Return to 1970-1974

Vision 094

December 73 No. 94
THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN
Money – and a Merry smile
The girl with the merry smile and
bags of money is Barbara Merry,
chargehand in Electrical Subassembly.
She was just off to the
bank to pay the money, all £146-50
of it, into the Ethiopian Famine
Relief Fund. Like many of the
women in her section, she was
deeply impressed by the Jonathan
Dimbleby appeal on TV last month.
Barbara organised a collection for
them and the whole thing snowballed
into an all-Plant effort. Said Barbara:
‘We’d like to thank everyone who
helped us to make it such a grand
contribution.’ (Christmas is a time
for giving — you can read more about
our charitable efforts on pages 8
and 11.)
NEW APPOINTMENTS
MANUFACTURING GROUP
Roger Haggett joins Manufacturing
Group on January 1 as Director of
Manufacturing Operations (UK). He
will report to Mr Portman, Director,
Manufacturing Group.
After a period of service in the Royal
Navy, Mr Haggett studied at
Cambridge and obtained an MA in
Metallurgical Engineering. Since then
he has held senior appointments with
a number of major companies,
including Guest, Keen & Nettlefold,
Glynwed Ltd (Steel Parts Division)
and Unbrako Ltd.
He comes to us from Royal Imperial
Typewriters (Litton Industries) where
he currently holds the position of
Director of Manufacturing (Europe).
Plant General Managers of the new
manufacturing sites at Lille and
Aachen have recently been appointed.
Louis Couque, Plant General
Manager, Lille, has joined us from
H. K. Porter where he held the
position of General Manager of the
French Division, having previously
held senior positions in manufacturing
management within the steel industry.
Louis Couque
Willi Sonneborn, Plant General
Manager, Aachen, was previously
with Mohawk Data Sciences
Corporation where he was Plant
Manager of their German factory in
Menden. (We hope to publish a
picture of Herr Sonneborn in a later
issue.)
Both report to Len Stierman, Director
of Manufacturing Operations
(Continental).
John Robley Dixon joined the
Manufacturing Group last month as
one of our team of Manufacturing
Programme Managers; he was
previously with Matrix Machine
Tools Ltd, Coventry, where he held
the position of Director and General
Manager.
Arthur Callow, until recently Manager,
Special Projects, also joined the team
on December 1 as Manufacturing
Programme Manager, Facsimile
Products, based at Welwyn.
Both report to Jim Evans,
Manufacturing Programmes Manager.
Graham Hutcheson joined the
Manufacturing Group on December 3
as Manager, Personnel Research &
Administration, reporting to the
Director of Personnel, Lionel Lyes.
Mr Hutcheson comes from the P-E
Consulting Group, Egham, where he
was a management consultant.
MITCHELDEAN PLANT
Ron league
Ron Teague, formerly Manager,
Gauge Engineering, in PED, was
appointed Quality Assurance
Manager as from November 26.
He takes over from David Mills who
has transferredto Manufacturing Group
staff as Special Projects Engineer,
Product Quality, reporting to
Vic Parry, Manager, Product Quality.
Ron, who has been with the
Company since 1963, recently
returned from a one-year secondment
to Xerox Corporation. He reports to
Jack Tester, Manager, Manufacturing
Engineering.
Larry Sterrett
Larry Sterrett, formerly Assistant
Manager, Gauge Engineering, has
succeeded Mr Teague as Manager,
responsible to the Deputy Chief
Production Engineer. Larry, who has
been with the Company 18 years,
started as a mechanical apprentice,
and worked under Henry Phillips in
Jig & Tool Inspection for some years
before joining PED.
Peter Vince
Peter Vince joined us on October 1 as
Manager, Special Projects, directly
responsible to Mike Clibbens,
Manager, Finance & Administration.
Mr Vince was formerly employed by
the Plessey Co. Ltd where he was
Chief Accountant of one of their
divisions in Swindon.
Special Projects section was set up
about a year ago within Finance &
Administration Department to provide
a more effective information service
to Mitcheldean management, and
members of the team are currently
at work in the Production Engineering,
Assembly and Manufacturing
Departments.
Christmas Barol Festival
S o c i 3 l Centre
Tuesday, December 18, 7.30 pm
Coleford Assemblies of God Youth Choir
Speaker: George Lord
ALL WELCOME RX WCF MINCE PIES AND COFFEE
2
First
on the
Course
They’ve a Gold Cup winner down in
Training Department who’s just
brought off a double I
Roger Acland, a Work Study/NEBSS
student, who recently transferred
from Production Control to take the
post of Commercial Training Officer,
walked away with both the W. J.
Price trophy and the Michael Jarrett
award when he attended the
presentation held by the West
Gloucestershire College of Further
Education on November 2.
The W. J. Price cup is awarded
annually to a student at the end of a
course for ‘outstanding endeavour in
all aspects of his effort and work’,
irrespective of examination results.
The Michael Jarrett award, a
briefcase, goes to the best student
taking a management course. Roger
distinguished himself by receiving an
unusually high percentage of marks —
he averaged 94 in his Supervisory
Studies course.
Praise is also due to our Apprentice
School who enabled us to welcome
back once again the Rank Xerox Ltd
Cup, awarded annually to the firm
whose apprentices produce the best
collective record in course-work and
examination.
The Ken Winfield Cup went to Ian
Hale, Design engineer, as the final
year student of a senior engineering
course, in this case Mech.Eng.Tech.
