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Vision 131

May/June 78 No. 131
THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN
With a waving of handkerchiefs and clashing of sticks, Mitcheldean village’s own Morris Men made their first public appearance on May 1 this year.
The last Morris group was disbanded at the turn of the century and it has taken the advent of a brand new public holiday to revive an old custom.
The hand-picked sides underwent intensive training with the experienced Forest of Dean Morris Men who
initiated them into ancient rites originally designed to ensure that the broad beans and curly kale came on a treat (cheaper than fertiliser).
Looking very smart in their black and white outfits with bells on, they danced outside the George Hotel to the music of piano accordion and pipe and tabor, then led the May Queen procession along the High Street, with a brief stop to down a pint at the White Horse.
With two exceptions, the dancers — Bob Auker-Howlett, Vic Baker, Maurice Brain, Vere Christopher, Tony Davis, Tom Mockford, Dave Norman, Dave Potts, Dave Read, Bill Smith, Ian Van Ryne, Ken Williams and Bob Young — all work at Rank Xerox, as does musician John Ralph who danced a solo jig with great verve.
See page 3 for more pictures of May Day happenings.
Below: Chargehand Richard Williams explains to the Mayor and Mayoress the computerised system of inspection on the 9200 floor — the punched card indicates that an assembly has been ‘inspected’ by the Data Logger, passed as OK and can be removed from the set, check and log (SCL) fixture. Right (top): PR Manager Jimmy Bake introduces the Deputy Mayoress to a sorter on the 4500/5400 floor. Right (below): A Bristol Branch sales executive demonstrates the 9200 to the Lord Mayor of Bristol
A DAY TO REMEMBER Both we at Mitcheldean and Rank Xerox Bristol Branch were delighted to welcome civic dignitaries to our separate locations during the first week in April — the one being just a friendly visit, the other a more formal occasion. It was on April 7 that the Mayor of Gloucester, Councillor John Robins, accompanied by the Mayoress and the Deputy Mayoress, came to Mitcheldean. For Cllr Robins it was a return visit— he last came here In 1962. Our visitors toured the Plant and the Supply Centre, then were entertained to lunch at which they were joined by some 50 people representing a cross-section of the workforce. On April 3 the Lord Mayor of Bristol officially opened the new Rank Xerox Bristol Branch premises in Howard House, Queens Avenue. In this building — probably the most modern in the city — the Company have taken some 1 5,000 square feet, spread over three floors, to house a staff of over 150 marketing a wide range of our products. This is combined with a large distribution and refurbishing depot at Avonmouth and a Technical Training Centre on Temple Way. City Success Story The Rank Xerox success story in the City of Bristol started back in March 1958 with the opening of an office in Clifton and just one type of machine to sell — the 1385. June 1965 saw a move to Marsh Street and the formation of the Bristol Branch; with the increase in products, staff and continuing success, another move was necessary during January 1974 when the branch moved to Barton House, St James Barton. Although some 10,000 sq. ft. of space was in use, 1978 saw the need for even more room and yet another move — to Howard House. Among those present at the opening of the branch’s fourth home, set in one of the prime areas of the city, were representatives of some of the Company’s most valued customers. Micheldean was represented by Public Relations Manager Jimmy Bake.
Mayor at Work We have councillors and chairmen of councils, magistrates and other dignitaries among our personnel, but as far as we know we’ve never before had a mayor in our midst. This omission has been put right with the election of Frank Beard, Machine Operations Supervisor in the Supply Centre, as Cinderford’s first Town Mayor. Frank, who has been chairman of the Town Council for the past two years and a councillor ‘longer than I care to remember’, will be inaugurated during Cinderford carnival week in August (Frank is also chairman of the carnival committee).
Chain of Office The Sheriff of Gloucester, Councillor Gordon Williams, presents the first chain of office to the chairman of the North Gloucestershire branch of the Institution of Works Managers — our Works Manager Don Elliott, who was a founder member of the branch in 1959.
(Photo courtesy The Citizen & Gloucester Journal).
Rewarding Work Two of our apprentices have won prizes in the Wales & West Region section of Craftex ’78, a competition organized by the Engineering Industry Training Board which is open to third-year craft trainees. The successful lads are 18-year-olds Jeffrey Russell and Shaun (Kim) Toombs. Kim, son of Brian in Works Engineering, gained a second prize in the Turning section. Jeffrey came third in Fabrication — quite an achievement, since this section of the competition hinged on the heavy stuff while Jeffrey has only had experience of the lighter aspect of fabrication. He and Kim have been invited to
attend the prize-giving ceremony at Cardiff City Hall on June 17 to receive their financial awards and certificates.
Royal Occasion Another notable event which two other Rank Xerox apprentices — Dave Beach and Spencer Johnson — were invited to attend was the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Cowley Manor on May 19. The purpose of the visit was to review the progress being made by youngsters in Gloucestershire who are doing various projects for their Duke of Edinburgh Award. In previous issues we’ve featured the good work that Dave and Spencer have been doing, along with other members of Coleford Youth Club, in connection with the Olde Ferrie Inn Disabled Children’s Angling Club (of which Dave is now vice-chairman and Spencer a committee member).
