THE HOUSE MAGAZINE OF RANK XEROX MITCHELDEAN
A Model Display
If you were on site on Saturday May 12, you might have glimpsed several naked ladies being sneaked into Bid 36.
But in the arms of Machine Shop safety representatives, they could come to no harm. In fact, their purpose was ultimately to prevent harm coming to others.
Safety sub-committee no. 7 had hit on a novel idea for their Safety Week display. This was centred on the air-drill section and the models borrowed from Debenhams in
Gloucester were used to ‘man’ the machines. Dressed decently in protective clothing from top to toe, of course.
There were one or two problems. Their feet, designed for high heels, didn’t fit too well into protective shoes, and some of their limbs kept falling off (a hazard for which there seemed to be no recognised safety drill).
But when Monday, May 14, the first day of The Week arrived, everything
was in place (see story and pictures on pp. 6 and 7). The display was much admired by all who saw it, and they included the people attending the mini open day on Saturday,May 19, which brought the Safety Week to an end.
Our picture shows safety reps Ralph Davis (holding a spare arm), Alan Edwards (who found a useful way to carry an insecure wig), and Tony Wood removing the models after the display was dismantled.
INTHESKY ^ How is it that, with appalling weather conditions and other odds to contend with, we have managed in recent months to achieve the best production results for years? One answer to that question lies in the 20ft white containers marked ‘Seaboard World Airlines Containership Service’ which you may have noticed outside the warehouse docks, or waiting for Customs clearance near Building 41. These containers have moved Mitcheldean into the age of air-land intermodal transport. Until recently, bulk consignments of goods that were shipped to us by air had to be flown in special containers, contoured to the shape of the aircraft and unsuitable for over-theroad transport; on arrival they had to be unloaded from the aircraft and then reloaded into a truck trailer for the rest of the journey. With the advent of the air-truck container system, this timeconsuming business can be eliminated. Parts coming from Xerox, and those from vendors in the USA, can now be consolidated — that is, combined to make one container load — by our New York agents Air Compak Inc., thanks to the good co-ordination work carried out by our Materials people on assignment over there. Each loaded container is driven to the staging area at the airport where it is uncoupled from the trailer, weighed and lifted by a scissor-style loader to the nose door of a Jumbo 747 Containership. The container is lifted by a scissor-type loader to the nose door of a Jumbo 747 Containership where a powered cargo-handling system takes over and moves the container to its assigned position within the aircraft. The container is rolled automatically into the 185ft main cargo deck of the freighter and secured for flight. (The 747 can take 13 such containers, parked in a double row, plus other loads). On arrival at Heathrow, the procedure is reversed and the container is loaded on to a trailer and driven straight to Mitcheldean site. Like all other TIR containers, which are sealed at the point of origin, it can get Customs clearance here through our Local Import Control. This door-to-door method of shipping parts in by air to support the 9400, the 5400 and other products has meant that lead times could be cut. ‘It saved our bacon during the recent winter,’ said Peter Baily, Supply’s Transport & Packaging Manager. You might think that importing goods from the States by air would prove an expensive business. But we have to buy where the price is right; we have to keep the assembly lines moving. And by consolidating purchased and Xerox parts from the States, we are narrowing the gap in cost between air and sea freight (though we do consolidate by sea freight too). ‘If we can group two containers on one aircraft, the cost becomes more competitive,’ says Peter. Most of the goods being imported come from the New York area but we are now extending our “consolidation” activities into the Chicago and Dallas areas by Air Compak, and other airlines like PanAm and British Airways are getting into the act. At the moment, some eight or nine Seaboard containers a week arrive at Mitcheldean; these are unloaded and returned empty to the airport. But Peter sees a time in the not very distant future when the air-land container traffic may become twoway, making the system even more cost-effective.
Engineering Department has long been split into two factions — those in favour of Concorde and those who regard it as a threat to the environment. Though a strong pro-Concorde man, Jeff Kew had never flown in the supersonic aircraft and he was delighted when, just before leaving for a short visit to the States in May, he was presented with a ticket entitling him to a return flight by Concorde. It came by courtesy of those who have been party to the debate (Ken Fox termed it ‘Your personal contribution to a twin-headed calf!’) and was accompanied by the drawings reproduced here (a reference to Jeff’s wartime experiences as a Lancaster bomber rear gunner).
DRAWINGS BY ERIC WEEKS
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Above: Pictured with Chairman J. Maldwyn Thomas at the dinner are 25-year award winners (from left) John Shields, Don Parkinson, Reg Malsom, Jim Allum, Harold Cecil, Bill Marshall, Janet Morgan, Pauline Price, Clive Brookes, Hubert Hancocks, George Douglas, Bill Austin, Bob Gladwin, Maurice Pask and Charlie Brown.