Part III, who achieved the best
record in all aspects of the course.
Two of our girl students also won
awards: Denise Rawlings (Production
Control) who received the Monday
course prize for her achievement in
commerce; and Luciana Marangon
(secretary to Stan Wheeler, Manager,
Development Laboratory) who was
awarded a course prize for
typewriting (evening class).
‘4\
Commercial Training Officer Roger Acland witfi fiis awards. The gold cup
has to be returned next year, but he’s counting on keeping the briefcase I
Below: David Baynham, representing those of our apprentices who attended
the West Gloucestershire College of Further Education, receives the Rank
Xerox Ltd cup from the Principal, Mr J. P. Welburn. This is the seventh time
our apprentices have won the trophy. Dean Forest studios
WIUTK-IN
We can’t organise a ‘phone-in, but
we can offer a write-in.
If you have any burning question to
which you can reasonably expect an
answer from the Company, we’ll
publish it, together with the reply.
All you need do is send your query,
unsigned if you wish, to : The Editor,
VISION, Tree Tops, Plump Hill,
Mitcheldean, or leave it at any Gate
House for collection.
3
Their Worships— Wilf IVIorris, Tom Passey and Ken Jones.
Thtee men on a bench
Why does anyone become a lay
magistrate — a post which carries
heavy responsibilities and no salary?
How do you become one? And
what makes us ask anyway?
The last question is easily answered.
We heard that Wilf Morris, Electrical
Sub-assembly inspector, was about
to take his seat on the Littledean
Bench (Newnham Division) for the
first time in the New Year. Then we
discovered two more magistrates on
our payroll — Tom Passey, a
Machine Shop inspector, and Ken
Jones of Purchase Department.
Wilf had just completed his year’s
obligatory training — studying
instructional booklets (though the
Clerk of the Court is the legal
expert), sitting in at court sessions,
attending courses at Bath University
and visiting remand homes. Borstals
and prisons.
‘It certainly makes you realise what
you would be doing if you gave
someone six months — the maximum
penalty a magistrate can impose,’
said Wilf.
We asked him if he was apprehensive
about his first sitting. ‘When you’ve
been in local government for 25
years, as I have, you don’t get
nervous easily,’ he replied.
He’s chairman of Littledean Parish
Council (‘Joe Burke is my vicechairman’),
of the new Forest of
Dean District Council Housing
Committee, of East Dean Swimming
Pool Committee (‘It should be open
in 1975’), and of the governors of
Double View Secondary School,
Cinderford. He’s also a governor of
the Forest of Dean Grammar School
and of Littledean Primary School,
not to mention various other
responsibilities in local affairs.
Public-spirited — maybe that was
the answer to our first question.
A chat with Ken Jones gave us
further insight.
A delivery control clerk (raw
materials), Ken has been on the
Littledean Bench for nearly six years,
and spends about two mornings a
month on magisterial business.
Sometimes, like Tom Passey, he
assists in Crown Court where certain
cases can be referred if the offence
is indictable. But most criminal
cases — over 98 per cent — are
disposed of in magistrates courts.
Did he take part in local government
work? we asked. Several pages of
notes later we had recorded that he
is a County Councillor, Vice-chairman
of East Dean RDC, a member of
the new Forest of Dean District
Council, chairman of Drybrook
Parish Council, manager of
Drybrook and Ruardean Woodside
Primary Schools — and more besides.
Why was he willing to add to already
heavy commitments? ‘I suppose it’s
because I enjoy tackling problems.
I like having a go.’
Tom Passey didn’t follow the same
pattern. He has been with the
Company for nine years and has
been a JP for eleven. He is deputy
chairman of the magistrates,
Ross-on-Wye Bench, and deputy
chairman of the Juvenile Panel.
Like Ken, Tom feels his work in the
latter field is most rewarding. ‘In
Juvenile Courts the emphasis is on
giving guidance and trying to sort
out the problem situations which
induce youngsters to turn to crime,’
said Tom. ‘I’ve three sons of my
own. My wife and I act as fosterparents
too. Having children around
helps me in assessing problems
faced by other people’s children.’
Tom is also on the Probation and
After-care Committee for the
combined counties of Herefordshire
and Worcestershire. ‘One likes to
follow up.’
But he is not committed to local
government work. He’s played
rugger for the Combined Counties
and for Ross-on-Wye; he has also
been a trialist for Gloucester. Now
he gets a kick out of being
treasurer of the Ross Sportsmens
Guild. Amateur dramatics is another
interest, although ‘night shift work
and acting don’t mix too well.’
Public-spirited, interested in social
work, sympathetic, understanding,
and well thought of in the
community — all these qualities in
a man or woman may prompt
someone, or some organisation, to
recommend them as a JP to the
Gloucestershire Advisory Committee
on Justices of the Peace, who issue
a form for the purpose.
If there are Bench vacancies, the
committee members (whose identity
is kept secret to protect them from
lobbying) make ‘discreet enquiries’
and details of selected candidates
are passed to the Lord Chancellor
for his approval.
The successful candidates are
advised, asked to sign an
undertaking, sworn in and duly
instructed.
Balance — as regards age, sex,
occupation, political opinion, etc —
is all-important; the aim is that each
Bench shall represent all sections of
the community it has to serve. In
releasing Tom, Ken and Wilf for
magisterial duty the company makes
its contribution.