Prize-winners Jeffrey Russell and (rigfit) Kim Toombs.
The two apprentices chose this for their award project, which is how the Duke came to see a group of disabled but enthusiastic youngsters fishing in Cowley Manor waters, with the assistance of Dave, Spencer and other youth club members. liiTcHGbDear^
The handing over of a £700 cheque by Mitcheldean Jubilee Association towards the projected new Scout/Guide HQ escalated into traditional May Day celebrations in which many RX people participated. We picture some of the highlights below.
Before changing into Morris gear, Dave Norman, chairman of the Jubilee Association, crowned Tina Smith Queen of the May and presented flowers and scrolls to her and her attendants, Louise Beard and Amanda Berry.
Dr Roger Martin and Harold Hale carried a Double Gloucester cheese around the Parish Church on a stretcher; despite a shaky start, it finished the parade without needing medical attention.
Children dancing round the maypole — the traditional symbol of the fertile transition into summer.
Riders carrying their mounts’ got a wetting in the ‘Grand National Hobby Horse Race organized by Paul Cooper. Thirty-six entrants completed the formidable course.
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Nick Swan’ of Engineering answers would-be wine-makers’ questions and offers some hints on HOW TO WIN wrrawEHE
We have many get-togethers
Why do we make wine? Well, I make it because it is very expensive to buy good commercial wines; and very good wines, better than cheap plonk, can be made with very little expense plus a bit of time and effort. A bottle of home-made wine can be produced for as little as lOp, and it will be better than the cheaper range of commercials. This was my initial reason for making wine, but now I find the social and outdoor life involved is a major part of the motivation. I joined the local wine-makers circle where I met kindred spirits and we have many get-togethers for dances and tasting sessions as well as the outdoor activities of fruitpicking, picnics, camping, etc. It’s well worth joining your local circle, if only for the know-how you can pick up about the subject. Right — that’s why wine is made. Now, what do we make ? You name it, we can make it — anything from light, delicate table wines to full-bodied dessert wines, even liqueurs; or just a social wine for drinking in the evenings — one which is not too strong so you can drink plenty of it!
If it grows, you can make wine from it.
What do we make it from ? This could be a never-ending list, but, basically, if it grows you can make wine from it. There are, of course, a few exceptions so investigate your ingredient’s winemaking potential before using it. The main ingredients fall into the following groups: fruit, flowers and petals, roots, grain and leaves. An important point to remember is to use only ingredients which are at the peak of their condition — poor quality ingredients equal poor quality wines. The perfect medium for making wine is the grape which contains
everything essential for perfect fermentation to attain a good wine. In the case of every other basic ingredient that we use, there is always something lacking or too much of something else. This is why we have to balance carefully our ingredients to obtain the best results. An important consideration when making a wine is deciding what type of wine will suit the basic ingredient at hand. For example, flower wines should be light-bodied, of low alcohol content and fresh tasting; too much alcohol will overpower the ‘bouquets’ which we try to get from flowers. Fruits like elderberry, blackberry, sloe, etc., should be used for medium to full-bodied dessert wines; these can take the high alcohol levels because of their strong flavours.
Desirable Qualities Now let’s look at the wine itself and how we produce its various qualities. First, bouquet— its nose, as we wine-makers call it. This should be fresh and fruity. Young wines generally have poor bouquet; as they mature the bouquet becomes more pronounced. Next, we look for body. Table wines should be light, dessert wines full-bodied. Many home-made wines have to have special ingredients added to give them body because of the lack of it in the make-up of the main ingredient. Typical examples are: all flower and petal wines (all we get from these are bouquet and flavour); some leaf wines; and, especially, plum which is a favourite product. To add body we use raisins, bananas, grain and a few other oddments. If you can afford it, then grape concentrate is the best to use. The last and most important quality of all is the flavour. This comes from the juices of the fruits and flowers, etc. Again, flavour is generally related to the amount of juice in our ingredients. Leaves and petals are fairly dry so the flavour is light and delicate; elderberries, blackberries, etc., are mainly juice and are strong-flavoured. We generally aim at a finished wine that balances the strength of flavour of the ingredients used.
To extract flavours from the fruits, petals, etc., we must soak them in water for three or four days — no longer. The fruit is generally crushed or pulped and placed in a closely covered bucket. To this we add water and a teaspoon per gallon of pectic enzyme. This chemical breaks down the cells of the fruit and aids better juice extraction; it destroys a substance called pectin which causes a haze in many wines, so it aids clearing. Acid and tannin levels also play a large part in the flavour of wine. Acid is an important factor in the wine quality; lack of it will mean a poor fermentation and a medicinal taste, lack of character and an insipid finished wine; too much and the wine will be sharp. The main acids we use are the juice of lemons or citric acid, added according to the recipe instructions. Tannin is the substance which gives all wines a zest or bite which would otherwise be lacking. It is the tannin which gives that impression of dryness in the mouth after drinking. Too much will make the wine sharp, astringent and bitter; too little will make it characterless, insipid and flat. It also helps with the clearing and maturing of the wine.