Right: The rest of the award winners: (from left) John Wood, Jack Herbert, Gunter Matthes, Lilian Roberts, Ralph Taylor, Joan Findlay, John Linley, Arthur Bevan, John Smith. The only one missing out of the 25 is Brian Lewis, who is on assignment in the USA. 2S Reach Their 25th Chairman J. Maldwyn Thomas divulged some interesting figures at the 26th annual dinner of the Long Service Association on May 4 at the Chase Hotel, Ross-on-Wye. Not about the Company as such, but about the association’s membership which currently stands at 383 — ‘making a very strong group of people within Rank Xerox and associated companies.’ With the 25 people receiving awards from him at the dinner, the number of 25-year members had now jumped to 88. Toasting the LSA, Mr. Maldwyn Thomas praised the ‘estimable objectives’ of the association — to recognise and record long service, promote and encourage good fellowship, provide help to the sick and needy — and he expressed the Company’s appreciation of the work done by the LSA in generating a feeling of belonging in the Company. Before handing over the awards, our Chairman presented a pair of binoculars, on behalf of the LSA, to the retiring president, Bernard Smith, together with a Company award for 40 years’ service (a ‘rock’, as Bernard put it, mounted on a tieclip). The toast to the guests this year was proposed by vice-president Vic Buhlmann, Manager Component Production, and there was a warm welcome for Fred Wickstead and other retired members present. Al Hagen, Director Manufacturing & Supply Staffs, who, like Mrs Maldwyn Thomas and Mitcheldean’s Personnel Manager Derek Knibbs, was attending this event for the first time, replied on behalf of the guests. Mrs Maldwyn Thomas receives a bouquet of flowers, presented by assistant secretary Mary Meek. The latter included Group LSA and 25-Year Club secretary Vi Holder (who has been 45 years with the Company) and two other representatives from Rank Audio Visual, Brentford — Peter Hall and Ted Claydon; Jack Gray and Mick StJ Mosse from Rank Radio International, Chiswick; Brenda Howlett, Norman Fearn and Esther Sharpe (Rank Xerox, Welwyn Garden City); Dell Willis and Doris Kings (Rank Toshiba, Plymouth); Colin and Beryl Forman (Rank Taylor Hobson, Leicester); and Josie Shires and Margaret Dyson (Rank Optics, Leeds). Mr Hagen took the opportunity to voice his thanks to Mitcheldean on meeting its production schedules — a good performance which had earned a ‘mention in despatches’ from Xerox Corporation. The menu was an enterprising one — and there was a draw after the meal against menu card numbers with numerous prizes available for the the lucky ones (the prizes for nos. 69, 91, 178 and 220 were still unclaimed as we went to press — please contact secretary Dennis Barnard if /ot/ had one of these). A much appreciated gesture was the issuing of vouchers to retired members entitling them to a free drink at the bar. The formalities over, comedian Al Robins entertained the company, and the remainder of the evening was given over to chatting over a drink, or dancing until 1 am. (This last paragraph is to reassure Tony Allen who recalls having one dance then nothing until he woke up on the settee at home with a champagne glass sticking out of his coat pocket and another one perched on the mantelpiece!) 25-YEAR AWARDS Jim Allum (Tool Control), Bill Austin (Mfg Eng.), Arthur Bevan (Consumable Stores), Clive Brookes (Assembly), Charlie Brown (Work Study), Harold Cecil (Mfg Eng.), George Douglas (Finishing), Joan Findlay (Goods Inwards Receiving), Bob Gladwin (Production Stores), Hubert Hancocks (Works Laboratory), Jack Herbert (Machine Shop), Brian Lewis (Mfg Eng.), John Linley (Model Shop), Reg Malsom (Finance), Bill Marshall (Machine Shop Tool Stores), Gunter Matthes (Assembly), Janet Morgan (Elec. Sub-assembly), Don Parkinson (Mfg Eng.), Maurice Pask (Commodity Operations), Pauline Price (Elec. Sub-assembly), Lilian Roberts (Finishing), John Shields (Assembly), John Smith (Component Mfg), Ralph Taylor (Tool Room), John Wood (Machine Shop).
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Director Al Hagen with two of the LSA’s officers — [left) secretary Dennis Barnard and (right) treasurer George Turner.
More top table people — (from the left) Roy Steward, LSA vice-chairman, Josie Shires from Rank Optics (Leeds), Personnel Manager Derek Knibbs and Fred Wickstead.
LSA Look Ahead Chairman Henry Phillips had some good news for members at the well attended annual general meeting of the LSA on April 30. The committee had approached the Company to consider extra benefits for LSA members and the Company had agreed to (1) meet the total costs of the annual dinner — including coach transport and entertainment, and (2) make a settlement to the LSA funds to the extent of £1 per person this year to be used at the discretion of the committee, such settlement to be reviewed annually. This meant that the association would have more money ‘in the kitty’, and suggestions as to how to use this extra amount included : adding it to the retirement fund, putting it into a bumper Christmas draw, and raising the quality of the social functions already being held. In answer to a question about the annual dinner, secretary Dennis Barnard explained that it was impracticable to invite husbands or wives in view of the number of members and the lack of space. If everybody attended, and husbands or wives were brought, the total would jump to around 700 or 800 people. He explained there would be no intake of new members until 1983, and then over 120 people would be eligible to join. In 1984, some 160 would be eligible, so the congestion would become even greater. Various changes to the rules concerning sickness benefits were made and the date of the annual general meeting altered to one calendar month following, instead of of prior to, the annual dinner. Another change in the LSA calendar — the retired members outing will be held this year on September 12 (to avoid clashing with the senior citizens’ outing); it will take the form of an afternoon mystery tour, returning to the club house for a chicken-in-the-basket type meal and some entertainment. The annual social will take place on October 27 and efforts are being made to improve on previous socials. Treasurer George Turner, welcomed back after a long term of sickness, presented his report; he was, he said, investigating if the association could be accepted as a registered friendly society, which would mean freedom from income tax. First Lady The two remaining vice-presidents, Vic Buhlmann and Ken Fox, were voted in for another term of office, and a bit of history was made with the appointment of Marion Cornwall as the first lady to become a vicepresident of the Mitcheldean association.