When Ken first joined us. Purchasing
Controller Bernard Smith said : ‘Glad
to have a magistrate on my staff!’
Today we might well say: ‘Glad
to have three magistrates at the
Plant!’
4
ilace meeting place meeting place meeting place meeting place mee*
neeting place meeting place meeting place meeting place meeting plao
ilace meeting place meeting place meeting place meeting place meet
A stripper in the Paint Shop, involved
in the film business ? We just had to
go and investigate. Which is how we
made the acquaintance of Sam
Foster. Cheerful and chubby, his job
is to remove the build-up on jigs and
accessories, used in paint spraying
of components, by dipping them into
acid tanks.
Thirteen years with the Company,
Sam used to work in the Press Shop
but ‘I’m not so young as I was, so I
transferred to this job, which suits
me fine.’
Sam is a bachelor with a dog, nine
cats and some 2,000 films for
company. Lining the walls of two
rooms in his home at Bream {‘It’s
quite an Aladdin’s cave’), the films
are the stock-in-trade of the hire
business which Sam runs in his
leisure-time.
All 8 mm, b & w and colour, some
with sound, they range from Tom and
Jerry to Westerns, horror to sci-fi,
famous boxing bouts to space
exploration. Vintage comedies and
other screen classics are there, many
of them now collector’s items.
Railway films form the largest
section — not surprisingly, for Sam is
a model railway enthusiast.
He has 41 locos and a track
measuring 22ft x 12ft. ‘Next spring
I plan to extend by 100ft,’ he said.
Sam has two cine cameras, one ‘an
old, cheap Rexina which still takes
marvellous films’, and nothing pleases
him more than to go off on holiday
with a tent, his dog and a camera to
take films of preserved railway lines.
The Wyatt sisters in Electrical
Sub-assembly may be little (they’re
both under 5ft) but they’re live wires
nonetheless.
Sue, almost 18, came to us straight
from school (they both went to
Abenhall Secondary Modern); her
job is to fix tags on the ends of the
brilliantly coloured wires which her
sister, 16-year-old Sally, weaves on
to ‘looms’ to form the basic electric
wiring circuits for our machines.
Says Sally, who came to us last
April: ‘We do five different operations
on the cable assembly flow-line,
mostly ten of each, moving from
board to board, so we get variety.
Our auntie, Pat Nelmes, works on the
cable assemblies too.’
The sisters live on Harrow Hill and
attend evening classes — Sue to sew
and Sally to type. What about
hobbies ? we asked.
‘My boy friend is my hobby— I don’t
have time for anything else,’ laughed
Sue.
And Sally? She likes playing the
piano, swimming — and boys. ‘The
music and swimming aren’t serious
but the boy business is !’
All of which sparked off some more
high voltage amusement 1
Ross-born and bred, Andrew Davis
works in Accounts. As he puts it,
it’s his second time round at the
Plant. He originally came to us
straight from school and did a
three-year commercial apprenticeship.
After working in our Cost Office for
a time, he upped and went to The
Smoke, where he worked in the
Finance Department of Charing Cross
Hospital Medical School. But before
long he was back, having got London
out of his system.
Now a member of the Special
Projects team working under Peter
Vince, he is a married man, with a
one-year-old daughter, a house in
Ledbury and a mortgage.
Pulling on his pipe, he talked about
ties (‘I used to have quite a trendy
selection, but the competition’s
pretty strong these days’) and table
tennis. He plays in the lunch hour
and is Sports & Social Club
representative for the section.
He is keen on portrait photography
and uses the family as models for his
black and white studies, so the
family album gets plenty of material.
His other home hobby is wine-making
— at least, he likes drinking the end
product. ‘I’m not too hung up on the
making part,’ he commented.
1ac e meeting place meeting place meeting place meeting place mee
5
A/
The BOM is the very foundation of the data base around which
SOLAR, our n ew material requirements planning s y s t e m , i s designed.
Some departments, like Production Control, are familiar with it;
others are not. Yet almost all departments are affected by it. in
an earlier article t h i s year w e made reference to it; now J o c k Y u i l i,
A s s i s t a n t Manager, SOLAR Liaison, explains in detail j u s t what it
i s , and a n s w e r s the question:
WhflT’S JT
raH US ?
Many manufacturing companies
throughout the country experience
difficulties in the control of parts
because they just don’t have
available an accurate master bill of
materials file indicating, at any given
time, the true part content of the
product being produced.
This is due, in the main, to the fact
that several key departments within
an organisation attempt to produce
their own idea of what a product
consists of. What generally happens
is this:
• Design departments, whose main
function is to design the product and
issue drawings and modifications to
the Production departments, maintain
and independently update their own
product parts list. This list indicates
the latest design intent, but does not
show that several of the modifications
which they have issued may not be
applicable until some time in the
future.
It should also be remembered that,
during the production life of any
product, many production permits
and design requests are raised, and
these can create complications.
• Production Engineering
departments, receiving drawings and
modifications from Design, also build
up their own idea of the content of
the product and maintain master lists
of parts, in the form of component
schedules, which indicate how the
product is built up along the
production lines.
The sum total of these component
schedules should be compatible with
the Design product parts list, but, due
to applicabilities of modifications,
permits and design requests, it is
extremely difficult to reconcile the
two lists.
• Similarly, Production Control
departments, who are responsible for
ordering and progressing all the parts
used in the product, prepare their
own master list from information
received from Design and Production
Engineering, and again it is extremely
difficult to reconcile this master list
with those held in the other
departments.