Look for its nose and body.
Tannin is found in the skins of most red fruits, apples, plums, oak leaves and tea leaves. To all flower and grain wines you should add one teaspoon of grape tannin or one tablespoon of strong tea. I hope those of you who are interested in home wine-making will find the foregoing useful. Next issue I’ll be getting down to the ‘actuals’— what equipment you need, how to prepare your ingredients, what fermentation is and how to make wine.
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Graham Elsmore and Stuart Harrold used this Escort RS1800 ‘commercial on wheels’ in the Circuit of Ireland Rally — note Rank Xerox were among the sponsors.
Local rally star Graham Elsmore and his co-driver, RX design engineer Stuart Harrold, are racing along the track to international fame. Their names now top the second seed list, nudging those of rally aces like Roger Clark and Hannu Mikkola. A long list of successes during 1977 in the gruelling sport of rally driving brought them three championships, including the RAC Rally Championship in which they won their Group 1 car category (limited modifications). Last November Graham and Stuart hit the headlines in the local motoring press when they completed a hat-trick of Wyedean rally victories. Having come first overall in 1975 and 1976 in the Forest of Dean Motor Club National Wyedean stages, they clocked up 76 minutes and 41 seconds over some 65 miles of tough forest tracks to win the 1977 event as well. Two other Rank Xerox people — Chris Bell (Group Personnel) and Dave Brisker (who worked in Supply Centre before moving to Belmont House) — also took part in the Wyedean rally, coming third in their class. Discovering their common interest in the sport, Chris and Dave formed a driving partnership with Chris as co-driver. Their biggest success to date has been the 1977 Price Check
Driver Dave Brisker and {right) Chris Bell, his co-driver and navigator.
Rally Championship, which they won competing against well over 100 cars in their 1300 cc Ford Escort. Rally driving is an expensive business and sponsorship is all-important — but you can’t get sponsors until you’ve proved yourself. Generally speaking, the more your car looks like a commercial on wheels, the better for your pocket. For this year’s RAC Open Rally Championship, based on seven international rallies run in the British Isles, Graham and Stuart are running a Group 4 Escort RSI 800, loaned by the Ford Motor Co., and prepared and entered by Thomas Motors of Blackpool who sponsor the pair. They have already come fifth overall in the first two qualifying rallies — the Mintex and the Circuit of Ireland events. Among the sponsors of the latter rally were Rank Xerox Belfast, and a 9200 machine — another winner in its class — ran off the results. In Ireland they close roads for these activities, but in the UK most rallies are run on Forestry Commission land, which means a bumpy ride on
Stuart IHarrold, co-driver and navigator for local rally star Graham Elsmore (right). unsurfaced tracks at over lOOmph, and the occasional confrontation with fir trees. Sometimes a car ends up on its roof; but safety regulations are stringent enough to ensure that drivers generally dent only their vehicles — and their egos ! Taking part in a rally can mean being at the wheel 20 hours at a time, with only stops to service the car, and the men. They exist on glucose drinks, cheese and biscuits, apples, etc.; little and often is the rule. Last year Graham and Stuart did a lot of one-day events, but now that they have moved up into the big league just about all their holidays will go for rallying in the UK and abroad. By the time this issue appears, they will have completed their fourth qualifying event in the RAC Championship at Aviemore; having had the bad luck to be disqualified in the 250-mile International Welsh Rally, they were hoping to gain lost ground in Scotland. Dave and Chris are currently taking part in the British National Championship and recently went to Aberdeen to complete another of the seven rounds required. Here’s hoping we have some more successes to report later on.
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Assistant Design Manager Martin Warner (far left) discusses a logic problem with members of the 5400 design team — Dave Haynes, Norman Masters and John Millwater. The card cage holds the printed circuit boards housing the microprocessor.
Main line assembly operator Joe Hale fits the semi-automatic document handler supporting frame, nicknamed the ‘wrap-around’. On the right, Chargehand Ray Powell and Albert Webb of Manufacturing Engineering discuss a process improvement.
Magnetic brushes for applying developer to the drum are part of the 9200 system technology used to achieve outstanding copy quality. Here Robert Evans (right) sets the magnetic roll rack assembly; with him is Ted Meadows of TED who, working with Planning engineer Ken Townsend, designed the setting fixture and its associated gauging.
Linda Trim works on the console sub-assembly. The most noticeable difference between this and the 4500 console is that, instead of two dials, a keyboard is used for selecting the number of copies required.
Petite programmer Audrey Kwong of MIS (home of our main computer) finds out how the microprocessor-controlled 5400 takes work ‘out of your hands’.
