THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN
Season of Mists… The early bird catches the worm — and the early photographer takes the best picture, it seems.
While many of us were still enjoying a lie-in one Saturday morning in the autumn of 1976, Chris Saywood accompanied by his wife drove all the way to the picturesque Cotswold village of Lower Slaughter to get this delightful study of ‘People at Work’ for the VISION Cover Picture Contest held last summer.
The light of the rising sun filtering through the mist lent a soft, magical quality to the scene and Chris, in capturing this, captured first prize in the competition. A New Product Co-ordinator in Manufacturing Engineering, Chris is a keen photographer and the current chairman of the Amateur Photographic Club. So it wasn’t surprising to learn that he spent his winnings — £15 —
on an addition to his system of Nikon lenses.
On November 2 Chris led the club in a print/slide battle with Newent Photographic Club, Norman Sutherland, ARPS, of Cheltenham Camera Club acting as judge. Pundits who prophesied that our team would take a hiding were confounded — Rank Xerox scores were higher for both slides and prints, giving our club a total of 356 against Newent’s 333.
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/atCTied by a lunchtime crowd, eur works firemen dealt successfully with a series of blazes (which they’d started themselves) in the central car park on Friday, October 14. are were, we’re glad to report, no Isuaities among the people, or cars. This demonstration of fire-fighting equipment brought to a crackling conclusion our own five-day campaign in support of National Fire Safety Week. During lunchtime on the previous four days people visited an exhibition in the Ballroom, staged by Training Department in conjunction with Works Engineering, which packed in plentiful advice — by means of posters, leaflets, slide and film — on how to prevent and deal with fires at work and in the home.
Favourites with the visitors were the working demonstrations — a Post Office Telecommunications stand where dialling 999 called up the emergency services — in pictorial form; and a heat-detecting fire alarm that could be triggered off (without causing the Canteen building to be evacuated !). Early detection is important, it was emphasised — unless a fire is contained within 20 minutes it can become a major disaster.
Brass helmets, filters, branches and other items dating from the early part of this century, and kindly lent by Gwent Fire Brigade, contrasted with the headgear, hoses and breathing apparatus of today. Orders were taken for fire extinguishers at discount prices, and Fire Officer Tony Cale and members of the works fire brigade were on hand to answer questions. But the underlying message was clear — the best form of protection against fire is prevention; and, as the slogan under a mirror at the exhibition put it, ‘The person responsible for fire prevention is YOU.’
Here are some points for your own check list on safety:
To Prevent Fire • Don’t let refuse and process waste accumulate. • Store goods tidily, and don’t obstruct access to fire-fighting equipment, even for a short time. • Be extra careful when handling flammable liquids such as paint, thinners, solvents. • Don’t throw your cigarette ends into waste paper receptacles, through gratings or out of windows. • Take care with electrical equipment (it starts more fires than anything else), keep combustible materials away from it, and report any frayed leads or faulty items. • Check fires are safely guarded; when cooking, never leave a fat pan unattended.
• Keep matches out of children’s reach.
# When leaving work, or retiring at night, switch off all electrical appliances not in use at the socket outlet or unplug them completely; close doors and windows to prevent fire spreading.
Make sure you know what the drill is, should fire occur at work. (See new instructions displayed at main entrances to buildingsLJpppwhat you and your famrt^’^reinaao if it ha^^^ll^ome.
Getting Prepared
Members of our site fire-fighting force Tony Cale, Dave Read and Bob Young are training about 30 members and leaders of Mitcheldean Guide Company for a new firefighter badge, with a fireman’s helmet as its emblem.
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Above: Twenty-one-year old Theresa Barnett (Switchboard) tries on the latest thing in firemen’s helmets, as worn in the early 1900’s. The shining brass headgear and other equipment seen here added an historic note to the lunchtime exhibition. Below: A member of our own works fire brigade. Jack Barnard (Supply Centre) helps Tony Prothero of 4500 Dept don breathing apparatus.
Left, top: Dialling 999 at this Post Office Telecommunications stand lit up a series of pictures representing fire, police and ambulance services. Left, bottom: The bell and siren of a 25-year-old tender added interesting harmonics to the sound of presentday klaxons advertising the demonstration of fire-fighting. The tender, late of Bootle Fire Brigade, belongs to Mike Williams of Newnham-on-Severn police, here seen showing an admiring audience some of its beautifully maintained equipment.
ALL IN A GOOD CAUSE
Pat GWynne of Training demonstrates her newly acquired skill in bandaging the arm of ‘patient’ Albert Drury (Spares Packing). They, and the others in our picture (with the exception of Freda the skeleton who is familiar with the bare bones of the business), recently took a first-aid course for the first time — and all passed. They are {from left) Ralph Kibble and Wilf Wall (Maintenance), Charlie Probert (Small Batch) and Fred Brickel (Spotweld). Mike Wheatstone (Supply Centre), not in our picture, also passed, plus a further 14 people who were examined for renewal of their certificates.