Mitcheldean Plant used to be no
exception to this state of affairs.
Then, five years ago. Senior
Management, in conjunction with
Fall-out of print-out!
‘It gets bigger every day.’
Information Systems Department, set
up a team, led by Hugh Colby, now
SOLAR IS Project Manager, to:
(a) create a central computer bill of
materials file to replace the several
independently maintained parts lists
which were in existence;
(b) simplify the Engineering Order
change system in such a manner that
the format could be used as direct
input to the computer;
Any resemblance between the
piggy bank and Information
Systems personnel is
entirely unintentional.
6
(c) establish updating and control
systems to ensure accurate
maintenance of this file;
(d) create the file in such a manner
that both Design and Manufacturing
structures were shown;
(e) provide output from this file
which would meet the requirements
of user departments;
(f) ensure that the new Engineering
Order system was acceptable to all
plants within the organisation.
Hence the birth in 1969 of our Bill of
Materials or, as it is more commonly
known, BOM.
The BOM is produced in
assembly number sequence and
shows the part content of every
current assembly drawing issued
I from Design Department
covering all models built
at Mitcheldean, Venray and
Welwyn; at present it contains
approximately 20,000
assemblies, 53,000 parts
and 150,000 line entries
— quite a document.
Production
Engineering supply
the BOM system
with all Manufacturing
information, ie
process information
” together with raw
material requirements and the
line stations on which the various
parts are assembled.
They have the option of building to
drawing, or changing the structure as
drawn to suit manufacturing
conditions. In the latter event, they
advise File Control that they are not
going to build according to drawing.
The BOM system is therefore able to
offer two structures:
Design — as drawn
Manufacturing — as built
The file also holds the current and
future position by reason of
Engineering Order changes, with the
result that the system can ‘spell out’
the part content of the model as it is,
or as it will be at any given time.
Engineering Order changes,
manufacturing structure changes and
process changes are fed to the
computer on a daily basis for
updating. To ensure that the basic
file data is always accurate, our File
Control Section monitors all input
data prior to submission to make
certain that users are following the
rules.
The Section is also responsible for
submitting all data in a timely manner
to match up with computer running
times, together with the manual input
of control information — time cycles,
buffer stock, required coverages and
suchlike — necessary for provisioning
and scheduling of parts.
This BOM can be exploded’, level by
level from the top level assemblies
downwards, to produce a file from
which the following reports are
printed:
Design Where Used List This is a
list, in part number sequence, of all
parts to the latest design intent. It
indicates on which assembly number
and on which model the parts are to
be found, and can be produced for
one single model if desired. (Printed
weekly. Users: Engineering and
Small Batch, Mitcheldean; Welwyn;
Denham.)
iVIanufacturing Where Used List
This is in similar form to the Design
List but contains all manufacturing
information; it also shows the current
and future position of all parts
relative to Engineering Order changes.
Here, again, it can be produced for
one single model. (Printed monthly.
Users: Production Control, PED,
Remodelling and Supply Centre,
Mitcheldean; Welwyn ; Venray.)
Raw Material Where Used List
As details of the raw material required
to make all manufactured parts is
held on the BOM file, a list of these
materials can be extracted for the
benefit of those personnel involved
in ordering and allocating. (Printed
monthly. Users: Production Control,
PED, Accounts and Small Batch,
Mitcheldean.)
Design Parts List This is an
extracted listing of all the assemblies
contained in any model; it is spelt
out in assembly number sequence
and shows the drawing part content
of the assemblies. (Printed monthly.
Users: Engineering and Remodelling,
Mitcheldean; RX House; Welwyn;
Venray; Fuji Xerox.)
Manufacturing Parts List In
similar form to the Design Parts List
but contains the part content of the
assemblies as built, together with the
current and future position of parts
relative to Engineering Order Changes.
(Printed monthly. Users: PED,
Production Control, 4000 Assembly
and Accounts, Mitcheldean;
Welwyn.)
Engineering Order Warning List
The BOM file holds both the current
and future position of parts in relation
to Engineering Order changes; from
this information a list can be
extracted which can highlight the
Engineering Orders which are due for
incorporation in all future periods.
This list also shows the individual
parts which are introduced or
cancelled by reason of an
Engineering Order. (Printed monthly.
Users: Production Control and PED,
Mitcheldean.)
From all this you will gather that
creating the Bill of Materials system
gave the team a lot to think about.
Naturally there were quite a few
hiccups before it was perfected.
There was, for example, the time
when the system generated an
apparent requirement for 15 million
gallons of oil, though only a single
drop per assembly was being used !
Needless to say, the error was
noticed before the Company decided
they ought to set up their own oil
rig in the North Sea.
For the last four years, the system has
been running successfully at
Mitcheldean. Now, with the advent
of SOLAR, it is being changed so
that the BOM computer file, instead
of being held on a tape file, will be
held on the SOLAR integrated data
base. ^^^^^
We plan to feature ottier ^ J BJ
segments of the SOLAR W^^^^k
system in future issues. H ^ k sl
7
SP®RTS & S
Christmas Bonanza
Six lucky people recently became
owners of portable black-and-white
TV sets — top prizes in the Christmas
Draw which was free to members of
the Bonanza Draw. The 127 prizes
included hampers, bottles of booze,
chocolate and cigarettes; Estelle
Davies, our Miss Rank Xerox, drew
the winning numbers and handed out
the goodies at a dance held in the
Social Centre on December 1.