Frank to retire As we went to press we heard that the new LSA president Frank Edwards, who has been at Mitcheldean for over 37 years, has decided to take early retirement. So too have Stan Wheeler (32 years) and Daisy Bullock (21 years). We’ll be featuring them in our next issue and also reporting on the annual pensioners’ reunion, held over because of lack of space.
A happy group at table 12.
The committee recorded its thanks to Valerie Cleal for her valuable help during her term as secretary, and to Dennis Barnard for standing in as the new secretary at very short notice. The committee is now as follows: Chairman— Henry Phillips; vicechairman — Roy Steward ; treasurer — George Turner; secretary — Dennis Barnard; assistant secretary — Mary Meek; minutes secretary — Daisy Bullock; Bill Beech, Dennis Cook, Dennis Clarke, John Harris, Ernie Hughes, Eric Parsons, Ken Taylor, Joan Turley, Dennis Williams, Jack Woods.
GEORGE MATTHEWS
We were very sorry to hear of the death on April 1 5 of LSA member George Matthews at the age of 76. George joined us in 1952 and, apart from a very short break, was with us until his retirement in October 1967.
Phil Cleal writes: ‘My memory of George Matthews is of an extremely witty man, dressed always in a cap and blue boiler suit, who, when I first joined Mitcheldean (which was then producing cameras and projectors) was introduced to me as “Mr Spring Winding”. This was because the camera motor was powered from a spring which was wound tightly by George and housed in a sheet metal case, around the outside of which were cut the teeth which were to drive the camera.
‘When in the fullness of time George finally wound the last spring for the last batch of cameras, he joined the rest of us, firstly in the Small Batch area on the bench, then in the Bell & Howell Machine Shop on the bench in Building 18. At the time of his retirement he was working on the bench section in Building 29, which in those days housed the main Machine Shop.
‘I am sure the many people around the present factory who worked in the Small Batch area and the main Machine Shops will remember George with affection and will wish to extend to his widow their sympathy’.
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Above: Testing transatlantic communications to tiie Sigma computer in Roctiester. Duncan Fox operates ttie console of the HP 1000 watched by Tony Penny. Technical Specialist Project Manager in charge of Systems Software & Tools. In the background Tony Day is seen changing the tapes.
Don Matsuzawa, one of three Fuji Xerox representatives now resident at Mitcheldean, and Applications Software TSPM Terry Gardner (far right) study the screen of a terminal being operated by software engineer Geoff Barnes.
Computers are not just numbercrunchers these days but important production and design tools. A case in point is the new Hewlett-Packard 1000 minicomputer in Electrial & Electronic Engineering’s computer laboratory. Brought in initially for the Fuji Xerox 9400 project it is being used to redesign application programmes. The FX9400, which is being built at Mitcheldean to Fuji Xerox specification, will differ in quite a number of ways from the Xerox 9400 — it’s not just a question of replacing English wording inside and outside the machine with Kanji characters! Because of these changes, the machine will have to be re-tested to meet Japanese safety requirements. And the machines must be able to couple up to 50 and 60 Hertz supplies (either is used, depending on where in Japan a machine is sited). That means power supplies and motors need to be different. Again, the FX9400 will have to accommodate paper ranging in size from B5 (which is smaller than A4) to B4 (which is larger than A4); the paper is also lighter in weight, so it tends to curl more easily. Because the machine has to incorporate both small and large paper, it has to operate at two speeds. This involves not only redesigning the document handler and paper path but also changing all the microprocessor programmes — hence the H PI 000 with its disc storage capacity of 40 mega(million)bytes.
Self-checking At Henrietta and Webster, Xerox have the technology for developing new products incorporating microcomputers, and the programmes in the 9400 were originally developed by them on the Sigma computer at Rochester. Until the HPI000 was installed, we gained access to the Sigma through the existing transatlantic telephone
Service Awards
The following became eligible for Company awards for 20 and 25 years’ service recently:
25 Years March—Reg Malsom (Finance). April—Clive Brookes (Assembly)
20 Years April— Roger Brookes (Assembly), Barry Osborne (Ouality Assurance), Ken Taylor (Finance Systems). Ma/ — Freda Roberts (TED), Roy Barton (Engineering), Jinks Morgan (Supply Centre).
network on a time-sharing mode. But transmission was slow. The HP1000 now offers us a synchronous communications link which is eight times as fast and is self-checking, providing a much more effective means of transmitting data. With more efficient access to the established development ‘tools’ across the Atlantic, we are able to redesign application programmes on site for the FX9400 and transmit them 3,000 miles to Rochester where they are processed into a
In the International Year of the Child, it is appropriate that Alan Whiles, chargehand in 9400 Assembly, has been granted three and a half months’ Social Service Leave (until mid-September) to work with the National Children’s Home, assisting with holiday schemes for youngsters who are physically or mentally handicapped or who come from deprived homes. Alan, who has been with the
form acceptable to the model’s microprocessor ‘brain’. The resultant data is then returned to us for storage and eventual incorporation in the FX9400. In due course we shall have six user video terminals by means of which programmes may be entered into the HP1000 and automatically transmitted to Rochester. These video terminals will be located in the outside office for use by application software engineers and for training purposes.