Below left: Ken Hook, who looks after the stores in the Component Test Laboratory of Reliability Engineering, has been made a Serving Brother of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem. First-aider Ken has been a member of the St John Ambulance Brigade for 26 years, during which time he has helped with recruiting and training as well as doing first-aid work at sporting events, etc. He has also been a special constable for 26 years and is holder of the police medal and bar. Below right: Pensioner George Wiggins (formerly PED) has been awarded a special plaque in recognition of his record as a blood donor — he has given 75 pints! Here Director of Operations Ron Morfee and Mrs Audrey Hanson of the National Blood Transfusion Service talk to him about his achievement.
Dr Henna of the Cobalt Unit Appeal Fund holds up three cheques totalling £800. The money was made up of £676 from the fund-raising activities of our Medical Services, plus a further donation of £74 from our Charities Fund, making a round figure of £750. Sister Collins and Vic Evans (seen left) represented Medical when Mr Morfee presented the money. Seen right are Denise Cooper and John Meecham of the Supply Centre through whose efforts a further £50 was raised for the Fund. The grand total was subsequently topped by another £74 donated by people at Mitcheldean in memory of the late Margaret Winch.
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IN APPRECIATION
STAN PRATT The news of the death on September 29 of Stan Pratt at the age of 65 came as a shock to all who knew him at Mitcheldean. He was Director of Engineering Division when he retired in February 1976 after 47 years with the Company. It was at the request of Fred Wickstead, Manager of the Rank Precision Industries Cine B Photographic Division as we were known then, that Stan came to Mitcheldean in 1960 to head up Engineering; it is to FW that we are indebted for this appreciation :
‘I shall always remember with pleasure our association over more than a quarter of a century. Stan Pratt was an individual; a man of tremendous foresight, his ability to predict a weakness in design and have the courage to say so — whether it be to chairman, president, doctor, engineer or apprentice — was followed up by hours of personal investigation to validate his initial prediction.
‘Stan was a perfectionist but not only as an engineer. Over the past 20 years he played a very important role in overall management, making major contributions; his reasoning and judgment were highly respected by his fellow directors and myself. ‘I recall clearly our numerous trips to America and the wonderful associations we established, particularly at Bell & Howell and Xerox. Stan’s opinion was invited, his judgment seriously considered and his further help often requested. I was proud and fortunate to be associated with him. ‘Much has already been written about his professional attainments, but because he was a shy man, few knew of his qualities as a human being. ‘Stan was one of the most sincere persons I have ever met — forthright, even outspoken, but nevertheless a man prepared to help anyone, never flippant, with a keen sense of humour. Above all, his support and loyalty to his fellow colleagues were beyond measure.
‘Although an extremely busy man, Stan managed to keep his priorities in order, he never neglected his wife and family. ‘All who have worked with Stan, argued with him, learnt from him, know that the various companies he was concerned with would have been less successful, less professional without his quiet but major and meticulous contribution. ‘We are all saddened by his premature departure but it comes as some consolation to his family and friends that he died peacefully pursuing his favourite pastime’.
We were sorry to hear of the deaths of two other long-serving people in October.
FRED BROWN Wilfrid Brown, known to most of us as Fred, died on October 1 at the age of 66. He started with the Company in 1940, coming to Mitcheldean from Woodger Road, London, to work in the grinding section of the Tool Room until he took early retirement in 1975. A notable long-distance runner, Fred was one of those who used to organise the successful sports days for British Acoustic Films, as we were once known ; the Tool Room, with runners like Henry Phillips and Ron Wrigglesworth, were consistent winners at these annual events.
33 Years After Last September members of the Military Vehicle Conservation Group and their Dutch colleagues commemorated the 1944 Battle of Arnhem. ‘Operation Market Garden H’—the title referred to the original code name of the Arnhem operation — started in the Belgian town of Zeebrugge, and the convoy of veteran military vehicles proceeded to Arnhem by way of Brussels, Venray and Nijmegen.
A day of rest in Venray was planned for September 14. But it turned out rather differently. The group was greeted by the burgomaster at Venray town hall, and in the afternoon a small party toured the Rank Xerox plant.
Says Henry: ‘Fred was our anchor man as the half-miler. We had to handicap him against the rest of the Plant, but he still touched the tape first.’ He became secretary of Ross Athletic Club on its formation in 1 949 and its chairman in 1953. When the RX 14-mile road race, sponsored by the Sports & Social Club, was revived at Mitcheldean in 1965, Fred organised the event under AAA rules, and it rapidly earned a place in the national sporting calendar, attracting runners of repute from all over the country. A keen cameraman, Fred was for some years a member of our Amateur Photographic Club and a regular competitor in the cine competitions.