Adventure Group
Caving, rock climbing, walking, pony
trekking and other outdoor pursuits
are being catered for by a newlyformed
section, affiliated to the
Sports & Social Club. We’ll be
featuring this Adventure Group in the
January issue. If you can’t wait till
then, get in touch with Derek
Webster, 4000 Electrical Adjustment,
Building 40.
Tournament Progress
The two interdepartmental
tournaments are gathering momentum.
By the time this issue appears, the
football competition will have passed
the semi-final stage. In the match
played on November 25 between
4000 ‘A’ and Bondys Babes (PED)
the former won 2 : 0.
The second semi-final, between
MCC (Group) and Malthouse
Wanderers (Maintenance and
Apprentices), was due to be played
shortly after we went to press.
It is hoped to play the final early in
the New Year at the Causeway Club,
Cinderford. Watch the noticeboards
for the date.
The preliminary round in the skittles
tournament has now been completed;
the second round commenced at the
end of November and everyone
hopes it will be as successful as the
first.
All Set for Success
The first of the dances advertised
in our last issue took place on
November 23. The Ray Ellington
Band & Singers provided a truly
magnificent sound, and the
supporting Hi-Life Showband can
be sure of a welcome on their
return next February.
During the evening a reproduction
Georgian tankard was presented
by Peter Salmon, Manager,
Industrial Engineering, to former
club chairman Ray Mann as a
token of thanks for his work during
his term of office. The 350 people
present greatly enjoyed themselves —
which augurs well for the dances
to come.
Poppy Day
Poppets
The Charity Poppy Appeal Dance,
held in the Social Centre on
November 9, was rated a huge
success. The J. M. Four (led by bass
guitarist Jeff McCoy of PED) were
great, and the junior formation team,
trained by Kathleen Matthews, put on
such a delightful ‘Old Tyme’
demonstration that a return visit has
been requested.
The dance was organised by the
Ballroom Dancing Club, in
association with Sadie Pritchard,
Poppy Day organiser in this area.
Unfortunately Ira Griffin was
indisposed the week before the dance,
but thanks to Sadie, Arthur and Vi
Wenderling and other club committee
members, all went well, and the sum
of £30, proceeds of the event, was
later forwarded to the Poppy Fund.
This, together with the Plant collection
of £88-50, helped to boost the total
collection for Mitcheldean and
Abenhall to £214—an increase of over
100 per cent on last year.
Some of tfie beautifully dressed
young dancers.
At the Club’s annual general meeting
held last month, the following were
elected : Chairman: Ira Griffin;
secretary: David Markey; treasurer:
Harold Cecil; committee: Eileen
Newman, Vi and Arthur Wenderling
and Clarry Ward.
Incidentally, David recently rejoined
the Company to work in PED
(Finishing). His other interest is
football — he referees matches in the
Gloucester area and he is also
secretary of the Forest of Dean
Referees Association. As he pointed
out: ‘It’s all a question of footwork.
You just have to remember not to
kick when dancing.’
Kind of
Record
At their recent AGM, the Skittles
Section re-elected all their officers
en bloc.
Secretary Dennis Cook tells us that
their ‘B’ team (captain: Ralph Smith)
are currently in the 2nd division of
the Ross League, having unfortunately
been relegated from 1st division last
season.
The ‘A’ team (captain : Richard
Cooke), who came fourth in the
league, are, however, still in the
1st division and have been for the
last 17 years — this must be some
kind of record.
Karate Comeback
Falling bodies, blocks and blows are
once again part of the Wednesday
night scene in the Social Centre. In
short, the Karate Club has
recommenced its weekly training
sessions from 7.30 pm to 9 pm.
Beginners are welcome — get in
touch with John Stephens
(Engineering DO), ext. 863, if you’d
like to learn more about this system
of unarmed self-defence. Enthusiasts
say it helps develop physical fitness,
self-confidence, well-being and a
built-in mental discipline. It’s a way
of getting your weight down too.
NEW YEAR’S EVE mm
SOCIAL CENTRE

ZEBEDEE
AND
CHAMBER THREE

COMEDIAN & COMPERE
VIC PARKER

TICKETS: £1 50
8
Ken Powell (4000 mini line) demonstrates a relaxed drive. He and Graham Gardner
(Development Lab.), on the far left of the group, help out at training sessions.
Swingers’ Session
Not for Men Only!
With the launching of our new chess
competition, an individual
championship for a cup kindly given
by Mr Portman, and also our
interdepartmental team competition
for the Wickstead Shield, the question
most frequently asked by enquirers is :
‘What is the standard of play?’
Apart from the obvious difficulty or,
more correctly, the impossibility of
providing a suitable and adequate
answer, the question seems to imply
that ‘real’ chess players belong to
some unique and special society, and
that some sort of mystic super
quality is required of those who
aspire to the ranks.
Chess, of course, has its Masters and
Grand Masters. Indeed, certain
methods of play, of attack and
defence, bear the names of those who
were supposed to have discovered
them, a doubtful and debatable
assumption to say the least; but we
at Mitcheldean have not had the
experience of having such celebrated
persons at our meetings — not
knowingly anyway.
We would surely welcome such
experience if there were such players
in the factory; then we could more
accurately assess the ‘standard of
play.’
