Spring 1970 Elsewhere in this edition we have occasion to refer to the 150th Editorial Anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. It was an exciting venture. What was outstanding at the time was the readiness of great men to back their ideas with vigorous action. We are not the less in need of the same quality today. We talk easily of the incidence of change today as though it were new, but the necessity for change has always been there. The rural community of changed. The population of Middlesbrough in 1830 was 40 and by 1850 was 6,000 and in 1860 was 20,000. That was change. All those people were strangers and most had to learn their trade. The most important of all the phenomena of the last 200 years has been the power revolution. The harnessing of steam was the beginning of itand it has taken us to the moon in 1969. Atthe beginning of the Railway era 1,000 horse-drawn coaches per day left London and in 10 years the railways killed the whole trade stone dead. The horse traders and breeders, the farriers, the tanners, let alone the drivers and the staffs of the coaching inns. All were redundant! Let us remember that, when we think of change as though it were a modern phenomenon. Immense good has come to the world from the power revolution and now we face the revolution of instant calculation. That too will be accomplished. The resourcefulness of man and his resilience must not be front cover springtime comes to the village of Muker, doubted. The great restrictive enemy is pessimism. What we have in Swaiedale, Yorkshire. shown we can do in the past we can certainly do again. Appoint• HW TNPG ment in Spain in Austraiia Head Wrightson & Co Ltd and Because of the important nuclear Indein of Madrid have formed a new developments now under way in Spanish company named Australia The Nuclear Power Group 'Indein-Wrightson SA' with offices Limited, of which Head Wrightson in Madrid. & Co Ltd is a member company, is The Members of the Board are : establishing an office in Sydney. The Mr P Gonzalez - Buenopresident primary objective of the office is to Mr John Eccles vice president support the 500M W steam MrWH Adams generating heavy water reactor bid MrG ReimersSuarez to be made by TN PG to the The General Manager of this new Australian Atomic Energy Commission in June 1970. company is Mr W A Philipson formerly with HWPEL Thornaby.

Mr K Home has been appointed a Director of Head Wrightson Process Engineering Ltd. sixpence {2^p). It is also announced wages, will continue to be in Csd that it will cost nearly 2^d to 'spend until D Day. Going a (new) penny'. The conversion of wage rates is being carefully examined. As part of our conversion arrangements, decimai HWstudy group salaries and wages payrolls will be expressed entirely in decimal (gross Detailed plans for the eventual pay to net pay) from February 1971 The time is slipping by. We are conversion of accounting records at the latest. However, to give down to less than ten months including such items as pricing, employees a better appreciation of to go at the time of publication invoicing, stocks and wages, are the new currency and changeover to D Day 1971. From 15 April progressing well. We have decided arrangements in advance of D Day, 1970 there are 306 days left in (in common with many it is hoped that we can adopt and the countdown and this organisations) that the date of our produce decimal payrolls from without weekends or holidays internal changeover should be in November 1 970, with the net pay leaves only some 202 advance of D Day, and have amounts being shown also in Csd. working days. selected 2 November 1 970. All In this respect, it is intended that all accounting records and balances wage rates will be converted so that There have been several important will be converted to £p amounts no loss or gain accrues to either the changes in our coinage in recent from this date, however, the legal Company or employees. Detailed months. Of our Csd coins, the ^d currency will continue to be Csd for explanations of the changes and halfcrown have already been some 3^- months. Therefore, all proposed will be distributed in due withdrawn, and the ten shilling note money transactions, eg payment of course. has virtually disappeared. New decimal coins are in wide circulation, and the new ^p, 1 p and 2p coins will be issued from D Day (1 5 February 1971). Municipal incineration An official 'changeover period' starts on D Day and will end not The diversity of skill which enables for guessing who are depicted as later than August 1972. During this HWPEL to build four post blast Steptoe and Son. period our familiar Csd and the new furnaces and to incinerate four post currency {Cp) will both be legal bedsteads is depicted in this tender. All banks. Post Office, most cartoon illustrating the municipal government departments will incineration feature on pages 2 change to decimal on D Day and and3. There are no prizes many businesses will even change before this date. On the other hand, shops will have to wait until D Day because the new bronze coins are not available until then. However, it is expected that almost all organisations will change to Cp operations within a few weeks following D Day and thus the current 1d, 3d and 6d will disappear rapidly. The recent replacement of the ten shilling note by the 50p piece caused much protest at the time. One wonders what may be said if our well-loved tanner is withdrawn, when subsequently paying for chocolate bars, bus fares, telephone calls, etc. However, in view of recent announcements that the fate of the sixpence is being reconsidered at this relatively late date, it is possible this coin will be retained after all. On the other hand, it will not make that much difference now as the Post Office, local authorities, etc have already planned their conversion arrangements which allow for the withdrawal of the sixpence. For example, the programme to re-equip many thousands of telephone call-boxes with new 2p and 5p payment meters, is the result of the simple decision to demonetize the