RUTH HIGGiNS On October 16 Ruth Higgins died after a long illness; she was 64 and had retired in 1973 after 16 years with us. Ruth worked in Quality Control, much of the time on ‘W’ standard items in Goods Inwards Inspection. Her husband Eric, supervisor in Production Stores, also retired in 1973, after 28 years’ service, and they planned to spend more time together on their favourite hobby — gardening. But as Ruth’s health deteriorated it became difficult to manage their large garden at Ruardean and they moved to a smaller place at St Briavels.
We would like to express our sympathy to the members of all the bereaved families.
Our picture shows them being welcomed by Len Stierman, Director of Manufacturing Operations (Continental), and Lionel Lyes, Director of Personnel, Manufacturing & Supply Operations. Mr Lyes (second from left) took part in the original ‘Market Garden’ operation.
ANY NEWS FOR VISION a
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
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Audrey Carr recently got her ‘0’ levels in English language, and won a fiver in the process— her daughter Patricia bet her she’d never do it.
The fact that she shared the evening course of study with youngsters didn’t worry her. ‘They called me Gran,’ laughed Audrey.
She joined us three years ago in SQA and is now secretary to Bill Nivison, Area Personnel Officer (Manufacturing).
A Londoner, she and husband Bill live in Cinderford in a house they have built themselves. Audrey designed the open-plan interior; Bill, who is a chief instructor at Bristol Skill Centre, coped with the bricks and mortar.
Dancing is one of Audrey’s main hobbies (she taught ballroom dancing before she married) and she and Bill enjoy the dances held in the Ballroom. Her other main interest is catering — for small or large numbers. She’s already booked herself to provide the spread at a double event next Easter when they celebrate their silver wedding and their daughter gets married. Air Force blue will be much in evidence since the bride and groom, and the Carr’s son, Trevor, all serve in the RAF. As for cooking on a smaller scale, Audrey passed her ‘A’ levels with flying colours when she recently provided a home-from-home for Jean-Francois Kokel, an electronics student on exchange from Lille. Said Audrey: ‘I lived with the dictionary on my lap at first.’ But when it came to culinary matters, they talked the same language. We hear he rated Audrey a cook of Cordon Bleu standard — praise indeed from a Frenchman.
Having joined us as an apprentice in 1958, John Harris went into the Tool Room and later transferred to Tool Inspection. Today he works at RX Cinderford as a tool tryout engineer — checking samples of new tooling from vendors, either for new products or modifications of existing ones, trying them out and occasionally visiting the vendors concerned.
John, who is taking a pre-NEBSS (supervisory) course, likes the scale of operations at Cinderford Plant. ‘It’s rather like being in the kind of concern the management experts describe as “organic”, where everybody knows everybody. And Mrs Evans in the canteen feeds us extremely well’, he added.
As vice-chairman of Cinderford Town Council, a governor of Bilson School, a member of the Miners’ Welfare Committee and of the Lower Cinderford Liaison Committee (which acts as a link between residents in the area and the industrial part of the town), John is very involved in Cinderford happenings.
He also represents RX Cinderford on our LSA committee. His many commitments leave John, a married man with two children, a limited amount of leisure time. But he’s been taking his six-year-old son Robert regularly to Cinderford’s swimming pool and, in the few months since it opened, has taught himself to swim, ‘I never had the opportunity before’, he said.
A former amateur boxer, John also enjoys taking young Robert to the boxing club in the Miners’ Hall on Mondays. ‘But I don’t think he’s as hooked on it as I am — yet.’
In a forthcoming Woman’s Own series, Trudie Moore is featured as one of a bevy of ‘undiscovered beauties’. But she’s being discovered more and more these days. Credit for throwing light on her at Mitcheldean goes to the Amateur Photographic Club who viewed her from all angles and in various poses and outfits at their recent portrait session. (Our picture of her was one of those taken by Dave Witts who works on autos at RX Cinderford.) Although only 17, Trudie has already done quite a few modelling jobs and is making a name for herself in beauty competitions. Having won the heats in the ‘Miss She’ and ‘Holiday Princess’ contests at Butlin’s, Minehead, she is going on to the finals of both which are to be held at Brighton in December and January respectively. ‘That means I have to keep the calories down over Christmas,’ says Trudie, who makes many of her own clothes. Daughter of progress chaser Harold Moore, whose success in rearing greyhound winners we’ve reported from time to time, Trudie says that walking the dogs for father helps keep her figure trim. She also works off surplus calories playing hockey at weekends for Monmouth Ladies, along with girl-friend Sian Voyce, who works near her in the Supply Centre. But nothing is allowed to get in the way of her support for Liverpool FC. ‘I rarely miss a game,’ says Trudie. ‘I don’t care how far I have to go !’