Until that bright day, however, we
shall have to ‘muddle through’ as best
we can; but we would like to assure
all who are interested in the game
that the few who do turn up to our
meetings have a thoroughly
enjoyable three hours or so.
Why not join us and see ? There is
just no other way to find out.
All you need is a little enthusiasm,
and that delightful form of madness
which seems to drive a very large
percentage of the community to the
crossword in the newspaper.
Chess is simply a setting up and
solving of problems, a little dangerous
to the ego at times, but completely
absorbing.
Again we invite any ladies, and
sincerely hope they will not be put
off by the strange idea that chess is
‘for men only.’
Forest Rooks, Chess Club
Chessnote: As we went to press, the
club had on their lists 18 teams for
the Wickstead Shield contest, and 45
individuals for the Portman Cup
one-game knockout. And not a lady
player yet in sight I Any enquiries
should go to John Johnson,
Development Laboratory, ext. 579.
• Which farming engineer can’t tell
a young farmer from a national one ?
He went along to attend a YFC
dinner and it wasn’t until the meal was
over he realised he was on the
wrong side of the road, w i th the
national farming lot.
‘If you’re wide, you swing wide,’
said Harold Gardiner. ‘The thing
is to get into a groove. Once you’ve
developed that, it never changes
throughout your life.’
To see the swinging, groovy side
of the Golf Society activities, we
popped into the Social Centre one
Tuesday evening. There was a mild
blizzard of snowy Airstream balls
blowing in the ballroom as we
watched the 15 or so novices
attending one of the 2-hour indoor
training sessions held from 5 pm.
They say golf grabs you ; these men
were grabbed all right. Their
concentration never wavered.
Occasionally one of the protective
mats became airborne instead of
the ball, but no divots have yet
been taken out of the ballroom
floor!
‘What we’d really like is a covered
driving range,’ said Harold Gardiner.
Our aim is to teach people the
essence of golf before they join a
club. We’re not doing the
professionals out of pupils; in fact,
the pros would far rather take them
on where we leave off.’
‘You never know,’ he went on,
surveying the swingers, ‘there
could be a Tony Jacklin here. Some
of these boys are showing
considerable promise. Look at
Ken Powell — he started with us
about two or three years ago; now
he’s a member of a club and has a
handicap.’
Design engineer Harold has stepped
in once more as senior trainer now
that Pat Dulson has left. He has
played for 23 years and belongs to
that elite society, the Hole in One
Club. Harold has, in fact, holed in
one twice, but the first time the only
witness wasn’t a golfer so it didn’t
count.
We wondered why there were no
women members in the society.
They’re welcome to join and they
get a chivalrous allowance when
they get to the handicap stage.
Standing in as a female novice, we
took a quick lesson from Harold in
stance, grip (Vardon style),
weight transference and pivot.
‘It’s wonderful exercise. Mentally
and physically demanding.’ Harold
settled into his personal groove.
‘Playing golf is a marvellous way to
get outside your problems; it helps
you approach them from a fresh
angle,’ and he sent off a ‘banana
shot’ that curved across the
ballroom.
If all this tempts you to join the
swingers, there are clubs you can
borrow, but you’re advised to get
hold of a good quality iron (it will
set you back £7 or £8) and
eventually build up a matching set.
There are several clubs — to join,
that is — in the district: Ross,
Monmouth, Cheltenham, Painswick,
Lydney. And, next spring, a 17-acre
course will be opening on the
Bell’s Club site at Coleford.
Any of the following Golf Society
officials will be pleased to tell you
more : secretary Des Gibbs,
treasurer Ian Billson, competition
secretary John Jones, or committee
members Graham Gardner, Paul
Knight, Mike Mee, Bill Meek,
Dave Morris and John Spratley.
Spot the ball I
OLD FLOGS ROUT BIG ‘E’
The surprise visit by the Big ‘E’
International XV to Drybrook Rugby
Football Club on Sunday, October 21,
drew a capacity crowd.
This colourful team of cavaliers,
drawn from some of the best known
teams in Work Study, were
confronted by that well-known side.
Old Floctonians, consisting of past,
present and future stars of Plant
Facilities, sons, friends, mercenaries
and players from other despicable
sources.
A bright sun greeted the players’
appearance and the soft ground
provided a good base for some
sparkling rugby. Old Floctonians
took an 18 point lead in the first
quarter, through some good running
by a thinly disguised guest player
(Gloucester).
This lead was never really pegged
back by the International XV,
although a valiant effort was made in
the closing minutes of the first half,
reducing the deficit to 18—8.
After sound tactical discussions and
clever positional changes by the
International XV at half-time, Old
Floes increased their lead by a further
4 points at the restart of the game.
The International XV once more
fought back with a brilliant display of
miss-handling which resulted in
three complaints from lady spectators
and a try which was duly converted.
With the score standing at 22—14, a
hard-fought duel for control by the
forwards was brought to a close by
the whistle for no-side.
After retiring to the clubhouse, the
presentation, of a magnificent silver
trophy, was made to the highly
exhausted Floctonians’ captain.
A repeat of this successful fixture is
to be arranged early in the New
Year; it will be an all-ticket game.
Thanks are due to the referee who
entered into the spirit of things, thus
providing an enjoyable introduction
to the rules of the game for many of
the players making their international
debut (‘Nice one, Derek’).
Thanks must also be extended to the
Crusty Knoll Philharmonic Guards
Band who provided the entertainment
during the interval.