It has an intelligent face; it’s friendly — you can not only tell it what you want done but ask it if anything seems to be wrong. And it’s smart — in appearance and performance. That’s the Xerox 5400, the latest Rank Xerox machine. Successor to the 4000 and 4500, it was launched in the UK at the Repro Doex exhibition in London this May, having already made a successful debut at the recent Hanover Fair, Europe’s largest industrial exhibition. This ‘print room in miniature’ has three strong selling points — excellent copy quality, reliability and high productivity. Designed for the medium volume user (15,000 to 50,000 copies per month), it packs into a comparatively small frame many of the features previously available only in high volume print room duplicating machines — automatic sorting, document handling and two-sided copying. The outstanding copy quality — whether line, solid area or half-tone reproduction — has been achieved by using much of the technology developed for the 9200, such as magnetic brushes to apply developer to the drum, improved vacuum brush cleaning, etc.
Going by Air You have to hand it to the built-in semi-automatic document handler — in fact, that’s all the operator does have to do ! By means of a unique belt and vacuum transport system, each original is gently floated into position over the platen, held until the required number of copies has been made, and then released and stacked in the correct sequence in the output tray. This means that the 5400 can be entrusted with valuable or delicate originals which might suffer from constant handling. If you want to copy bound documents and threedimensional objects, then you just raise the document handler clear of the platen. Another time-saver is the bi-directional sorter. A study in perpetual motion, it operates from top to bottom and then, instead of returning to the starting position, fills from bottom to top, thus keeping pace with the processor.
A Thinifing Machine The most exciting technological innovation is the ‘intelligence’ built into the 5400. Consisting of a group of printed circuit boards, the machine’s microprocessor ‘brain’ not only controls the actions of the machine but also diagnoses any job interruptions. To begin with, it does a self-test, in a fraction of a second, every time the machine is turned on. Common interruptions such as ‘doors open’, ‘add toner’, are
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identified by the flashing of a code in the copy counter window. The operator can then check this against a quick reference list on the top of the machine and put things right without the need for special training. In fact, the utter reliability of the 5400 in producing perfect results for the untrained operator is one of its attractive features. Should the problem require the expertise of a service engineer, he can use these diagnostic abilities to locate and repair the machine in the minimum of time, and can also use the system to check other parts of the machine. In the case of an interruption, the microprocessor doesn’t lose its head; it recalls the exact point when the job was interrupted and tells the operator how to proceed — even if it’s in the middle of sorting two-sided copies. Should any of the originals need to be recopied, it even tells which ones so the correct number of sets is always completed. The user can dial any number of copies up to 99; when the job is complete the selector reverts to ’01’ to avoid the possibility of the next user making unwanted copies — a helpful feature for paying customers who like to keep an eye on costs.
Mitcheldean’s Part What of Mitcheldean’s part in the 5400 story? Says Dick Delahay, Technical Programme Manager: ‘We built prototypes in 1976 and it has been a pretty high level of activity here for two years, with the system being proved by in-house trials and qualification tests.’ Vernon Smith, Manufacturing Programme Manager, reports that ‘although a large number of late modifications identified in Xerox had to be cut in, we were able to implement them and still meet, within a few days, the first production machine shipment.’ ‘In the USA, where it was introduced last summer, the 5400 is already doing excellent business and,’ says Stewart Jones, 5400 Group Programme Manager, ‘initial customer reaction over here is very favourable.’ We went to press too early to report on the machine’s reception at Repro Doex but all the signs were that it would prove a star attraction — something for which every member of the 5400 team and supporting services at Mitcheldean can take credit.
SOME FACTS & FIGURES ABOUT THE 5400
# it produces copies at the rate of 45 a minute (2,700 per hour at top speed).
9 the document handler accepts originals from 127mm x 203mm (5in. x Sin.) to 215mm by 356mm (SJin. x 14ini7 in weights from 46gsm to 120gsm. % the really effective copy lighter/copy darker feature ensures good results from faded or coloured-paper documents.
0 each of the two paper trays will hold up to 500 sheets of SOgsm paper in sizes from 203mm x 254mm (8in. x lOin.) to 215mm by 356mm (SJin. x 14in.) Weight range is 60gsm to 120gsm.
% the on-line sorter has 20 bins, each with a capacity of 50 sheets of SOgsm paper; when sorting is not required, the bottom bin acts as a receiving tray and will then hold 150 sheets.
The diagnostic ability of the microprocessor not only helps the user and service engineer — it also assists in the build of the 5400. Here electrical adjuster Richard Wood (left) and Roy McAllan of Mfg Eng. interrogate the machine about its components as part of the electrical run.
An upgraded version of the 4500 sorter, the 5400 sorter collates in both directions. Our picture shows one being tested by Lige Meek against a processor simulator; on the right is Chargehand Dave Pollock.
Compared with the 4500, more test documents, and copies, are required to prove the 5400’s high copy quality, so Pat Skelton (OA) appreciates the assistance of the semi-automatic document handler. Seen with him is Keith Pritchard.(Mfg Eng).
In the Supply Centre, New Product Launch Co-ordinator Don McCall (right) of Customer Service and John Meecham of Inventory Planning B Control work in close liaison to ensure parts are available to customers to support each phased release of the launch.