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Though you might not guess it from the ‘crazy quiz’ on stress he wrote for the last issue of VISION, stress is a positive part of the working life of Dr Peter Mayes of Materials Quality Assurance.
In fact, down in the new laboratory in Building 32, his team of reliability engineers daily carry out stringent tests on critical parts (electrical — not human !) just to see how much stress can be tolerated by components within their rated limits.
Says Peter, who controls the RCP (Reliability Critical Parts) lab. as part of his responsibilities as Quality Engineering Manager: ‘We give them a belting but we don’t aim to blow them up.’
The object is to ensure that incoming supplies of motors, blowers, switches.
relays and other vital electrical components maintain the standards of reliability set by Design Engineering.
In our May 1976 issue we described the various tests carried out by the Component Test Laboratory in Reliability Engineering before electrical and electro/mechanical components are accepted as fit to be incorporated in our machines.
The parts are duly purchased and, when in succeeding months’ supplies arrive periodically in Goods Inwards, Receiving Inspection test samples to check whether the parts conform to specification.
But even if they do, the parts may not be exactly the same as when they passed their life test in Reliability.
Our supplier may change his suppliers, and the parts he uses to make the Rank Xerox components may consequently change. A small alteration to the materials or methods of construction may be introduced for cost or availability reasons. Whatever it is, the components’ reliability may be affected in such a way that they won’t live up to the number of operational cycles we expect of them before a service call is required. Such changes would be revealed in a life test — but we’d never get machines off the production line if we stopped to give incoming supplies the full treatment in John Gurney’s lab. The RCP lab., however, is geared up to carry out stress tests that can be completed in up to five days.
Below (top): Section leader Dennis Hargreaves and Dr Peter Mayes discuss the setting up of a test rig for a 9200 main drive motor; on the right is secretary Ula Woolley. Below (bottom): Roy Jones measures the angular travel of a coin-op switch during an initial specification test. Right: A zoom lens is given a specification test by Dick Kinsey, during which he checks the current and power, and zooms the lens in and out for a set number of cycles.
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Samples (other than those tested by Receiving Inspection) are loaded on to specially designed rigs simulating the worst conditions that components will experience when working as part of a whole machine. ‘Our aim is to work the component for the maximum number of cycles without the method of testing wrecking it or leading to excessive heat build-up or abnormal wear patterns,’ say the RCP team. Each engineer is held responsible for a particular component, for obtaining the rig, writing the test procedure and following it through, checking the component’s performance. The component design drawing is the engineer’s bible. Specification tests are carried out on the component before and after the stress
test, and the two results are carefully compared to see if the stress test has shown up any weakness. The laboratory equipment includes three climatic chambers where components have to stand up to their rated temperatures (ranging between zero and 100°C) and atmospheres of up to 95 per cent humidity (which is pretty steamy). Should components show signs of faltering after the stress test, the RCP men turn detective, take them to bits and see what’s wrong inside with the aid of a binocular zoom microscope with camera attachment. So, when the failure is referred back to the vendor through the SQA ‘flying squad’, it is in a constructive way, the report being backed up by visible evidence where appropriate. The new laboratory also provides a
failure analysis service for Manufacturing Group, looking at those components which ‘die’ in the course of machine build. ‘We can get a lot of mileage out of this — it helps keep vendors on their toes,’ comments Peter Mayes. A similar facility for printed circuit boards and power supplies is being set up at our Welwyn Plant. It’s all part of the Company’s on-going quality assurance programme, aimed at ensuring that quality is built into our machines, and that their reliability is maintained or even improved.
Below: With the aid of a zoom microscope, IVIil(e Arnison studies the electrical contacts of a switch which has failed its stress test, while a little light is thrown on the subject by a snake-like fibre-optics light source.
Below (top): Vic Jones treats three different types of relays to a ‘sauna’ in one of the three climatic chambers, while a universal loading panel places varying electrical loads on the relays, producing a dazzling disco-type effect in the process. Below (bottom): Malcolm Howard uses an oscilloscope in commissioning two electronic timers for the testing of clutches.
Rhidian Goddard comes up with the un-sobering thought that Its Party TimeAgaiiif It seems to me that no sooner have you finished putting away the beach gear and relegated your summer shorts to the bottom drawer, than somebody is fretting away at the problems of running the next major event of the year — the Christmas party.
I have to admire these perennial stalwarts who seem to dedicate the last four months of the year to planning, organising, promoting and eventually running the Yuletide handicap (my choice of words was deliberate as you will see later on).
Practically every department on site will run an event of some sort varying from an extended lunchtime laugh-in to a full scale evening nosh-up and stagger-round. Depending on your job and popularity rating, you will either end up smashed and more popular, or sober, poorer and looking at job vacancies. The party permutations will include skittles, darts, discos, dances, turkey dinners and copious measures of alcohol as a universal catalyst. The mix of skirts to trousers and whether or not husbands and wives are invited will usually determine what course the party will take.