1 type of fuel expected and the the storage bunker into the refuse calorific value of it. The width of the feed hopper 3. The refuse passes by Municipal grate, is determined by the capacity gravity down the feed chute 5. A of the stoker. The higher the horizontal hydraulic ram at the capacity, the wider the stoker. bottom of the feed chute feeds the incineration Refuse often contains quite a lot of refuse on to the Martin Stoker 7. A moisture and regardless of its primary air fan 76forces combustion from blast furnaces calorific value will not ignite and air through the hoppers and stoker burn until it is dried. Common on to the bed of refuse. The oxygen to bedsteads practice by other methods usually in the air is of course necessary for by Gordon Moodie involves two or more grates, stage combustion of the refuse. Normally one, the drying zone; stage two the no auxiliary fuel is required to burn heating and igniting zone; and three the rubbish except for a short period the burning zone. The single reverse when starting up. acting Martin stoker is unique The clinker produced by the because it simplifies this by drying, combustion process is quenched In a igniting and burning in one water bath which is situated below simultaneous process. the bottom of the Martin Stoker. The cooled clinker is fed onto a rubber belt conveyor 22. A magnetic General description of refuse separator extracts the tin from the incineration plant conveyor, the tin being baled and sold as scrap metal. The clinker is Atypical refuse incineration plant conveyed to a clinker storage hopper with ancillary steam raising 2 and can eventually be sold as equipment is illustrated below. temporary road fill. Refuse vehicles tip their contents The hot gases emanating from the into the refuse storage bunker 20. stoker pass through a radiant heat The grab transports the refuse from boiler 9. The gases which have a

In 1966 Head Wrightson set out to establish themselves in municipal incineration and formed an association with Josef Martin, Feuerungsbau GMBh of Munich, Germany. This enabled HWPEL to build the well proven Martin municipal refuse incineration equipment in the United Kingdom. It is the best of its kind in the world. The move was timely. Two major plants are at present being constructed by HWPELforthe cities of Birmingham and Exeter.

The Martin Stoker

The Martin stoker was developed in Germany to burn low grade fuels, such as industrial wastes and slurries and over 400 installations have been made. In 1969, two Martin stokers were commissioned in Sao Paulo to burn Key 1 Grab crane 12 Burner municipal refuse. Since this 2 Receiving hopper 13 Clinker roll Installation 57 units have been sold 3 Refuse hopper 14 Dust hopper to burn municipal refuse. These 57 4 Shut-off plate 15 Precipitator units have a total burning capacity 5 Feed chute 16 Primary air fan 6 Feeder unit 17 Secondary air fan of over 19,000 tons per day. This is 7 Martin grate 18 Induced draught fan more than any other stoker in the 8 Undergrate hoppers 19 Chimney world. 9 Boiler 20 Refuse storage One of the great features of the 10 Economiser 21 Clinker storage Martin stoker is that it consists of 11 Air preheater 22 Belt conveyor only one grate. Along the length of the grate alternate bars are fixed to a common reciprocating beam. The remaining bars are attached to a common stationary supporting structure. The length of the grate is designed in accordance with the