Finally a huge debt (of gratitude) is
owed to Drybrook Rugby Football
Club for allowing this game to be
played and providing all the necessary
facilities.
Vision-On-Sport, Drybrooi<.
Who from Materials Handling, whilst trying to
smuggle the ball from a loose,
found the mark of the vampire on his left
thumb ?
Emergency
Dinner
The annual ‘do’ held by Medical staff
and factory first-aiders took a more
ambitious form this year — a dinner
held on November 6 at the George
Hotel, Mitcheldean.
During the evening certificates were
presented to first-aiders who
successfully completed their course
earlier this year; Dr Martin, who gave
the lectures, handed over the
certificates and warmly congratulated
everyone concerned.
Of the following, some had taken the
examination for the first time, others
had been re-examined for renewal of
their certificates: Daisy Bullock
(secretary to Production Manager),
Tony Cale (Machine Shop), Bert
Constance (660 Assembly), Jim
Davies (Press Shop, RX Cinderford),
Betty Hart (Electrical Sub-assembly),
Close co-operation between Medical staff and first-aiders at the dinner.
From the left (sitting) are: Norah Miles, Ken Hook and Hilda Baldwin;
(standing) Lionel Simmonds and Lillian Howell.
Fred Hendy (Security), Sergeant
Miller (Security), Ivor Jordan
(Plating Shop), Henry Phillips
(Quality Assurance), Ann Rudge
(Goods Inwards), Lionel Simmonds
(4000 Assembly), Jack Smart (Press
Shop, RX Cinderford), Joe Smith
(660 Assembly) and John Stephens
(Engineering DO).
Two daughters of Plant employees —
St John Ambulance Brigade nursing
cadets Maria Sologub and Doris
Tuffley — were among those
receiving certificates.
Senior first-aider Tony Cale tells us
that plans are being made to hold a
Plant 999 dinner/dance next spring
for all our emergency services, to
which families and friends will be
invited.
10
DANCE, DRAW AND DIET
AID CHARITY
With the approach of the season for
giving, IVledical staff have been
stepping up their charitable efforts.
Nurse Hilda Baldwin tells us that, as
a result of the dance she organised
in the Social Centre last October,
over £100 was sent to the Leukaemia
Research Fund (she is a member of
the Fund committee).
Now she is raffling a yew coffee
table, made and donated by Les Lane
(4000 Assembly). The draw will
take place just before Christmas.
Sister Collins reports that a total of
around £70 has been collected as a
result of Medical Department’s raffle
in aid of the Gloucestershire Cobalt
Unit’s extension of premises.
The draw was to take place at
Cheltenham as we went to press, so
maybe by now some lucky person in
the Plant is looking forward to a
Continental holiday for two in
Majorca, or is enjoying one of the
other numerous prizes.
The Diet Club formed at the Plant by
Nurse Norah Miles to raise money for
good causes continues to thrive on
people’s unwanted pounds. Members
are weighed weekly at the Medical
Centre and are fined if they fail to
lose weight.
Since making a contribution to the
Ross-on-Wye Accident Unit
collection last winter, Norah has
accumulated through the club
enough to pay for materials to make
another ‘furry animal’ as a raffle prize
(remember her jumbo-sized teddy
bear Alpha which raised a jumbosized
amount for the Cobalt Unit
Fund in 1971 ?).
We’ll be introducing Alpha Mark II
to you before long.
Obituary
We regret to have to record the following
deaths, which occurred as we went to
press: November 24 — Reg Tomkins (Goods
Inwards Inspection), aged 56, who joined
us five years ago; November 26 — Jack
Williams (night Security officer, RX
Cinderford), aged 56, who came to us in
1959; November 27 — Eric Faulkner
(foreman inspector. Electrical Sub-assembly),
aged 46 years, who had been ten years
with us.
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
Engagement
Pam Bevan (secretary to Industrial
Relations Manager, Personnel) to Ray Brown
on November 17.
Weddings
Terry Annis (Goods Inwards Inspection) to
Teresa Dobbs at the United Reformed
Church, Littledean, on October 27.
Marlene Sleeman (secretary to Manager,
Electronics, PED) to Richard Meek at
Ruardean Church on November 3.
Vilma Ruck (PED) to Richard Powell at
Ruardean Church on November 10.
Nita Morris (Purchase Dept.) to Alwyn
Liddington at St Stephen’s Church,
Cinderford, on November 17.
Silver Wedding
Congratulations to Ron Skillern (4000
Assembly) and Rene (Canteen) who
celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary
on November 6.
B i r t hs
Sophie, a daughter for Nigel Bayliss (Design
engineer) and his wife Bobbie, on August 1.
Roger, a son for Dennis Cook (PED) and
his wife Beryl, in October.
Jason Douglas, a son for Phillip Morgan
(Machine Shop) and his wife Christine, on
October 24,
Paul Anthony and Jonathan Thomas,
t w in sons for Tony Luckett (Autos, RX
Cinderford) and his wife Maureen, on
October 26.
Emma Louise, a daughter for John Spratley
(Finance & Admin.) and his wife Sheila, on
October 30.
Stephen Brian, a son for Brian Cook (Tool
Room) and his wife Ann, on November 8.