The relaxing atmosphere created by a mixture of intimate friends and hop wine in the warm chuckling bosom of a Forest hostelry breeds a very different attitude of mind to the more formal constraints anticipated when taking the wife to the larger event at a big impersonal hotel.
But regardless of the enthusiasms and apprehensions generated by the choice of venue and guest-list, one feeling is common throughout. An infectious enthusiasm to enjoy the event at all costs and an increasing resistance to contemplate the consequences.
Perhaps the most lasting memories are those of events where the spouse is included. Those little anecdotes that one takes home from a working day suddenly materialise into flesh and blood, and names innocently
mentioned over supper in connection with some hilarious happening or fraught confrontation at work suddenly have a face. Somehow your partner in life never seems to see your workmates in the same light as you do, and many an attitude has changed as the wife’s or husband’s influence and the Christmas spirit make themselves heard and felt.
One thing is certain — Christmas parties are great levellers. Where else can you call the boss by his christian name and receive a smile in return ? How else can you show the better half that the people you work with are just the same as you underneath, with the same sense of fun, same problems, same ambitions and similar outlook on life?
As well as discovering how people react with their hair down, so to speak, some amazing discoveries have been made at the bar. Did you know, for instance, that a cocktail of tanglefoot and gin is the most effective drum cleaner known to science? Furthermore, did you know that one day’s output from the computer room could provide enough paper Christmas trees to decorate the whole of the Design Department ?
One vintage year that I recall changed my attitude entirely to some of my colleagues who, though demure and self-effacing in the office, were suddenly transformed into raconteurs of no mean calibre by a copious transfusion of Drambuie shandies. They gained in that short space of time a reputation that remained undimmed for months afterwards.
Funny how one hour’s immersion in alcohol can supersede a whole year’s endeavours at the desk. Many are the tales about the trip home and the hidden traps of the Forest lanes, not to mention the familiar, fuddled sheep intent on modifying your offside wing. But don’t run away with the idea
Queen Carolyn Carolyn Davies, a document control clerk in Purchase Department, was the charming queen of Mitcheldean’s carnival on September 3. Nineteen years old, she is the younger daughter of Harcourt Davies of Finance Dept and is engaged to Geoff Tuffley in Refurbishing. Carolyn was crowned by Fred Wickstead who kindly opened the carnival. Mitcheldean Ft District Community Association secretary Ruth Norman recently wrote to ‘convey the thanks of the carnival committee to all those of you at Rank Xerox who did so much to make the carnival a success.’ It raised over £300 which will go towards the upkeep of the Community Centre.
that Christmas parties are all beer and bruises or that they seriously present a handicap to normal working arrangements. All in all, they present golden opportunities for meeting new friends and making lasting relationships in a unique festive atmosphere. We see working colleagues and occasional adversaries in different surroundings and under different conditions. Maybe we see them for the first time as they really are — and that’s what Christmas is all about. Have a good party!
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After all that mental activity something fizzical w/as welcome! Don Elliott fills champion Charles Cunningham’s cup with bubbly after the chess finals. SPIRTS & S&CIAL CLUB
John Taylor takes a look at progress on board 2 during the interdepartmental final.
Cheers for Charles! Management Information Services have won ‘right across the board’ in the 1977 chess tournaments. Charles Cunningham, winner of the individual championship and captain of the victorious MIS ‘Mars’ team in the interdepartmental final, carried an armful of trophies away from the prize presentation held on September 28.
In the Portman Cup individual match, which took place earlier on September 13 between him and MIS colleague Jim Hodgkinson, Charles maintained the initiative, bringing off a winning attack which led to Jim’s resignation on the 34th move. Then, on prize night, MIS retained the Wickstead Shield playing against Group Materials. For the benefit of chess players, here are the main features of the contests at each board, all of which commenced with the Ruy Lopez opening : Board 1: Chiarles Cunningtiam {black) V. Dave Payne {white) A carefully played opening by both players led to an interesting game in which white maintained the initiative. During the middle game, white strengthened his position and gained a pawn. Then a miscalculation by white transposed the game, and black immediately produced a very strong attack which led to white’s resignation on the 28th move.
Board 2: Ray Barnett {white) v. Richard Walker, capt. {black) Black accepting the pawn sacrifice variation led to an interesting position in which white missed an opportunity to gain a knight. The middle game was somewhat double-edged and led to complications, and by careful play white, with an exchange of pieces, gained a knight. From then on white capitalised on his advantage and finally mated black on his 48th move.