2 temperature of approximately cubic yards of tipping or storage In simple terms it means that if you 2000 F impart their heat through space would be required every year were to add steam raising or the outside metal face of the boiler if we were to dump all the rotting electrical power generating tubes and into the water which is unsightly rubbish. equipment to a refuse incineration circulating inside the tubes. The gas The Martin incineration process plant, the heat that is generated by temperature is reduced in this way however reduces the refuse volume the burning rubbish could produce by approximately 600 Fat the by approximately 90% and only 22 megawatts of electricity per day boiler exit. The water flowing into 1 /10th of the tipping space is for every 1,000 tons of refuse burnt. the boiler tubes is heated and forms required for the inert clinker which is As Teesside alone produces 500 steam which can be passed To a produced. It can if required be used tons of refuse per day, 11 megawatts steam turbine to generate electricity as road-fill. of electrical energy could be or alternatively used as process As ground area and health produced every day locally by this steam and/or hot water. consideration are at a premium, the means. To extract the dust from the cooled need for incineration plants is It would provide enough energy for gases, they are drawn through an patently obvious. 11,000 one bar electric fires, electrostatic precipitator 75 by an burning for 24 hours per day or induced draught fan 18. The dust is Potential business sufficient electrical energy to supply removed by this highly efficient the complete demand of Head means and clean gas is passed up Wrightson Thornaby works. The potential of this business is the chimney stack 75to atmosphere. correspondingly very great. To burn Because the clinker is odourless and the existing quantity of refuse 122 no dust is emitted from the plant, it is plants would be required if we possible to site a refuse incineration assume an average plant size of plant in or near to a residential area 500 tons per day. The cost of each given the appropriate architectural of these plants would be treatment. The photograph of our approximately ^^m. Exeter plant on page 2 shows how this can be achieved. Refuse as a fuel

The need for refuse incineration Whilst most of us look upon the in the United Kingdom material in our dustbins as completely useless rubbish, a glance The need for incineration plants in at the table below gives an the U K is very great. This statement interesting indication of what is best explained by the following present day refuse really consists of facts. in scientific terms. Based on the present population, To the ordinary man in the street the From the table below it can be 22 million tons of refuse is table might appear quite difficult calculated that when burned the generated every year in the U K. As to understand but it shows that heat contained in one pound of this the average density of the refuse is rubbish is composed of different refuse is 3,000 British Thermal Units 2 cwts per cubic yard, 220 million chemicals some of which are fuels. (3,000 BTU's).

