always dreaming of
far-away places,’ he laughs, surveying
the map of the w o r ld behind his
desk.
He’s done a fair bit of actual
travelling — in the East when serving
w i t h the 14th Army in Burma, and
in the West visiting his relatives
over in the USA. Last year he had
a holiday in California taking in
San Francisco, Hollywood and
fantastic Disneyland.
Jeff has been w i t h us for 23 years;
he started as an assembly worker
and has spent the last 1 5 years in
Purchase.
As for hobbies, he likes swimming
and horse-riding, but most of his
leisure time is given up these days
to being a do-it-yourself enthusiast.
A keen gardener, he specialises in
roses. ‘I like the variety Peace above
all others — I t h i nk it’s t he best of
the bunch.’
l a c e meeting p l a c e meeting p l a c e meeting p l a c e meeting p l a c e mee
9
SP®RTS & S&CIAL CLUB
C h i l d r e n ‘ s P a r t i es
Not another form to fill in ? Yes,
but this one’s easy so get it
completed and post it as soon as you
can — not later than November 30
anyway — in an internal mailbox.
It needs no address or envelope.
Twin parties for employees’ children
are to be held in t he Social Centre
as usual — January 19 for those
aged from five to seven, February 16
for the eight to ten-year-olds. All
the usual fun and games.
Change in V a r i e ty
Owing to heavy commitments,
John Earl has had to resign
chairmanship of the Variety Club.
The only founder member still with
the club, John is nevertheless
remaining an active member of the
committee.
The Supply Centre now supplies
three of the officers — Ken
Farmborough, who is taking over
John’s duties as chairman, Denise
Cooper who is n ow vice-chairman,
and Jean Cox, treasurer. Secretary
is Daisy Bullock, assisted by Denise.
Jack Benbow continues as musical
director.
Plans at present are to put on a
show at Mitcheldean in the spring.
The G o l f i n g Round
The Golf Society A GM was held on
October 18 and was better attended
than the previous ones. The
committee was re-elected w i t h a
f ew additions to cover more areas
in the Plant, and lengthy discussions
took place on the future activities of
the society, but no f i rm decisions
were reached.
Both the Lilleybrook and Filton
outings held some time earlier were
enjoyed by all w h o attended; but
at both meetings plans for t he day
had to be modified, owing to the
non-appearance of people w h o had
put their names down to come but
failed to turn up.
Discussions have been taking place
at Monmouth Golf Club over the
past f ew months to extend the
course to a full 18 holes and to
improve the facilities. An interesting
proposition — but by h ow much will
the subscription rise?
Congratulations must go to Bill Meek
who won the Round Robin
Competition at his first attempt.
The final was played at Lilleybrook
between Bill and Terry Buffry over
36 holes, both having played
extremely well to get to this
decisive stage. Pat D u l s on
F i l m s f o r F l o w e r People
The Cine & Photo Club were asked
to provide the entertainment when
the Forest of Dean Flower Club held
their annual dinner at the King’s
Head, Monmouth, recently. A
showing of three films, including one
on the Forest of Dean, plus some
mood music with ambient sound —
four speakers in harmony — added
greatly to t he success of the evening.
November meetings in t he Club
House feature ‘Underwater
Photography’ by J o h n Barratt, and
‘Nature Study’, a new look at life
around us, by Barrie Lewis — both
illustrated by colour slides.
The T o u r n a m e n ts
The final of the Interdepartmental
Football Tournament should take
place about the end of November.
The Skittles/Darts Tournament is
now under way, w i t h a record
78 teams for men and eight teams
for women.
• Which Machine Shop setter, while
visiting a friend in hospital, used the
toilet and pulled the emergency bell
instead of the chain, thus summoning
a nurse plus wheelchair to his aid ?
The office refreshment area was crowded
with well-wishers when Len Sumner, a
draughtsman I checker in Engineering
Drawing Office, retired last September.
And Len did not disappoint them — he
gave a great performance featuring a red
telephone! A real character, he will be
missed by many, not least by the apprentices
whom he was always ready to help.
Len worked for 51 years in engineering,
mostly in the aircraft industry. He was first
honorary secretary of the Gloucestershire
Society for the fi/lentally Handicapped, and
he and his wife were instrumental in
helping to set up many of the sheltered
workshops now existing throughout the
county.
From the Engineering block as a whole he
received a portable radio, presented by
John Brain. Later, he received, on behalf
of Bristol’s Farleigh Hospital for Sub-normal
Children, a 6ft x 4ft painting by Eric Weeks
of the Drawing Office. Showing a hippo
having a shower, it will help to brighten
the hospital, and the lives of the patients.