Board 3: Roger Harris {black) v. Barry Greenwood {white) Negative play in the opening by both players resulted in black gaining a pawn. In an interesting middle game an error by white led to black winning the exchange of a rook for a bishop and, with the pawn advantage that he gained from the opening, played correctly by exchanging piece for piece. Then, with black having a strong position and material advantage, white resigned on the 45th move.
Organising events like these involve a lot of hard grind, and thanks are due to Chess Club chairman Terry Simpson, secretary Dave Bourne (OA), John Taylor (Design Engineering), Glyn Williams (MIS) and all who helped to bring the tournaments to a successful conclusion. Thanks also go to Works Manager Don Elliott for presenting the trophies and providing a bottle of celebration bubbly.
Bridge Moves By the time this issue appears, more champions will have joined the ranks of those featured on these pages. On November 8, after we had gone to press, the RX Bridge Club held Pairs Championships for the first time, to be followed by an Individual Championship on November 29. The Bridge Club has a particular reason for holding these events, which are intended to become annual ones. They want to assess the possible support for organised bridge sessions at Mitcheldean, with a view to holding regular meetings in the new club house when it is opened next year.
At present, bridge is a very popular lunchtime activity. In the refreshment area of Design Engineering in Building 51, for instance, a three-table movement is regularly played, and at least one committee member can always be found here who will be pleased to meet any interested player or would-be player. A number of club members regularly play bridge at Newent, Gloucester and Cheltenham, and the club also has two teams playing bridge in the new Gloucester Winter Bridge League. Anyone wanting information regarding the RXBC is invited to contact one of the following : Dennis Barnard (ext. 1383), Wilf Jones (694), Ray Reed (695), Mike Wilding (430) or myself on 322. Ron Carter
On Its Feet The Dancing Club is on its feet again, and with a membership of 34 — and more expected, it has applied for affiliation to the Sports & Social Club. At a meeting on October 14 the following were elected : chairman — Ira Griffin; treasurer—Bill Jones; secretary— Brian Wilks; committee — Roger Aston, Ron Day, Bob Howell, Len Jones, Fred Long, Mary Meek, Patricia Oldridge, Ted Pearce, Jill Trigg. MfiTy T|ME/ As already announced, the annual children’s parties will be on January 7 (for the five to sevens) and January 21 (for the eight to tens). Film shows, entertainment, food and gifts are being organised, so if you are an employee/parent make sure you complete one of the application tickets (enclosed in copies of this issue where appropriate) and return it by the due date to Sports ft Social Club secretary Anne Fox, Bid 51/3.
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Ray Spencer (left) stiakes hands with singles champ Ken Blackwell after the final.
Tennis Champs It was chilly but fine for the Tennis Club finals on September 11. The mixed doubles were played off as a round robin tournament, individual results showing how evenly matched the pairs were; Robin Berks and Val Jordan won with 16 games, closely followed by Mike Keen and Janet Blackwell (15) and Hubert Evans and Tania Symonds (14).
Both contenders for the men’s singles title came from PED — ex-apprentice Ray Spencer and newcomer Ken Blackwell who joined us at the end of May from H. J. Heinz. The trauma of moving house the same weekend didn’t put Ken off his stroke and he scored 6 : 2, 6 : 4 to secure the championship. The tournament trophies were presented at a social evening held on November 15. Chairman Hubert tells us that the section has a current membership of 23, and the courts at the Cinderford Rugby Football Club have been well used this year. When the season starts again next Easter our tennis players will be able to enjoy the facilities of the RFC’s new social club house.
People with Pull Ever get the feeling people are pulling against you ? The new Tug of War section get it all the time. Determined to become a side to be reckoned with, they’ve been practising three times a week and getting to grips with the local competition on every possible occasion.
‘We beat the Cross Ash team at Weston-under-Penyard recently and won 12 quarts of cider at Cinderford during Carnival Week’, reports their captain Dave Whitfield of Group Quality Assurance. But a team of hefty farmers at Lydbrook aren’t giving way an inch — maybe they have a tractor on their side ?
Sporting their new Rank Xerox emblazoned kit, the RX section have attended two important tournaments in recent weeks. Although in the 600 kilo class, they entered for the 640 and 660 kilo
classes as well at ICI, Gloucester, on September 3. As this was their first AAA event, they didn’t expect to win, especially since their opponents in the first round of the 600 were last year’s Welsh champions. ‘But we got them moving,’ says Dave, ‘and earned a round of applause; and we nearly won our first round in the 640.’
Qn September 25 there was an outing to Barry where they tested their strength against various weights at RAF St Athan’s. Though they didn’t carry off any prizes, they gained valuable experience. ‘We’re getting better all the time,’ says Andrew Wilks of Engineering.
Golf Finals The Inter-plant Competition for the Haggett Cup was contested at Frilford Heath on October 19. Six 6-man teams took part — two from RX Mitcheldean, two from Welwyn, one from Milton Keynes and one from Observatory House.