Company for 15 years, began a three weeks’ training course on June 4, after spending his spring bank holiday week camping with the Scouts. He will then start work at the Painswick or Ebley (Stroud) centres of the NCH. Alan and his wife Shirley (Supply Centre) have three sons of their own, aged 10, 12 and 18, and act as foster ‘aunt and uncle’ for the Home. Alan Lends a Hand
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Julian Hazell in charge of the mike.
Our Safety Week, which started quietly enough on Monday May 14, ended with more than a few bangs and outbreaks of fire (all under perfect control, of course). Most safety sub-committees put on displays around the site, ranging from rows of eye-catching posters and pictures exhorting us to be safety-minded, to more ambitious presentations with slide shows, films and exhibits of protective wear, fire fighting equipment, etc. Particularly interesting was an exhibition of some pollution monitoring and analysing equipment used by Works Laboratory to control dust, gas, etc., on site which formed part of the display organised by sub-committee 5 in Bid 29. Sub-committee no. 7 (Machine
Shop) showed great enterprise with their use of shop window models (see front cover) and their display proved such a draw it was included among the attractions of the ‘Safety Spectacular’ — a mini open day held on the Saturday, May 19. Adding to the vast variety of professional ones on view, a gallery of home-produced posters appeared during the week — the winning entries in the safety poster competition held for first aiders and safety representatives. These had been judged the previous week with the assistance of well-known local artist Ron Ranson and our only girl apprentice, Debbie Lowen. Mike Jones (Tool Room) came first overall, having scooped all three prizes in the Manufacturing section. Third overall prize went to Lloyd Gill (TED) who also won first and second place in the Business section with Graham Jones (Work Study) coming third. Results in the other three sections were: Assembly — 1 st Josie Fleet; 2nd and 3rd Frank Kelly (both of Electrical Sub-assembly); Stores — 1st and 2nd Brian Barnard, 3rd Tina Davies (both of Supply Centre). On the Thursday there was a very
An exploding Krazy Kar can.
successful get-together of our first aiders (see page 8) and the Week culminated in the Safety Spectacular, held in ‘A’ car park for safety representatives, first aiders and their families. Everything depended on the weather, and it didn’t let us down. From midday, after the last cars had gone, until 2.30 pm, when the gates were opened, people worked furiously to get everything ready — organising the ‘staging on wheels’, setting out the seating, the poster J display, etc., and doing a hundred and one other jobs. There was no time for a rehearsal, and impresario Guy Bedford would
An accident — but no cause for alarm; our emergency services coped admirably and the casualties, as you can see, were not serious.
A shocking incident — two people get caught up with th current and first aider Ken Hook rushes to the rescue.
The message was ‘Don’t drink and drive’, and this exhibit, set up by the fl/lotor Club, certainly pulled no punches.
Safety rep. Ray Christopher fright) puts over the eye protection message on the Machine Shop display stand {even the cans of chemicals are wearing safety glasses).
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how
;es trouble in ‘A’ car park.
like to thank the many people who gave up their time to help get it all together, and clear it all away afterwards. Our Miss Beautiful Eyes kindly presented the poster competition prizes. Then we were immediately confronted with all the drama of a traffic accident. A car ‘collided’ with a tanker, and all our emergency services rushed to the spot; the car door was wrenched open, the atmosphere tested for dangerous fumes, and the ‘casualties’ conveyed to a waiting ambulance. Prompt first aid treatment was called
for too in ‘Shocking Methods’ — an item which went off with a bang. Staged by Engineering, it emphasised the danger of not having a safe system of working where electricity is involved. Transport demonstrated the correct use of various mechanical handling equipment, and revealed the versatility of a 40ft artic and its Jumbo trailer (so called because it goes down on its knees to allow another vehicle to board it I). They also provided a line-up of forklift trucks and other small materials handling vehicles (safely immobilised) which were a great hit with the children. Another highlight for the kids was a Krazy Kar complete with Krazy Driver and Krazy Kop, an act which produced more satisfying bangs and smoke, plus toilet roll and custard pie fun. Hot from coping with the annual luncheon for some 200 pensioners and hosts in the Social Centre, our Canteen people laid on a tea in the open, and the ice cream van did a good trade. A finale of fire and foam produced by the works fire brigade, with aerosol cans going up like rockets, brought the programme — and the Safety Week — to a spectacular end.
Sitting in a forklift truck and pressing the horn was just great I
Judging the poster competition entries with Guy Bedford, Don Elliott and John Spratley were local artist Ron Ranson and apprentice Debbie Lowen.
Above right: Trudie Moore, our ‘Miss Beautiful Eyes’, presents top poster designer Mike Jones with a cheque and gets a big kiss in return. Below: Successful competitors Mike Jones, Lloyd Gill and Frank Kelly join spectators studying the winning posters at the mini open day. I Hi
Discussing the Machine Shop display are sub-committee 7 members Brian Vaughan, Norman Collins and Colin Lewis. (The 191b fuser roll on the ‘operator’s’ foot is there to make a point I).