Proceeds from a Hallowe’en fancy dress
party in Clearwell Caves, organised by
Engineering colleagues of Len’s. helped to
meet the cost of the painting. Our Miss
Rank Xerox. Estelle Davies. presented fancy
dress prizes to Maureen Davies (Central
Records) and John Robinson (PED).
A RADIO, AND A HIPPO, FOR LEN
10
NOVEMBER 23
RAY ELLINGTON
AND HIS BIG BAND
AND SINGERS
SUPPORTED BY
THE HI-LIFE
SHOWBAND
JANUARY 26, 1974
SHAG CONNERS
AND THE
CARROT CRUNCHERS
SUPPORTED BY
GOOD GOODS
SHOWBAND
FEBRUARY 23
CHICO ARNEZ
AND HIS
NEW SOUND
SUPPORTED BY
THE HI-LIFE
SHOWBAND
MARCH 23
TERRY LIGHTFOOT
AND HIS BAND
SUPPORTED BY
PENDULUM
ALL TAKE PLACE
IN THE SOCIAL CENTRE
WATCH THE
NOTICEBOARDS
FOR DETAILS
NEARER THE DATES
mmm
Engagements
Rosemary Davies (trainee secretary) to
Paul Sologub on October 6.
Kay Thomas (trainee secretary) to Richard
Baker (apprentice) on November 1.
B i r t hs
Kerry Marie, a daughter for Linda Wood
(formerly Finance & Admin.) and Richard
Wood (4000 Assembly) on September 11.
Paul Vincent, a son for Bernard Morris,
Personnel Compensation Officer, and his
wife Janet, on September 14.
Andrew lain, a son for Pat Dulson (PED)
and his wife Grace, on September 2 1 .
W e d d i n g s
Barrie Morse (Finance & Admin.) to
Kay Findley at Ellwood Methodist Church
on August 25.
Sheila Jones (Finance & Admin.) to
Kenneth Creed at Mount of Olives Church,
Coleford, on September 22.
Alma Ellway (Materials Handling Office) to
Ray Lawrence at St John’s Church,
Ruardean, on September 22.
Anthony Marshall (Machine Shop) to
Barbara Yemm at Walford Church on
September 29.
Jenny Ebert (secretary to Dr G. Thompson)
to Adrian Powell at St Mary’s Church,
Ross-on-Wye, on September 29.
Anne Williams (secretary to Mr. J . Tester)
to Chris Boyd at St. Michael’s Church,
Blaisdon Hall, on September 29.
Christine Griffiths (Finance & Admin.) to
Malcolm Clarke at St Michael’s &• All
Angels Church, Mitcheldean, on October 6.
Jane Board (Finance & Admin.) to
Brian Price at St Michael’s and All Angels
Church, Blaisdon, on October 20.
Christine Sterry (Engineering Records) to
Rodney Pensom (Internal Transport) at
Huntley Church on October 20.
R e t i r e m e n ts
Best wishes to the following who retired in
October: Tom Jayne (4000 Assy inspection);
Bill Smith (chargehand. Supply Centre
stores).
Anthony and Barbara Marshall j. Ingram
Ray and Alma Lawrence J- Ingram
Rodney and Christine Pensom
Dean Forest Studios
Chris and Anne Boyd
11
ROTARY
AWARD
FOR ROYSTON
The Rotary Club of the Forest of Dean
decided last year that it should recognise,
in some way, young people in its area who
had exemplified, by their qualities of
citizenship, service to others, dependability
and leadership, the basic tenet of Rotary —
to serve and to foster and encourage
service. Schools and youth clubs in the
area were asked to nominate candidates
and a committee of Rotarians made the
adjudication. One of the three successful
nominees was Royston Jones, then deputy
head boy of Berry Hill Secondary School,
and now one of our apprentices. Sixteen-
Dean Forest Studios
year-old Royston recently received his
award — a framed certificate listing the
qualities mentioned — from Rotarian
K. Perkins, immediate past-president of the
club (it was not possible for the ceremony
to take place during his term of office).
mm m
Here’s our list of departmental Christmas dinner/dances at the time of going to press:
Date Department Place Tickets f r om
Dec.
8
14
14
19
20
21
21
22
J a n .
4
5
5
Cinderford Plant
Finishing
Information Systems
Manufacturing
Group Staff
PED
Production Control
Small Batch
Administration (Accounts,
Purchase, Personnel)
Supply Centre
9900 Department
4000 Department
11 Machine Shop
12 Remodelling
Chase Hotel, Ross-on-Wye
Social Centre
Wye Hotel,
Weston – under-Penyard
Wye Hotel.
Weston-under-Penyard
Paddocks Hotel. Symonds Yat
Wye Hotel.
