The Notice Board
Below is a collection of short stories and replies from Facebook and email.
Posted 25 July 2018
Les Davison
Hi, Les. again, here,s a little story some of you lovers of fine cigars may like, (or not ).-
When
I
was
about
half
way
through
my
apprenticeship,
while
we
were
still
down
Edward
Street,about
a
year
or
so
before
we
moved
,
we
got
an
order
from
a
French
firm
to
build
a
machine
to
wrap
cigars.
Basically
it
was
just
load
the
machine
up
with
flat
boxes
and
cigars
and
the
machine
would
form
the
boxes,
close
the
bottom
then
push
5
cigars
into
the
box
and
seal
the
top.
I
was
helping
two
other
fitters
with
the
build
of
this
machine.
When
we
had
finished
building
it
,
and
it
was
time
for
trials,
the
French
firm
sent
two
big
tea
chest
size
boxes
full
of
cigars
to
test
it
with.
During
testing
quite
a
few
cigars
got
broken,
while
adjustments
were
being
made,
(and
a
few
got
burnt
up
on
the
line).
Finally
when
testing
was
finished
and
the
machine
was running at full speed with no problems, we thought, big share out time now.
Unfortunately
this
was
not
to
be.
Customs
and
Excise
knew
we
had
the
cigars,
and
no
duty
had
been
paid
on
them,
so
in
their infinite wisdom, decided they all had to be burnt up in one go, rather than one at a time.
I
was
given
the
job
of
collecting
them
all
up,
most
of
them
loose,
but
a
lot
still
in
the
boxes
from
the
trials
,
tipping
them
into
cardboard
boxes
,
and
putting
them
into
a
wheel
barrow
and
wheeling
them
out
into
the
yard
where
there
was
an
incinerator,
an
old
oil
drum
with
holes
in
the
side,
which
was
used
to
burn
rubbish.
I
then
had
to
tip
them
all
into
the
incinerator
while
the
Customs
man
stood
there
watching,
with
his
clipboard
and
papers
in
his
hand
You
could
tell
by
looking
at
him
he
was
not
the
sort
of
bloke
you
could
do
a
deal
with,
like
you
take
a
few
handfuls
and
I,ll
take
a
few
for
the
men
on
the
line.
When
they
were
all
burnt
up,
without
saying
much
he
just
signed
a
bit
of
paper
on
his
clipboard
to
say
they
were
all
destroyed,
and
I
had
to
sign
it
to
confirm
he
had
been
there
,and
then
he
gave
me
a
copy
for
the
firms
records
and
then
just
walked
off
up
the
road
to
a little van he had parked up there and drove off.
Colin Wright
Hello
Les,I
done
my
apprenticeship
at
Whiffler
road
in
the
early
70's
and
at
lunchtimes
some
of
us
would
have
a
nose
around
the
factory,
one
day
we
came
across
a
machine
they
were
testing
out,
wrapping
Benson
and
Hedges
Gold
in
cartons
of
200
there
were
loads
of
packets
of
fags
laying
about
all
over
the
place,
being
poor
apprentices
and
smoking
either
roll
ups
or
Players No 6 at best we thought Christmas had arrived early, I don't know who were the bigger Dummy's us or those fags ?
Roderic Horne
I
think
I
worked
on
that
machine
with
charge-hand
Ken
Calinski
and
Frank
Oakley.
The
original
design
as
I
recall
was
not
a
success
and
we
struggled
to
get
cigars
into
the
boxes.
I
think
this
was
because
the
boxes
were
loaded
flat
and
getting
the
machine
to
open
them,
and
to
keep
them
open
to
receive
the
cigars,
proved
very
difficult.
I
remember
a
Dutch
designer
was
brought
in
and
some
changes
were
made
to
how
the
boxes
were
opened.
I
can
remember
having
to
make
very
thin
spring
steel
guides
that
held
the
boxes
open
and
guided
in
the
cigars.
The
blades
were
then
withdrawn,
the
box
closed
and
sealed.
I
left Wrappers for LSE in July 1964, a long time ago now so my memory, like my hair, may be a little lacking.
Posted 18-03-20
Valerie Martin
I worked in the Edward Street Office in the early sixties. I was Valerie Joyner back then and it was my first full time job. Office
names I remember are Pat Shorten, Jill Basey Fisher, Sybil Flowerdew, Mr. Bond, Reg Llewellyn, Frank Clarke. In the factory
I remember David Crisp ( who I married), Paul Jarvis, Alan Alfred, David Kalinski, Glen Sturman and Bert Goodings (lovely
man). There are others of course whose faces I recall, but can’t remember their names. One not to be forgotten of course
was the legendary Mrs. ivy Greengrass and gopher cheese rolls! I also remember getting samples and being particularly
delighted to get a bottle of Coty L’Aimant. The Managing Director at the time was Mr. Salt. He was replaced by Ted King. I
went on to work for Ted at Formost Packaging. Frank Clarke was there too.
