Yes it was Don GranthamI was only there (Greet) as an Apprentice for a couple of years from 1970 and seemed to spend most of my time getting my fingers bandaged at the little first aid room down by the main gate (I liked the nurse!).
I remember the heads of the Apprentice shop were Doug Smith and Mr Grantham (Don I think). I will never forget the time they took all 12-14 of us to Hay Bluff just outside of Hay on Wye for a camping weekend, miles of orienteering carrying huge Territorial Army back pack radios, camp fires, washing in the stream, playing a form of British Bulldogs at night on the open bluff with them in a Ford transit with full beam on and startled apprentices running for cover, all absolutely hilarious and a weekend I have never forgotten, in fact I have visited the area several times and still love it.
Happy days
Dave Carr
Other memories
I worked in the accounts departments of Radiators and Tubes.
In Radiators there was Les Hooper, Jim Sargeant (always down the bookies), in Costing. Edna and Leslie in Purchasing. I got teased rotten. Gee I was so green back then.
There was young clerk there who had great legs. All the guys would be cajoling her to wear an alleged very short miniskirt she was rumoured to have. One day we found out it was alleged. Nothing seedy or untoward about it in those days.
I was an Apprentice from 1976-1982, and yes Doug and Don were there then Morris WIlliams came and a few things changed. We too went to Hay on Wye for the camping expedition and orienteering expedition then into a pub for a pint, remember on the Saturday Night we pilled into the old Ford Transit with benches for seats, we ended up in some Pub/club and got rat arsed, turned into a fight and in the end we had to run back to the Transit, Morris was there with his Alsatian dog in one hand and swinging a chain in the other, never ran so fast and think Doug Smith was the driver to get a fast getaway... was a laugh.I was only there (Greet) as an Apprentice for a couple of years from 1970 and seemed to spend most of my time getting my fingers bandaged at the little first aid room down by the main gate (I liked the nurse!).
I remember the heads of the Apprentice shop were Doug Smith and Mr Grantham (Don I think). I will never forget the time they took all 12-14 of us to Hay Bluff just outside of Hay on Wye for a camping weekend, miles of orienteering carrying huge Territorial Army back pack radios, camp fires, washing in the stream, playing a form of British Bulldogs at night on the open bluff with them in a Ford transit with full beam on and startled apprentices running for cover, all absolutely hilarious and a weekend I have never forgotten, in fact I have visited the area several times and still love it.
Happy days
Dave Carr
I was an Apprentice from 1976-1982, and yes Doug and Don were there then Morris WIlliams came and a few things changed. We too went to Hay on Wye for the camping expedition and orienteering expedition then into a pub for a pint, remember on the Saturday Night we pilled into the old Ford Transit with benches for seats, we ended up in some Pub/club and got rat arsed, turned into a fight and in the end we had to run back to the Transit, Morris was there with his Alsatian dog in one hand and swinging a chain in the other, never ran so fast and think Doug Smith was the driver to get a fast getaway... was a laugh.
I can remember being asked in my 2nd year to work on sectionalising a Concorde Cooler so it could be displayed at the Farnborough Air Show 1978, and I got to go down for the Industry days. I can remember a photo in the Serck Magazine with me at Farnborough on the Serck Stand, did have a copy but along the years its been lost.
From my Apprenticeship I went on to gain a Degree in Mechanical Eng. & Computer Aided Design also HNC in Electrical Architecture, That Apprenticeship gave a good few lads and ladies a great start in life, even the MD a bloke by the name of Cook (can't remember his first name) was a great bloke, when I got injured once, he sent his driver to pick me up in his Jag as I was on crutches.
Oh I'm so pleased to have found this. Bill Gossage is my Dad, he's now 95 and currently reading through this with me.Roy c,
i worked in the radiator shop for a while and Billie Gossage was the forman in that shop.