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It was jogging, not spare part surgery, that led to the rejuvenation of Brian Lewis, gold medallist and Olympic hope (veteran class) for Rank Xerox. Our Senior Resident, Centralised Products, at Webster for the past 2^ years, Brian was worried about his waistline; after a routine check-up the doc prescribed regular exercise. Brian started jogging; then one day he went into a sports shop for new track shoes and came out with a bicycle. Not faulty eyesight but a resurgence of a former enthusiasm — Brian is an ex-racing cyclist. He joined a cycling club, got his racing licence and by last summer had won his class in a road race. That took care of good weather exercise; but you can’t cycle in Webster-style snow. He and his wife Christine and their three children had already started cross-country ski-ing for pleasure the previous winter. But the racing bug had bitten deep and, having joined a cross-country ski club, Brian shot in record time from being a novice to winner of the men’s 40-plus class in a big charity race. ‘I was the youngest 40-year-old in the race,’ says Brian proudly. Then last January he won the gold medal he’s displaying here, as winner for his age group in the Monroe County Ski Race. Brian comes from a sporting family. Brother John (Mfg Engineering) is chairman of the Forest of Dean Motor Club while Colin (Machine Shop Inspection) has just ‘retired’ from playing rugby. Next year Brian will qualify for more awards — for 25 years’ service — ‘The longest course I’ve tackled yet,’ he comments.
The Jubilee has come and gone but the Jubilee spirit in Mitcheldean village lives on, and will continue to do so as long as we have lively people like Phyllis Christopher to get things going. Not that her involvement in community activities began with helping to organize last year’s celebrations — far from it. A member of the parish council for five years, and a manager of Mitcheldean School, she gives time and effort to activities ranging from the Scouts to the United Charities committee, of which she is a trustee.
Her husband Vere, who works in Reliability, can testify to the fact that Phyllis is good at getting people’s co-operation. He was among those who were coaxed into becoming Mitcheldean’s own Morris Men pictured on our front cover. But Phyllis doesn’t just get other people to do things — she does them herself, and Vere often lends a hand. It was they who planted the daffodils and bedding plants to brighten the village this spring ; they helped to ‘plant’ those other bulbs too — electric ones — to light up our High Street at Christmastime. Phyllis joined our Machine Shop when she was 17, and later worked in Bell & Howell assembly. She and Vere have three children, a boy and a girl of school age, and son Mark who, like Phyllis, works today in Electrical Sub-assembly. Another close relative at the Plant is her brother John Shields, a supervisor in 4500/5400 Assembly. Even at holidaytime Phyllis continues to contribute; once again she’s using part of her entitlement to help run the parish council’s Holiday Playscheme.
Now that it is off the secret list, we can tell you about a device which no writer of meaningless memos should be without. it is the brain-child of Don Southey of Decentralised Products in Manufacturing Engineering, who specialises in microcomputer application. He has christened it ‘Jargonaut’ — a nice juggling of jargon, juggernaut and Argonaut, the vessel in which Jason set sail in his search for the Golden Fleece. Equipped with the Jargonaut, one can, as Don poetically puts it, ‘search in a sea of verbiage for the golden phrase with which to pull wool over people’s eyes!’ The device consists of three separate wheels of what he calls ‘blunderbuss words’ (they shoot off a whole range of meanings in one outburst). With these adjectives and nouns, all of which are guaranteed to have
been used within the Company, no less than 990,000 different word combinations can be lined up at the ‘window’. Trying our luck, we came up with such riveting phrases as ‘firmed-up cosmeticised uplift’ and ‘inputted rigidised gut-feel’ (yuk!). Another Donnish invention is an indicator which tells at a glance where to find Don when not at his desk — eg’in the refectory’ (gone to lunch) or ‘seeing the almoner’ (Cashier); like the amusing cartoons which Don likes to draw, it has a monkish theme. Married with a year-old daughter, Don joined us a few years ago. He is vice-chairman of the RX Christian Fellowship and lists among his interests gardening, mountain walking and photography. He also plays the guitar and is particularly interested in classical and folk music, and the use of music and dance in worship.
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The togetherness of the short ( ?)-distance joggers, stepping out for the first time fast April.
If you ride to work in a car or on the bus, sit at your job, flop in front of the television most evenings — then you do. Present-day living positively helps us to become flabby and stiff. And if we’re not physically fit, we’re not getting the best out of life. Unfit, overweight people have a greater than average chance of arthritis, breathing trouble, low back pain and accidents, say the experts. Worse still, they have a greater chance of developing heart disease and high blood pressure. What to do ? Well, get the dog to take you for a walk, do a (moderate) bit of cycling, swimming or gardening. Start walking some of the way to work. Use your lunchhour to pump a bit of fresh air in your lungs. Or you could join the newly formed group of Rank Xerox Joggers. Since they went for their first joint jog in April (see the gasp-by-gasp
account of one jogger), they have met several times. ‘Forty-five people turned up on one occasion, even though it was raining,’ reports Barrie Mills (Design Engineering), the man behind the movement. While on assignment in the USA recently, Barrie, a member of the Tipton Harriers, ran for the winning Rochester team in the annual Xerox relay races held in aid of charity (Xerox President David Kearns was among those participating). Barrie emphasises, however, that a jog is not intended to escalate into a race. ‘Train, don’t strain’ is the maxim. ‘If you can talk while you’re on the move without getting breathless, you’re OK,’ he says. But if you don’t care to jog, why not try running on the spot? This is one of the regular exercises that the Health Education Council have worked out for people as part of their nation-wide ‘Look After Yourself campaign, launched at the beginning of this year.