Peter Rutsch of Works Laboratory explains pollution monitoring procedures to visitors to the display by sub-committee 5. Far right is safety rep Ben Jrafford.
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THE IPSES SESSION
From May 8 to 11, Mitcheldean played host for the first time to the IPSES Council (the letters stand for International Product Safety and Environmental Standards).
The Council meets twice a year; this was its 12th meeting and the third time that a Rank Xerox location had been chosen (earlier venues have been London and Venray).
IPSES was set up by Xerox Corporation with representatives from Xerox, Fuji Xerox and Rank Xerox, to consider the question of product safety in the Corporation’s marketplaces all over the world.
Its aim is threefold —to set up multinational standards and practices on product safety; to publish multinational safety standards; and to resolve safety problems in the light of emerging safety legislation worldwide.
‘Such legislation is very much on the increase, particularly within the Rank
Xerox marketplace where we have to conform to the individual health and safety regulations of some 26 operating companies/branch operations’, says Product Safety Manager John Walker, one of the two Rank Xerox representatives on the Council (Stan Wheeler, Manager Technical Staff & Optics in Engineering, is the other).
‘Obviously there is a need to standardise, and already there are moves in that direction. But it is a long process since, in general, safety has an adverse effect on the short-term cost of product, and there is inevitable conflict between designing down to a price as opposed to up to a standard.’
Silicon Valley The situation is further complicated by the emergence of new technologies — use of lasers, microelectronic logic, computer technology, etc.
Director Ai Hagen pictured with John Wallcer and (far right) Jacit Boorsma. chairman of the IPSES council
Xerox devotes part of its research resources to developing such new technologies and, commented our council members after the meeting : ‘There was a much greater involvement in the European scene of personnel from Xerox West Coast operations (nicknamed ‘Silicon Valley’) than on previous occasions.’ Altogether council chairman Dr Jack Boorsma considered it to have been a highly successful multinational session.
EYESBNSAPeTY Total number of accidents for period: Mar/Apr ’78 Mar/Apr ’79
The cumulative total from the beginning of the Company year to the end of April 1979 is now 92. compared with 63 for the same period in 1978. However, with the figures for March and April matching those for the previous year, and the final disappearance of treacherous weather, there are encouraging signs that we may reach our targets by the end of the year.
Eyes on Legs We’ve been taken to task about the advice ‘walk with your hips’ which was included among the ‘Six Laws of Lifting’ given in our last issue on page 7. Please just put your best foot forward in the direction of travel and forget about your hips, girls, or you may actually cause an accident with a well-intentioned but distracting wiggle as you walk I
First Aiders
The first annual meeting of first aid personnel took place during Safety Week, on May “17; it was chaired by Jack Woods who extended a welcome to first aiders (an 80 per cent attendance).
It was good, too, to see Derek Knibbs (Personnel), John Wigg of Assembly and Mike Carter of QA among those present.
Guest speaker Don Elliott, chairman of the Main Safety Committee, said he hoped that there would be many more such meetings enabling an interchange of views, and he expressed his appreciation of the services given by our 80 volunteers.
An Incident The objective was to practise prevention, rather than cure, and Don pointed out that we were creating a healthy and safe environment by encouraging people to use correctly the facilities provided.
Tony Cale, with the help of some of our first aiders, then staged an incident involving a forklift truck and a trailing lead.
The ‘victims’ were excellent, and all deserved the applause for their ‘curtain call’ at the end of the performance.
Get-togetiier
A film was shown depicting an accident to a youth, and also a car accident. We shall all (non-first aiders as well) remember what ‘A B and C means — Airway, Breathing and Circulation. Dr Martin and Sister Collins spoke about their roles, operating from the Medical Centre, and some interesting questions were raised.
Dial 444 ‘What happens,’ asked one person, ‘if help is needed outside normal working hours when Medical Department is closed ?’ Few knew the answer — that one should dial 444, the call being automatically connected to Barton Hill gate house and actioned by Security from there. Copies of a British Safety Council checklist, together with the present procedure for first aid personnel, were distributed, and before we left we were able to enjoy a buffet and a drink. This provided an opportunity to discuss mutual problems, a pleasant way of improving communications between first aid personnel. In fact, it was a very worthwhile meeting altogether. Jack Timms
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Nick Swan of Engineering concludes his series on home wine-making with WARMWMTHER WINES
The wine-makers season is really in full swing and we should have most of our flower wines well under way now. I’ve got 5 gallons of elderflower nicely working and enough dried elderflowers to make another 5 gallons later on. The soft fruits are worth concentrating on at the moment — gooseberries, strawberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, raspberries, cherries, etc. Most of these ingredients make fairly strongly flavoured wines which reflect their origins in their bouquets. This is the time of year I particularly enjoy my wine-making. The temperature is warming up and keeping a good fermentation going — no need to worry about wrapping the jars in blanket to keep the temperature steady. We can get outside and pick our fruits in the very peak of condition — most important. If you use underripe fruit, you will find the flavour lacking and a high degree of acid in the finished wine. When fruit is unripe, the acid level is high and the sugar level low. As the fruit ripens, so this level slowly reverses. They’re the Tops Three Mitcheldean secretaries succeeded in reaching the finals of a recent ‘Secretary of the Year’ contest which attracted well over 50 entries. The idea behind the contest was to help in raising £1,000, through the Sheriff of Gloucester Appeal, for the purchase of a microscope for research into blood diseases in children. The only condition of entry was that a donation be made to the Appeal fund and a Company cheque for £200 was sent to cover all the entries from Mitcheldean. Entrants had first to provide written answers to ten questions designed to test their abilities as secretaries. A short list of seven was then drawn up — among them Kate Phillips (secretary to Director Ron Morfee), Linda Stratton (who works for
Gooseberries are one of the worst fruits for high acid levels; make sure your fruit is at the very peak of ripeness in the green state, just before it starts to turn brown.