With RX Down Under
Former colleagues of Vera Stembridge (File
Control), who emigrated to Australia last
summer, may like to know that she is now
working for Rank Xerox, Sydney, in their
newly formed Data Control Section. Janet
Prosser, who works in our own File Control
Section, has given us Vera’s address to
publish in case anyone would like to get in
touch. It i s : 5/14 St Thomas Street, Bronte,
Sydney 2024, New South Wales.
Retirements
Our best wishes to Eunice Hawkins
(Information Systems) and Hermann
Schatten (Supply Centre) who retired in
November.
This month also sees the retirement of two
Transport personalities – Sid Wood (minibus
driver) and Maurice Jones (chauffeur).
We’ll be featuring them later.
Kl m [PO(SM(I
Richard and Marlene Meek
Richard and Vilma Powell
We say it
witli
Flags
There’s one job among their many
duties which mal Police feel on top of the world, and
that is: hoisting and lowering the
flags flown from the three masts
up on Building 36.
One of our most colourful methods
of communication, we use them
mainly to flutter out a welcome to
important visitors from abroad.
On other occasions too such as the
Queen’s Birthday, we ‘say it with
flags.’
Anyone on land can fly the country’s
national emblem, but there are
rules to be observed. The Union
Flag (it’s only the Union Jack when
it’s flown at the jackstaff by ships
of the Royal Navy) must always
occupy the senior position.
If it’s the only flag flying, it is
hoisted on the middle mast. If we
are greeting visitors from another
country, then as they enter Building
36 they see their own national flag
flying from the right, with the
Union Flag on the left (the senior
position) and the Queen’s Award
flag in the middle. ‘Then it looks
tidy,’ says Sgt Miller.
An ex-Guardsman, he likes to see
the flags flying. ‘At present we
have about a dozen in stock,
representing countries from the
USA to the USSR. They’re made
of wool bunting and we get them
from a Liverpool firm. We’ve even
had to get a special cupboard made
to store them, now we’re getting such
a collection.’
Ken Griffiths holds the Union Flag while
Roy Hart lowers the Belgian flag, hoisted
in honour of some recent visitors.
When flags are to be flown,
the men on day shift hoist them
early in the morning and
lower them at sunset. Rain, snow
or fog, they make their way to the
roof via the directors’ suite and a
wall ladder.
Our three flag-poles are adequate
when we have visitors from one or
two countries, but what if it’s a
party from Scandinavia or the
Benelux countries ?
The roof structure can’t support
any more masts, so the plan is to
make a feature of the slope to the
east of Bradley Court Gate. Before
long we shall see five new masts
there, tall enough to fly the flags at
about the same height as at present.
Sgt Miller and Arthur Creed fold up the national flag of the
Chinese People’s Republic — gold stars on a red background.
Photos : Walbrook Photograptiy
12
HOME MARKET
For Sale
Pedigree pram, well sprung, very good
condition, cat net, shopping tray, canopy,
£8. Cumfifolda pushchair, hood, apron and
canopy, £1 -50. Ross 3530 after 1 pm.
Twin-track Ferguson tape recorder, with
three blank tapes, very good condition, £12.
Sue Smyth, ext. 559.
Knitmaster knitting machine, automatic, as
new, £48 (cost £68). Set of Slazenger
bowling woods, hardly used, also Slazenger
carrying case (for woods), £15. Polaroid
colour camera, as new, cost £16, sell for
£10. B. Davies, ext. 601.
Wedding dress with train, size 10, worn
September, also long veil. Mrs Dancey
(Supply Centre), ext. 721.
Twin pram, all mod. cons., good condition.
R. C. Jones, ext. 578.
Toy car, practically new, suit 3 to
6-year-old. Any offers. Rose Harris (Elec.
Sub-assembly), Drybrook 542160.
Record player, good condition. Offers.
Helen Richards, ext. 219.
Set of 4 std. bore con. rods for 100E.
Offers. G. West (TED), ext. 628.
1960 Wolseley 1500, only done 63,000
genuine miles from new. Excellent condition,
£100 o.n.o. J. Kilby, 110b Church Road,
Cinderford, or ext. 407.
Semi-detached house, 3 bedrooms, central
heating, conservatory, garage, £10,500.
Cox, 7 Winfield, Newent. Tel. Newent
820-643.
Borgward TS Saloon (1959), MOT Feb. 7 4 .
Any reasonable offer considered. Also 19in.
KB. television BBC1/ITV, good condition,
£10 or offer. Ext. 299.
Three short-haired terrier pups, two
females, one male. Mrs F. M. Reed,
Design Office, ext. 538, or call any time
after 5.30 pm, 3 St White’s Road,
Cinderford.
For Hire
Horses, to suit children and adults, 80p
per hour. Riding weekends and trekking
arranged if required. Hillcroft, Springfield,
Drybrook. Tel. 542636.
Service
Old or unwanted trees felled and taken
away. Small charge. L. Lane (4000 main
line), ext. 894 or Longhope 350.
Entertainment
Rode Runner Disco — not just a mobile
discotheque but a complete light show.
Hereford 3486 or R. Brace (Supply Centre),
ext. 775.
Wanted
Good upright piano. Zena Carter (Supply
Centre), ext. 274.
Two-wheeled cycle, preferably with
stabilisers, suitable for 5-year-old learner
girl cyclist. S. Cooper (Machine Shop),
ext. 975.
Second-hand fridge, cheap, outside
condition immaterial. Crew room. Supply
Centre.
Printed in England by Taylor, Yojng (Printers) Ltd.