You can start with the standard schedule — a routine of nine simple exercises displayed on a wall chart; from this you can progress to an advanced schedule, based on training with weights. If you think you’re a suitable case for treatment, why not send for one of the free packs supplied by the Health Education Council, 78 New Oxford Street, London WC1A 1AH (or get one from your local health authority).
These include, apart from the wall chart, a booklet to help you to better health and a weight chart. And don’t forget the weight-watcher club which Medical Department have been running for some years now. They’ll be pleased to help you take your weight off your mind and your body.
Getting into Stride We recently heard from Barrie that initial interest has been maintained, and the joggers are ‘taking steps’ to form a section within the Sports & Social Club.
It must have looked like a gathering of prodigal lemmings. Ashamed of the rustiness of our joints we gathered in a car park at Speech House ready for the headlong dash that would transform us completely. Old and young, fat and thin fidgeted nervously inside functional tracksuits and thick sweaters. The official start of the first Rank Xerox jog-in was, in fact, y precipitated by the sight of a photographer lurking amongst the parked cars. About 35 people surged forward desperately trying to avoid the camera’s glassy stare. The first half mile was quite fun as we settled down to what we considered a sensible pace. The funny men kept up a barrage of good-natured banter, whereas the more cautious preserved their breath. Over the next half mile it became painfully obvious that straining lungs needed all the breath they could get.
The line of gasping bodies began to string out. It was infuriating to see the children in their bright track-suits skipping effortlessly through the ranks of plodding adults. After a mile the jog had become a personal struggle to keep going. Unaccustomed to such energetic maltreatment the flesh cried out for mercy, but the upper lip stiffened and the feet kept shuffling forward. Around another spooky corner on the forest track, the end came into sight as a distant spot on the horizon. The spirit lifted but the legs continued to slow up involuntarily. Glazed eyes fixed on the final gate as the enfeebled body slowed up to a pace more appropriate to a geriatric ward. We finally made it home, surprised but triumphant that we had actually run a whole mile and a half. It was surprising how quickly the memory of the discomfort disappeared and we began to chat about next week’s run.
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‘We didn’t realise it had progressed so far’, said secretaries Sandra Carpenter and Carol Foxwell when they saw the roof being put on the new club building early in f\Aay. Chris Saywood of the Amateur Photographic Club took this picture for ‘Vision’.
OPENING FOR CLUB BUILDING
Target dates have now been set for the opening of the new club premises. There is to be a commercial opening on September 15, with the main opening on Saturday, September 16, when it is hoped to have a Top Person along to carry out the ceremony. Obviously not everyone can be invited, so to be fair it has been decided to allocate tickets by holding a draw within each department, the number of tickets
available being in proportion to the size of the department. It is also planned to produce a brochure in time for the opening of the new premises giving the history of the project and explanation of the design and future plans. This was announced at the recent annual general meeting of the Sports & Social Club held in the old Club House on April 27. Another item of news — the subscription will be raised from 1p
to 5p as from July 22. This comes as no surprise; it was agreed earlier that the subscription, which has been held at 1p since decimalisation (it was 3d before that), would not be increased until the new building was going up. Talking of money, the balance sheet shows a very healthy state of affairs, and the club’s social functions broke even on the year ending December 31, 1977, which was an improvement on past performances.
Better Sound of Music Having made do with an unmatched pair of loudspeakers for some time, the Music Club are delighted with their replacement Wharfedale/ Airedale 15in. loudspeaker from the Sports & Social Club, and the improved sound quality from the now matched pair of units is much appreciated. A magnetic cartridge which will be the club’s next acquisition will improve the quality still further. Summer music meetings are as follows : June 1 — Dvorak, Bartok & Weinberger (Pete Gerrard); June 8— Schubert (Ian Haynes); June 15— Sibelius (Phil Corin); June 22— Fascinating Rhythm (Steve GlennieSmith); June 29—Stanshawe Band (Ted Lewis); July 6—Mendelssohn’s ‘Elijah’ (Dot Parker).
Site Required Our Aeromodellers are still desperately looking for a club flying site and ask anyone who might be able to help in this direction to contact secretary Clive Page on ext. 983.
Taking tlie Strain The Tug of War section are training hard three or four times a week; they have now joined the Avon and Gloucestershire Wednesday League and ‘it’s going pretty well’ reports captain Dave Whitfield.
Flying Holiday One of the attractions of belonging to a sports or social section is that it puts you in touch with so many people, both on site and off.