Now let us look at a few recipes you can use in the following months:
Green Gooseberry (This makes a hock-type table wine). Ingredients— ripe green gooseberries 5-6lb; white sugar 2ilb; yeast and yeast nutrient and pectic enzyme. Mettiod— Crush the fruit to a pulp and add the pectic enzyme together
Personnel Manager Derek Knibbs) and Pat Gawler (Dave Mills’s secretary in Group QA).
At the finals night, held on May 4 in Gloucester, our three girls were plied with further questions by a panel of judges which included executives from local companies, a secretarial teacher and the Sheriff himself.
Kate came third, winning a £10 petrol voucher, Pat fourth (she won a free hairstyle) while Linda, who was
with about 5 pints of cold water. Keep the must in a white plastic bucket well covered for three days, stirring well each day. At the end of the third day strain the must through a very fine straining bag. Pour the juice onto the sugar and yeast nutrient, stirring well to make sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the yeast and return to the bucket for a further two days, keeping closely covered. Next, transfer must to demijohn under airlock and leave until fermentation ceases. Then proceed through the racking processes and bottle when crystal clear. Blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants, raspberries, strawberries, etc. —these fruits, as I said earlier, are strong flavoured and do not make good table wines. The wines made from them are best made high in alcohol and used as social wines. Ingredients— Fruit 31b; white sugar 31b; yeast and nutrient and pectic enzyme; or — Fruit 31b max.; grape concentrate 1 pint; sugar 1 lb. (This gives a fuller-bodied type wine). Method— as for gooseberry wine above. Some other interesting wines can be made this time of the year. You might like to experiment with parsley, pea pod, broad bean, marrow, oak leaf, walnut leaf, grape folly (vine prunings), rhubarb — to name just a few. This is my last article for the time being and I hope those of you who have followed my series have found it interesting and, above all, helpful.
trying to keep a migraine at bay, did well to come a joint fifth, her prize being a boat trip for two through the Wye Valley. The competition was successful, too, in raising £440 for the fund, says Jennifer Thompson. Formerly a secretary in our Personnel Department, she now runs the agency TQPS (Technical & Office Personnel Services) which, together with Kingsdale Morris Business Equipment Ltd., sponsored the event.
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Front row: Sadie and Jim Scott, Jacl< Wal<eling, Gratiam Welcti, Dorotiiy Titmuss: centre: trustees Roy Steward and Roger Kempster, secretary Anne Fox, ciiairman and trustee Barry Barton, vice-ciiairman Bill Jones, treasurer Will Jones; Back row: Mike Brown, Don Parkinson, Pat Jordan, Tony Sharpe, Harold Ennis. (Missing from the photo are George Cooper and John Earl). Meet the New Committee
The first annual general meeting of the Sports & Social Club to be held in the new club house took place on April 11. It was an occasion for saying thank you to all who had helped the club during one of the most exciting years in its history — and to none more so than to ‘the man at the helm’ during that time, chairman Tony Haynes. Having served eight years with the committee and six years as chairman, Tony had decided not to stand for re-election and it was with regret, but sincere thanks, that the club members accepted his resignation. Said Tony: ‘It has been a great privilege, and I look forward to the opening of the sports complex in three to five years’ time’. There was a warm applause for stewards Cyril and Nancy Beard, now employed full-time by the club; the long hours they had put in and their role in maintaining the atmosphere of the old club house had done much to ensure the success of the new surroundings. Secretary Anne Fox also expressed thanks to the rest of the committee who had regularly turned.up for ‘duty nights’ at the club house, helped with the running of club activities, attended meetings, etc., and to their wives who had been virtually ‘club house widows’ during the past 18 months. The demands made on members was such that it had been decided to spread the load by increasing the strength of the committee to 18. Barry Barton was elected to succeed Tony as chairman, with Bill Jones as vice-chairman. Other officers and committee were elected as follows: treasurer; Wilf Jones; trustees: Roger Kempster, Roy Steward (Barry is a third); committee: Mike Brown, George
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I Tony and Cynthia were presented with a fine set of goblets by an appreciative club. Below: The busy office in the club house is run by Nadia Wheatstone (seated) and Janet Colbourne, who cope with the bonanza draw, bookings, etc. and a regular stream of enquiries.