Gillian Bowker
My Dad John (Jack) Lowe worked at Autowrappers from about 1964 to 2001 . I can remember him talking about a few of the
people you mentioned. I can remember the Xmas outings they arranged for the children
David Crisp
The Wigan rugby player.
Gillian Bowker
Yes that was my Dad . He sadly died in 2011
Posted 20-03-20
Colin Wright
Whilst having lots of time on my hands at the moment I was taking a trip down memory lane on the wonderful Autowrappers
web site when I studied a photo from my era 1969- 1975, the machine shop Whiffler road photo ref : AW0044 which has of
three gentlemen operating turret mills, at first I didn't recognise anyone in this photo, then I picked the one on the left hand
machine, what gave it away was he was the only one wearing a boiler suit and not the official brown warehouse coats, and I
realised who he was, it was a very nice man called Terry Cook, aka Cookie) as I worked on the machine to his right when I
moved from the training school onto the shop floor. Shortly after I worked on that machine, a Beaver from Balding
Engineering which was just over the other side of the Drayton road roundabout as it was then, the old turrets were replaced
with some more Beavers, these machines were operated by John Elvin, Les Harmer aka (Elsie) Steve Dyer, Colin Smith aka
(Smut) and myself Colin Wright aka (Billy) I have fond memories of my time at Autowrappers but have sadly lost contact with
most colleagues since I left.
Paul Holmes
Thanks for sharing Colin. I worked on the Turret Mills during my apprenticeship, which would have been in the early 80’s
(can’t remember exactly when)....
Colin Wright
hello Paul where any of my colleagues Still around at the time you were there ?
Peter Blyth
I worked on the vertical mills at that time 68to 73 cookie worked next to Steve Pope others in milling section was M Warren J
Knights A Warnes Little Bertie B Crome Ossie Osbourne R Woodrow .I left in 73 and went to work with Terry Cook at
Mayflower when they went bust I went to Normech Terry joined a few months later.
Colin Wright
hello Peter we must have been there at the same time, Steve Pope was my mentor, a very good engineer and taught me
great deal, I owe him big time for my future development. Once I asked Johnny Knights if he could give me a hand so he did
quite literally, as you will know very well John had quite a selection of false hands and he presented me with the most life-like
one
Colin Wright
Sorry Peter I've just looked at your profile picture and I can remember you, we've both aged a little though, how are you ?
Peter Blyth
Yes a few years have gone bye I seem to remember 2 Colin's . playing football on the field lunch times and the dart team
playing at lord Roseberry
Peter Blyth
Hi yes good time I was in the training school with Dick Bull Keith Sadler David Mortimer A Catchpole P Watt D Johnson Bon
Howarth was the training officer
Peter Blyth
I missed Steve Dickerson from the school
Colin Wright
Our training school officer was John Wright, I am still in contact with Les Harmer as we both ended up working for Ross foods
at Worsted until our retirements, another connection with Autowrappers was that the late Paul Jarvis finshed up as the Chief
Engineer there RIP Paul
Peter Blyth
I seem to remember Les (Life Boat pub Sea Pauling)
Colin Wright
Colin Wright Yes that was one of his favourite haunts as well as a club out Yarmouth way called the something Viking, I can't
remember where it was it's a long while ago
Valerie Martin
Colin Wright So sorry to hear about Paul. My ex husband David Crisp and I were great friends of Paul and Brenda at one
time. When did he die?
Colin Wright
Hello Valerie, sorry you didn't know about Paul's passing, I can't remember the exact date but it was at least 10 years ago,
Paul was one of those people you couldn't help liking and I believe he had quite a mischievous sense of humour in his youth
Valerie Martin
Yes he did. I’ve got a photo of him somewhere at my 21st birthday. I’ll see if I can dig it out. From memory I think his Dad was
a butcher on Unthank Road.
Colin Wright
Peter Blyth just remembered Les's other haunt was, think it was the Hemsby Noresman not Viking, it was close though ��
Peter Blyth
Yes sounds right.Roger Harden was in my year as well
Colin Wright
haven't seen Les for a while either and not likely to for a bit
Peter Blyth
No. strange times ahead let's hope these measures work
Aubrey Hunt
Hi Billy, I started at Wrappers in August 1972 in the training school under the eye of Brian Woods training officer, then
progressed on to turret mills, I can remember Les Harmer and John Elvin and the course Steve Dyer and yourself you lived in
Cawston next door to Philip Dove. I stayed there for over36 years until they move to the Deep South.
Colin Wright
hello Aubrey, I believe I bumped into your brother Alan not that long ago while I was out fishing, the last time I saw him before
this was when we were at Reepham Secondary Modern School fifty years ago. Les isn't into social media etc at the moment
which is a shame, I'll mention all these conversations when I see him next
Posted