Rank Xerox Aeromodellers, for example, have been in touch with Herman Mijiing of Venray who is interested in developing contact between the Apollo ’68 Club at Horst and the RXA.
The plan is to arrange a camping holiday over here for Apollo members — and their models — so that they may explore the flying field and hill soaring sites in this area, hills not being so numerous in the Netherlands!
They did the Trick Success for Rank Xerox Bridge Club ‘A’ team playing in the 2nd division of the North Glos. Winter League I Needing a 6—0 win against Southgate Street to have any chance of promotion, Ray Reed, Wilf Jones, Keith Holbrook and Ron Carter did what was necessary. And when they heard that Stroud had failed to gain maximum points from their last match, they knew promotion was assured. Congratulations to our winning team, not forgetting fifth member Brian Bowen, on a very successful season.
Spring on Course When the RX Golf Society held its first competition of the 1978 season at Knowie, Bristol, on Monday, April 24, the weather was great, the course was in top class condition, and some excellent golf was forthcoming. The Spring Bowl (kindly donated by the Sports and Social Club) will now adorn, for six months each, the display cabinets of Mick Newlove and Des Gibbs who were the successful low/high handicap pairing, with an impressive 86 points from the 36 holes played. Runners-up were the pairing of Bob Howells and Roy Taylor with a very commendable 83 points. Some fine individual scores were also recorded as follows: Morning (18holes) Mick Newlove (37 points), Frank Baker (37), Graham Gardner (36), John Cash (34). Afternoon (18 holes) Rich Matthews (37 points), Gordon Hayward (36), Mick Newlove (35), John Spratley (35). All participants, sporting sunburned faces (we must be a righteous lot!), enjoyed a relaxing meal and alcoholic beverages to complete a very pleasant day. (Report on outing to Henbury in May next time round.) Roy Powell
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POETRY IN PICTURES President’s Night on March 17 was a spectacular affair, and as Director Ron Morfee pointed out, made a fitting culmination to a very lively Amateur Photographic Club year. A record attendance of over 200 people were treated to a fantastic audio-visual extravaganza. Belying its old-style title, this slide-dissolveshow— the latest development in slide presentations — fooled you into feeling you were watching a movie. By means of four twin-dissolve projectors, each pair beamed on to one of two 10ft back-projection screens set side by side, pictures of superb image quality were changed smoothly, made to merge into each other, formed one whole panorama
STRIKINC START FOR HOCKEY
One of the newest sections to ‘bully off is the Mixed Hockey Club, playing under men’s rules (for safety reasons — not male hockey chauvinism I). In their very first match, against Gloucester Centurions, they triumphantly drew 2 all, giving their seasoned campaigners a fright. Next time, playing in Monmouth, the Centurions brought out their crack eleven and the RX side lost 2:0. But our players are practising hard on an all-weather pitch in Cinderford and hope to retrieve lost ground in matches to come. Paul Dean, captain/chairman, tells us that the section, which has 30 members, works on the system that, when a member gets a game, he or she pays £1 subscription. Since it’s an all-the-year round sport and they have a full fixture list stretching into 1979, no one seems likely to complain of never being asked to play.
or appeared on just one section of the screen, the changes synchronising with high-fidelity stereo sound. After a brief description of the technology behind this automatic slide presentation by Sir George Pollock, the audience went on a series of ‘trips’ — on safari in South Africa, to the Klondyke in the time of the Gold Rush (using original material from a miner’s documentary), on an expedition among the unique scenery of Yellowstone and other national parks in the far west of the USA. We saw a magazine in the making, a kaleidoscope of butterfly beauty; we took a topical look at Spring, and went on a pub sign crawl to see the
remarkable output of Whitbread’s ‘Mr Rembrandt’. After the show, Mr Morfee presented prizes to club members who had come top in the club’s annual competitions, entries for which were on view. Chairman Chris Saywood came first and Bob Dixon second in the black and white print section while Bill Hobbs beat Chris to first place overall in the slide competitions. The newly introduced ‘Clubman ’78’ award also went to Chris for the best results generally in competition work — a well-deserved recognition of his performance in both RX club and inter-club events. The club lost in the Xerox v. Rank Xerox annual colour slide contest by nine points; but it was Bill Hobbs who achieved the distinction of having the best slide in the individual section of the competition. After eight years of loyal service. Bill has now resigned from the committee; thanks to him, and to former minute secretary Chris Fitt, were expressed at the recent annual general meeting of what is now one of the largest of the affiliated clubs, with 88 members. The officers and committee for the ensuing year are : chairman—Chris Saywood; programme secretary— Robin Berks; treasurer—Richard Chambers; committee—Mike Dewey, Bob Dixon, Vance Hopkins, Ian Thomas, Mike Wilkinson, Colin Wyman.
Sir George Pol/ocic and his son David show members of the Photographic Club the sophisticated equipment behind the screens.
Looking very smart in their black & white outfits are members of the first mixed hockey team {back row, I to r): Vice-captain Lynne Nash, Dave Powell, Mike Powell, Nigel Ward, Gordon Cruickshank, Paul Dean {captain); (front row, I to r): Beverley Fletcher, Barbara Beard, Nora Powell, Sian Voyce, Jill Williams.