Cooper, John Earl, Harold Ennis, Pat Jordan, Don Parkinson, Jim and Sadie Scott (making history as the first ever husband and wife team on the committee), Tony Sharpe, Dorothy Titmuss, Jack Wakeling, Graham Welch. Anne, who remains in office for a further year, reported that landscaping on two sides of the club house was in hand and the possibility of an outside store was being explored. The club was reported to be in a very healthy position financially, the surplus for the year to December 31. 1978, being £21,541
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Under an important amendment to the rules, which was carried by majority, full members can apply to the committee for affiliate membership on behalf of a friend/relation entitling them to the use of the club house on the same conditions as an associate member (that is, a wife or husband of a full time member). This membership is being restricted to a maximum of 100 members at a subscription of £5 per annum.
Aeromodellers Come Top A successful ‘first’ was achieved by members of the Rank Xerox Aeromodellers competing as a team in their first glider thermal soaring contest organised by Cotswold Club at Babdown airfield, near Tetbury, on Sunday, April 22. Les Bradley, manager of Cotswold Models, Gloucester, and a member of both Cotswold and RXA Clubs, elected to fly for RXA as they were rather short of experienced pilots. Des Haines, Martyn Holbrook and Mike Meredith formed the rest of the team, ably assisted by David and Stephen Griffiths, Steven Holbrook and Elison Withe who shared tasks such as towing, timing, chasing the cattle away, etc I Thermals were fairly plentiful despite cloud cover and wind strength which increased throughout the day and backed SW, causing some broken towlines and wings. Four slots and a decider round were flown to BARCS 10 minute max. rules with 1 50m winch towline (not bungee). Only 9 seconds separated 1st and 2nd at the finish. Results were: 1 st — Les Bradley (RXA) “Centiphase”; 2nd —Martyn Holbrook (RXA) “Olympic”; 3rd — Nick Glover (Cotswold) “Alpha H”. First and third place models were built from kits; second place model “Olympia” was designed by Martyn and built from the plan (“Olympia” is based on “Olympic M”, an American design). RXA express their thanks to the Cotswold Club who organised the competition and, with “Cotswold Models”, provided the prizes (entry was free!). Says chairman Martyn : ‘Their
hospitality and friendly help were much appreciated. Thanks also to Les Bradley for contributing to our efforts so well, thus placing us top on team points.’ ‘Well done, RXA!’ — on balance it was a very fine first-time effort.
Going Fishing News for all would-be sea anglers ! A Rank Xerox Sea Angling Club has been formed. Forget about dangling a line off the end of the pier — the club intends to promote wreck, reef and shore fishing and venues such as Plymouth, Brixham and Minehead will be included. The club has already held its first committee meeting, on May 11, and has applied for membership of the Bristol Channel Federation of Sea Anglers, which has at present a membership of 27 clubs. Monthly meetings to review club progress and activities will be held by the following committee members : chairman — Ray Carter (ext. 1196), secretary— Roger Aston (1254); treasurer — Pat Aston (929); Graham Adams (533), Terry Janes (1143), John Gwylt (605), Ian Laski (608). To start things off, a film evening and display of tackle were held early in June.
What a Catch ! Guess what Ray Carter hooked — a £250 holiday voucher I But he didn’t really pull it out of a pool — he won it in a competition at a mailing efficiency exhibition held by one of our suppliers. Ray had to guess how many seals {metal tags, not the fish-eating variety) were in a box. His estimate was only 14 out, winning him the first prize voucher. This entitled him to the holiday of his choice, and he chose to spend it in the Orkneys — ‘the finest fishing ground in the world !’ says Ray.
Day of the Trophy Tuesday, April 10, was ‘The Day of the Rank Xerox Trophy’ (Bridge Section) —the event an invitation teams tournament organised by Wilf Jones (Industrial Engineering) for the section, who welcomed all the local teams which have played host to Rank Xerox bridge teams over the past few years. They included teams from Cheltenham, Gloucester, Newent, Tewkesbury and others, making a total of 64 people, plus our own players. The competition was divided into two sections and the RX team of Richard Walker, Mike Ward, Keith Holbrook and Wilf Jones won the first. With the aggregate score of the second section team — Mike Churchward, John Johnson, Don Parkinson and ‘Spot’ Meek — we finished third, two points behind CEGB, with the winners (Newent) some 35 points ahead of 2nd place. Some consolation for Mitcheldean lay in the fact that Ron Watkins (QA) was a member of the winning team ! Such a success was the evening that Wilf has already earmarked May 6 as the date for next year’s tournament.
Donated by the Company, the trophy was kindly presented to the winners by Personnel Manager Derek Knibbs.
Peak Performance The Amateur Photographic Club reached dizzy new heights this year with their show on President’s Night (March 30). Entitled ‘Soldiers of Everest’, it was a fascinating account of a joint British Army/Royal Nepalese Army expedition which placed two climbers on the summit of the world’s highest mountain via the South Col route in 1976. Professional mountaineer Capt. Nigel Gifford took the audience of 250 with him on the long trek through Nepal to the ‘Roof of the World’ by means of superb colour transparencies (most of them taken by himself on a Pentax camera) and a lively commentary. Even Everest seems to have a litter problem these days. The expedition came across pork sausages, half a Bible, baby food (left behind by Chris Bonnington’s lot), powder
Capt. Gifford shows some mountain scenes to Director Ron Morfee and Bob Dixon.