Weston-under-Penyard
Beaufort Hotel. Tintern
Chase Hotel, Ross-on-Wye
Mrs R. Meredith
(Auto Plating)
Information Systems
personnel & guests
only
Wye Hotel,
Weston-under-Penyard
Bowden Hall Hotel,
Upton St. Leonards
Social Centre
Park Hall Ballroom,
Wormelow
Paddocks Hotel,
Symonds Yat
R. Meek, K. Morgan
G. Trafford
(Assembly shop
loading, BIdg 29)
Small Batch personnel
Et guests only
Mrs M. Watkins
(Purchase). Mrs K.
Allen (Personnel),
A. Matthews
(Accounts), M. Keen
(Wages)
Mrs S. Gale.
G. Cooke
R. Powell. Assembly
Manager
Mrs W. Morgan.
Mrs P. Grindle,
Mrs G. Davis
Mrs M. Herbert.
C. Ward
Mrs M. Brain
(660 Assembly)
ANY NEWS FOR V I S I O N ?
If you have, then please —
let your departmental correspondent know, or leave it at any Gate House for collection by me,
or post it to me at Tree Tops, Plump Hill, Mitcheldean,
or ring me — it’s Drybrook 542415.
Myrtle Fowler, Editor
12
HOME MARKET
For Sale
Parkray ’77’ firegrate, complete with Fortic
copper cylinder and four small radiators
£25 o.n.o. G. T. Beavan, Planning &
Support, BIdg 23, tel. 108 int.
Four-berth touring caravan, good condition,
£110. Tel. Lydbrook 548.
1 960 Triumph T110, 650 cc twin cyl.
motorbike, completely reconditioned
throughout. Duplex frame, racing tank and
seat, racing style h/bars, alternator, Cibie
headlamp price £105. Graham Martin
(Design office), tel. 862 int.
Always a good supply of house-trained
kittens available, free to good homes.
Sam Foster, tel. 119 or 353 int.
Workshop manual, brand new, for Hillman
New Minx and Singer Gazelle, 1966/70,
cost £3, sell £2. Gordon Burch, tel. 578 int.
Ford Escort 1100, 1969, Daytona yellow,
good condition, HP arranged. Apply after
5 pm — 17 Ashdean, Denecroft, Cinderford.
Buccaneer cassette tape recorder with AM
radio, microphone, earphone. Excellent
condition, still with 10 month guarantee.
Bargain £20. Tel. Longhope 350.
Pedigree pram, green and white, good
condition, offers. S. Baldwin, tel. 532 int.
Antique box settle, very nice, £35.
Mrs Roberts, tel. 507 int.
1964 Anglia, breaking for spares, all parts
available. S. Prosser, tel. 972 int.
Three-bedroom semi-detached house,
partial central heating, garage, porch,
cultivated garden. Offers around £8,700.
Tel. Drybrook 542656 any time, or call at
26, Darren Road, Five Acres, Coleford, Glos.,
after 6.30 pm.
Piano, light oak Wallace & Harris make,
very good condition, £20 o.n.o.
W. A. Jacobs, 35 Tudor Rise, Ross-on-Wye.
Detached house, three bedrooms, kitchen,
bathroom, full central heating, fair-sized
garden, £9,150 for quick sale. Mrs Kent
(Canteen), 7 Oakhill Road, Mitcheldean.
Fidelity 4-track Playmaster tape recorder,
£15. R. Blanckley, tel. 279 int. or
Longhope 700.
To Let
Detached bungalow, three bedrooms, fully
furnished, central heating, garage, to let
indefinitely, £11 per week plus rates.
Refs required. Apply evenings or weekends,
27 Clays Road, Sling, nr Coleford, Glos.
W a n t ed
Bicycle or tricycle to suit 3 to 5-year-old,
must be in good condition. Mrs Witts,
tel. 914 int. or Lea 354 after 5 pm.
Fireguard, coal bucket, companion set, coal
bunker (concrete), log basket. Barbara
Powell, tel. 476 int.
Help wanted ! Electronic ignoramus who
owns Ravensbourne 2 stereo tuner/amplifier
based hi-fi outfit despairs of finding
reliable professional repair service. Any
keen local amateur interested? Phone
Drybrook 542415 after 8 pm.
S p o r t i n g Chance
So you’ve nowhere to play badminton ?
Mitcheldean Club has premises at
Newnham, playing Tuesday, Wednesday
and Friday evenings, and anticipates junior
club on Saturday evenings. Mike Keen
(tel. 168 int.) and Cynthia Hart (140 int.)
will get you in on the racquet.
Printed in England by Taylor, Young (Printers) Ltd