Congratulations must go to the Welwyn ‘A’ team who emerged victors on this occasion with the Milton Keynes team as runners-up. RX Mitcheldean ‘A’ team (the cup-holders) could manage only third place.
With the Inter-plant Cup decided, all RXGS competitions are now completed. The results for the latter part of the season were as follows:
Knowie — Summer Cup winner — Tony Haynes; runner-up— Harold Gardner.
Burford—Tony Haynes again made this his day by tying both the morning and afternoon rounds to pick up the £5 voucher. Tony tied with Terry Jones in the morning and John Spratley in the afternoon.
Cirencester— Scratch Cup winner — Geoff Paton; runner-up—Bill Meek. This is the second year running that Geoff has won this cup.
Rabbits Cup — The final of the Rabbits Cup between Terry Jones and Pete Pritchard produced golf of a high standard. The 18-hole final finished in a tie and was decided by a sudden death play-off which Terry won at the 19th hole {not the bar).
Former British diid US golf champion Tony Jacklin recently won the Rank Xerox English professional golf championship. Our picture shows him receiving the cup, and the first prize of €3,000, from Way land Hicks (right). Managing Director of Rank Xerox (UK) Ltd. Tony Jacklin is the only golfer who has ever won the British and US golf championships in the same year On his way to the Rank Xerox event he notched up the course record of 64.
Round Robin—Don (Spot) Meek and Roy Powell contested the 36-hole final of this competition. The first 18 holes at Ross-on-Wye saw Spot come away with a 3-hole lead; at Coleford, in the second leg, Roy fought back well but Spot held on for a 2 and 1 win.
Order of Merit — This is probably the most difficult competition of all to win since it is played over the full season with the best six cards counting. Tony Haynes was the golfer showing most consistency by winning the Order of Merit with 69 pts. Runner-up was Dave Robinson (57), closely followed by John Cash (56), John Spratley (53), Tony Knight and Harold Gardner (52 each). A.J.C.
Pistols against Police The Shooting Club put three entries in the team event when the 10th West Mercia Constabulary Pistol Championships were held on October 15. Rank Xerox ‘B’ team, consisting of Bill Acland, Terry Darrington, Richard Nichols and Graham Riddiford, did well to come fifth out of 12 entries with a score of 914 (highest was 1,001); the ‘A’ and ‘C teams came eighth and tenth respectively.
Wearing their Rank Xerox emblazoned kit and doctored Army boots, our tug-of-war team exert some pull, urged on by their trainer Richard Daniels. They are, from the right, Dave Whitfield (capt.), Phil Eagles, Bill Whitfield, Andrew Wilks. Steve Harris, Colin Williams, Chris Pritchard and Mike Weaving.
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Pamela and Gary Sladen Bob Hill, who has looked after our chocolate I cigarette vending machines for the past eight years, retired on October 14. In addition to gifts from the Canteen staff and Sutcliffe’s, he received brandy and cigars from the Sports Et Social Club for whom he collected Bonanza subs. Here Bob lights up the first of the cigars.
Stephen and Carol Foxwell
Roger and Elizabeth Court
Births Joanne Marie, a daughter for Shirley Williams (formerly Goods Inwards Office) and husband Robert, on August 17. Elaine Louise, a daughter for Brian Smith (Group QA) and his wife Sandra (formerly secretary to Brian Weyman, Manager SQA) on September 25. Christopher, a son for Richard Coote (Group QA) and Lynne (formerly Training Dept), on September 28. James David, a son for Chris Saunders (Finance) and his wife Wendy, on September 30. Zena Elaine, a daughter for lain Dyche (9200 Dept) and his wife Sandra, on October 13. Paula Elizabeth, a daughter for Mike Howell (Design Engineering) and his wife Lynne, on October 22.
Weddings Roger Court (Receiving Inspection) to Elizabeth Flute at Tenby Methodist Church on September 3. Pamela Watkins (secretary to Brian James, Engineering Co-ordination) to Gary Sladen (PED) at St James’s Church, Bream, on September 10. Jane Haggar (Finance) to Roger Baldwin (PED) at Lydbrook Church on September 10. Margaret Bennett (Electrical Sub-assembly) to Michael Hook at Ruardean Church on September 17. Carol Wall (secretary to Ted Sage, 9200 Family Assembly) to Stephen Foxwell (9200 Assembly) at Lydbrook Parish Church on September 24. Jane Elsmore (secretary to Bernard Morris, Personnel) to John Evans (Finance) at Christchurch Church on October 15.
Goods Inwards storekeeper Reg Perkins retired on September 30, having been absent only three times in 13 years. Friends and workmates gave him an electric over-blanket, presented by Stores/Stock Control Manager Brian Barnes, and teased him about becoming a lollipop man!