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Engagement Julie White to Dave Bowkett (both RX Lydney) on April 12.
Weddings John Roberts (Cycle Counting) to Priscilla Hayward at Littledean Chapel on March 11. Bill Greenman (apprentice) to Jackie Reed at Lydney Register Office on March 11. Doreen Dekins (MIS Data Assembly) to Timothy Poole at All Saints Church, Longhope, on March 25. Susan Jackson (secretary to Bill Phelps, Works Engineering) to Terry Simpson (Industrial Engineering) at St John’s Church, Cinderford, on March 27.
Births Christina Elaine, a daughter for Dave Mason (Small Batch) and his wife Sally, on March 14. Jennifer Natalie, a daughter for Dave Young (RX Cinderford) and his wife Pat, on March 21. Andrew Michael, a son for Chris Osborne (Reliability) and his wife Marianne, on March 25. John Richard, a son for John Evans (Finance) and his wife Jane (formerly Personnel), on April 1. Lucy, a daughter for Robert Mann (Small Batch) and his wife Karen, on April 4. Peter Shinichi, a son for Stuart Harrold (Design Engineering) and his wife Mitsuko on April 7.
David Anthony, a son for Michael Sysum (4000 Assembly) and his wife Jane, on April 10.
Obituary We are sorry to report the following deaths: Joseph Burgwyn (Assembly) on March 26 at the age of 55; he had been with us for four years. Pensioners John Adams on March 21 at the age of 52 — he was an inspector in Goods Receiving; Hugh Robbins, formerly of Production Control, on March 25, aged 70; Leonard Haile (formerly Supply Centre) on April 8 at the age of 70; Ernest Beard, former assembly operator, on April 20, aged 63; Stanley Adams (Paint Shop) on May 1 at the age of 65; and former assembly operator John Miller, notice of whose death on August 10 last year did not reach us until recently.
To the families of all of them we would like to convey our sympathy. Service Awards Rank Xerox emblems for long service have been awarded to the following : 30 Years Ma/—Phil Davis (Finishing). 25 Years ‘ April— Ray Reed (Works Engineering). 20 Years April—John Hayward (Design Engineering); Terry Weaving (Production Control); May — Arthur Masterman (Design Engineering).
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i John and Priscilla Roberts
Timothy and Doreen Poole
Terry and Susan Simpson
«Jack Baker Retires
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Retiring at the end of April after nearly 15 years’ service. Jack Baker {Night Section Manager, Machine Shop) spent a happy evening among colleagues, both those still at work and those whose ranks he was joining. Here John Wood, Manager, Component Mfg Operations, presents him with a car radio which came with many Mitcheldeaners good wishes.
Retirements Our best wishes to the following who retire in May/June : Joe Griffiths of Production Stores, who started with the Company in September 1968; Tom Lardner (Parts Provisioning) after 7 years 7 months’ service; and Bert Crowder (Manufacturing Engineering) who has been with us some ten and a half years.
LETTER As we went to press the Annual Dinner of the Association was about to take place (May 5) at the Chase Hotel, Ross-on-Wye, and we’ll be covering this next time. This year eight people have qualified for LSA 25-year-awards: Geoff Howell (on secondment in the USA), Bob Luffman (Model Shop), Dave Miles (New Products PC), Brian Mould (Assembly Operations), John Mould (RX Cinderford), Ray Reed (Works Engineering), Bob Rogers (RX Cinderford) and lanto Stephens (Quality Assurance). At the annual general meeting held on April 24 the following committee members were elected : Frank Beard (Supply Centre), Bill Beech (Commodity Operations), Dennis Cook (TED), John Harris (RX Cinderford), Ernie Hughes (Manufacturing Eng.), Mary Meek (Material Planning Control), Eric Parsons (Apprentice Training School), Roy Steward (Personnel), Ken Taylor (Finance), Dennis Williams (Transport), Jack Woods (Personnel).
Sad News We were sorry to learn of the sudden death, on Good Friday, of Paul Trollope at the age of 47. Section Manager in Purchase Progress, Paul had worked in the Production Control sphere ever since he joined us in 1961, apart from a spell as member of the SOLAR project team. He was chairman of the former Supervisory Society and for five years was a member of the Negotiating Committee of ASTMS. Paul’s workmates were bearers at his funeral and many people who knew him contributed to the collection for the British Heart Foundation, raising a total of £187-50. We were sad too to hear about Annie Knapgate, news of whose death last December at the age of 78 did not reach us until recently. Annie, who worked in Heat Treatment for most of her 21 years’ service and retired in 1964, was a tireless supporter of the Sports & Social Club and the LSA. We would like to convey our sympathy to the families of both.
ANY NEWS FOR VISION
If you have, then please —
mail it to me c/o Public Relations, Bid 23/1,
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 — ext. 566 or Drybrook 542415. t’t« Myrtle Fowler, Editor
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