(the milk variety) remaining from a Japanese ladies’ expedition, and even a box of cherry liqueur chocolates! The show over, Capt. Gifford answered a variety of questions put to him by the audience (which included representatives of local government). The other major item on the evening’s programme was the annual presentation of prizes, kindly carried out by president Ron Morfee. The 1979 Clubman of the Year trophy went to Bob Dixon as overall winner in both black and white and colour competitions. Joint firsts overall in the colour section were Bill Hobbs and Mike Wilkinson, while Mike Dewey came first overall in the black and white section with Bob Dixon runner-up. Dave Witt also received a prize for winning the separate portraiture competition (black and white). This very successful evening was rounded off by an excellent supper.
Spring Bowl The first outing of the Golf Society’s 1979 calendar was a visit to the Burford Golf Club on April 12 to compete for the Spring Bowl. Despite high winds and the occasional April shower, the 36 holes were completed by the field of 45 who entered, with some very good scores being returned. At the end of the day the outright winners were Dave Robinson and George Hayward whose score was 82 points, the runners-up being Richard Matthews and Malcolm Lane with 79 points. Harold Gardiner
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Adrian and Helen John
Retirements Our best wishes to the following who retire(d) in May/June; Two service operators in Engineering — John Hardwick after eight years eight months, and Les Morgan after nearly 12 years with us; Tom Knight, Spares Packing (just over 11 years); senior production engineer Percy Staite (nearly five years); Bill Thomas, Stock Control (nearly 11 years); Jack Burns, Teardown (seven years four months);
Ken Byett, Machine Shop (almost nine years) ; Fred Fifield, Engineering (ten and a half years); Bryan Hobbs, Supply Centre (nearly ten years); Stan Hewitt, Machine Shop (11 i years); Alf Rawlings, Stock Control (13i years). Others who took early retirement in May. Arthur Brown (Machine Shop), Vera Burns (Elec. Subs.), Geoffrey Butler (Goods Inwards), Victor Davis (QA), Reg Hartley (Materials Management), Eric Hawkins (Small Batch), Don Jeffries (RXC), Iris Rose (Assembly), Jessie Shufflebotham (Assembly), Stanley Beach and Victor Harvey (on sick leave).
Weddings Jackie Bingle (9400 Sub-assembly) to Andrew Davis (7000 DF Assembly) at St Stephen’s Church, Cinderford, on March 31. Jane Clark (Employee Relations) to Colin Goodrun (Production Control) at the Church of the Most Holy Trinity, Ledbury, on April 25. Helen Daunter (Despatch Office) to Adrian John (Goods Inwards Receiving) at St Michael’s & All Angels Church, Mitcheldean, on April 28.
Births David James, a son for Sue Morgan (formerly secretary to Dick Glanville, Finance) and her husband Ray, on February 28. Daniel, a son for senior commercial representative Brian Rhoades (Production Control) and his wife Joy (formerly Goods Inwards Receiving), on April 9. Stacy Ann, a daughter for Stephen Zimmerman (Small Batch) and his wife Linda, on April 26.
Nicola, a daughter for Bob Boulton (Field Engineering) and his wife Trish, on April 29. Michael David, a son for Paul Ingmire (Paint Shop) and his wife Barbara (formerly Finance), on May 18.
Obituary We record with regret the following deaths : Charlie Russell (Print Library, RX Cinderford) on April 7 aged 68 — he took early retirement in 1975, having been with us since 1971 ; Douglas Lewis (Supply Centre Warehouse) on April 18 aged 58 after nearly seven years’ service; Edith Baldwin (Assembly) on April 28; she was 49 and had been at Mitcheldean since 1971. We also have to report the tragic death of Albert Lee on May 13 following a road accident. Albert worked in Internal Transport from 1961-1970, then rejoined us in December last as a member of the Mail Room staff. He was 43. We extend our sympathy to the families of all.
A Security officer for all of his 13^ years at Mitcheldean, Fred Hendy retired last March. Here he receives retirement gifts, w/hich came with the good wishes of friends and colleagues, from Manager Guy Bedford. Centre is Chief Security Officer Bert Charnley.
Jim Hood, foreman in Tool Inspection, took early retirement in May after 15 years with us. Here Tony Nightingale, Tool Engineering Manager, presents goodbye gifts from his many friends at Mitcheldean and from tool vendors; holding the scroll is Dennis Beddis, Tool Inspection Manager. The day he left was also Jim’s birthday and everyone sang the appropriate song.
In his 15 years with us, Reg Caldicutt has worked in assembly, the Medical Centre (he’s a first aider), and the Mail Room as a member of the Flexibility Pool. Our picture shows Manager Brian Woolf presenting Reg with a portable radio from friends and colleagues on his retirement in April. (Reg is continuing his other job — as Ross-on-Wye’s town crier I)
Staff of the Mail Room gathered to wish George Hyett all the best when he retired at the end of April after five years with us, and Administration Manager Jack Woods presented him with goodbye gifts from his friends and colleagues.
Service operator Les Morgan, whose ready wit will be missed in Technical Assurance, left in May, having been with us for almost 12 years. Retirement gifts were presented to him by Manager John Gurney at a party held in the club house.
12 Printed in England by Taylor, Young (Printers) Ltd.