Retirements Our best wishes go to : Jean Harper (Stationery) who took early retirement in September, having been with us since February 1966; Harold Edwards (Supply Centre) who retired in October after more than 17 years with us; and to the following who leave in Nov/Dec — Francis Jordan (Works Engineering) who came in December 1965; George Starkey (Machine Shop) whose service amounts to some 11 years; and Edward Cocks (Supply Centre) who has been with us for nearly seven years.
Engagement Stephen Carpenter (Facilities Planning) to Karen Griffiths in September.
Obituary We report with regret the death of Cyril Smith (Cycle Counting, Finance) on September 8 at the age of 57 after only seven months at Mitcheldean. Our sympathy goes to his family.
When Harold Edwards {Supply Centre) retired, he received a fine clock, a tankard and a farewell card with four sheets of signatures from colleagues.
Michael and Margaret Bennett
YEARS ON RECORD
This year, the eleven people featured here have been awarded 30 or 35-year emblems, plus a gift of their own choice, in acknowledgment of loyal service to the Company.
Iris Stanton Bob Taylor Lilian Criddle Thirty-five Years— Iris Stanton, who retires this December, is our only female machine operator. She came to us from a Government Training Centre, and has worked mainly on milling machines. ‘Machines called for a lot more hand operation years ago — we didn’t have the sophisticated fixtures of today’, says Iris. Bob Taylor joined the Drawing Office in 1942, switched later to assembly work on Bell & Howell products, then in 1959 moved into the servicing side. In 1963 he transferred to Rank Audio Visual service dept at Shepherds Bush, London, returning two years later to join our Component Test Dept; he’s now in Systems Evaluation & Test (Reliability Engineering). Lilian Criddle joined British Acoustic Films, as we were known then, to work in the coil-winding department, moving on to electrical sub-assembly — first on B & H products and later on Xerox machines. Now engaged on prototype electrical subs, she says: ‘I’m happy here — I must be to stay all this time I’
Don Elliott Sylvia Powell Thirty Years— Don Elliott joined as an electro-mechanical repair man, becoming Production Supervisor on B & H cine equipment; he was appointed Quality Control Supervisor in 1951, then QC Manager two years later. Subsequently, as Manager, Xerox Operations, Don was involved in the production of our first copier — the 914, With the advent of remodelling/reconditioning concepts, he became Manager, International Reconditioning, then in 1969 Don was appointed Works Manager of Mitcheldean, the position he holds today. In his transition from the sharp end of our earlier operations, Don insists his most rewarding experiences have been with and about people — ‘our most valuable asset,’ Sylvia Powell started work on B & H 16mm projectors; she later joined 813 assembly, being the only woman member of the pre-production team. She has remained in the electrical sub-assembly field ever
Jack Woods Stan Wheeler Jack Woods came into Accounts as assistant to Bernard Smith and in 1954 succeeded him as Works Accountant. He was appointed Manager Administration in 1972 (still in the finance area), then in 1976 moved into Personnel when the administration function was merged with that department. Stan Wheeler started at Woodger Rd, London, on studio and cinema film equipment: he later switched to Quality Control becoming Chief Inspector. In 1957 he came to Mitcheldean to work on electric/ electronic design and development in Engineering and is now Area Manager, Components, Electronics & Optics (including product safety). ‘I’ve always counted myself lucky at having a sophisticated and exciting working environment set in a
Frank Bick Bill Cinderey since, becoming a chargehand in 1964. Sylvia has been a representative on the ASTMS negotiating committee for about ten years. Frank Bick’s career with us has been entirely in the Finishing area. Having started in the Polishing Shop, he became chargehand, his responsibilities eventually covering all Finishing operations— polishing, vibro, plating, painting and heat treatment. Bill Cinderey came into Carpentry at 14, then after national service returned to work in the Case Shop, becoming chargehand, then supervisor. In 1966 he switched to assembly work on the 813, later the 660, and has remained with this model ever since, currently as an inspector. He’s been an AUEW shop steward since 1968 and has served on the negotiating committee for the industrial unions for the last four years.
Ken Fox Ivor Ward beautiful rural living place’, he says. Ken Fox began as a tool engineer, then moved towards the design responsibility for B & H products and Burroughs microfilm equipment. Responsible for drawing and design of the first 914, he then concentrated entirely on xerographic equipment. ‘Today we are engineering in a highly systematised environment’, comments Ken, Manager, Section A (9200 and related programmes). Ivor Ward started in Finishing, went on into Inspection and has been involved with Quality ever since. In 1965/66 he moved into Gauge Planning (PED) and is currently Section Leader, Materials Quality Engineering. ‘Despite advances in systems, etc., the basic problems in producing parts/machines remain the same’, says Ivor.
12 Printed in England by Taylor, Young (Printers) Ltd.