Ultimate analysis and gross calorific value of typical refuse components type of carbon sulphur hydrogen oxygen nitrogen ash water percentage calorific refuse % % % % % % % present value BTU/LB Fine dust <§' 5-4 0-1 0-4 2-6 83-0 8-5 865 14-17 Cinders >§ " 3-2 0-1 0-1 0-1 91 0 5-5 520 Inert Cinder 100 1-24 Vegetables 14-1 21 15-4 10 2-4 65-0 20-61 2330 Paper (all kinds) 34-0 5-0 400 10 5-0 150 37-83 5390 Rags (all kinds) 360 50 250 40 50 250 3-69 6650 Unclassified debris incl. plastics 160 20 180 60 4-0 5-53 2375 Metals 100 7-39 Glass 100 9-54 Head Wrightson and Taylor work in the TWW head office Woodrow Construction formed that was at once set up at Southall, Invergordon Taywood Wrightson Ltd (TWW) Middlesex, The HW contribution to 18 months ago to carry out the the TWW office organisation management, engineering, and included staff from H W , aluminium construction for The British HW Stockton, HW Steel Foundries, Aluminium Company Ltd of the HWPEL Thornaby, Sheffield and £.21 m aluminium reduction works at London and Headquarters and project Invergordon in Scotland. The HW included representatives of HW contribution to TWW is to provide Australia and HW India. We had, the expertise for the heavy plant and therefore, a wide group report electrical part of the works and TWC representation. A small number of to cover the building and civil the staff were drafted on a short engineering plusthe mechanical term basis to give the job a sound services. start but the majority of the staff We are now at the half-way stage of were transferred to TWW to see the the project and the emphasis has work through to a successful passed from the engineering to the completion. construction. We can, therefore, look back on our efforts in tackling Southall Invergordon: the engineering and look forward to progress to January '70 our problems in completing the Initially we had 15 Teesside and construction. 2 Sheffield commuters surviving In the centre of the photograph is the It was on Thursday 2 October 1968 the travelling to London on Sunday carbon plant showing the Head Wrightson that we were informed that TWW evenings and returning home on gabbard cranes commencing erection work had been awarded the contract and Friday nights. The early days of the and also the baking furnace pits. To the left are the pot rooms which contain that work would start on Monday project are well remembered for the 80 furnaces in each room. Each pot room 7 October 1968. The news was the prolonged stay at the Peggy is 1500 ft long. signal for intensive activity within Bedford' a hotel located at the end Near left are the bases for the 30,000 ton the Group. We were immediately of the main Heathrow runway and alumina storage silos. interviewing and selecting staff to adjacent to the main London to Bath road. Now the commuters are only Geoff Eastwood, Des Good, John PEL Thornaby. Missing from the four and the location is transferred Coulson, Bill Barnard and Terry photograph are John Kier of H W to Kensington. Crawford ; Jim Busby of HWT; Phil Stockton and Reg Whiting of The peak TWW staff at Southall was Elliott and Don Thomas of Sheffield Sheffield. The current operations at about 180 of which HW Roger Marton, Fred Coombs, Alan Southall are headed by John contributed 53 permanent staff and Enright, Ludwig Hess, Bernard McCrone to cover engineering and 30 contract draughtsmen. The Crassly and Jim Whitman, Bert Phil Elliott on the commercial side. photograph shows the Southall Townsend and George Berry of A small progress/inspection office permanent staff at December 1969. London ; and Ken Home. John manned by Cyril Gray and Steve Familiar faces include the strong McCrone, Mike Street, Peter Wilson is operated from HWPEL - contingent from HW Stockton : Lofthouse and Maurice Rhymer of Thornaby.

of the first World War, although there Eric Patterson and Tony Morris. HW Group effort are some whose expertise Single staff living at Invergordon are associates the name accurately with mainly living in the staff hostel The project has to date put demands the local distillery. The fine rural which can accommodate up to 75 on all sections of the group and setting has been the basis of staff, the site labour men now live in mention must be made of the articles in Country Life and Field the labour camp which has a backroom work carried out by R&D magazines. Forthose who do not capacity of 500. A large proportion in advising on the many technical read these salubrious journals, the of the staff are living in new estates and process matters and of the area can still offer activities ranging built by the local councils at Alness administrative back up work carried from bird watching to duck shooting and Dingwall. These houses out at Yarm (not forgetting of course and golf to skiing. provide good class accommodation the co-operation of the Transport The installation of the main plant and some have central heating. department). and electrics will be carried out by Others are living in rented private The main work is now transferred the Plant Construction Department property. from the Southall office to two major (PCD). This is one of the sections of All eyes are now on the target which areas, ourfabrrcation shops and the the work for which HW have the is to produce the first aluminium site. HWT are fabricating the principal responsibility. The from the smelter early in 1 971. We aluminium furnace structure, which department will be manned by staff confidently expect to be reporting is the heart of the reduction process drawn from HW and will be on this event in the corresponding and it involves the manufacture of all responsible for the installation of issue of' Wright Ahead' next year. the 320 furnace units. The total value equipment valued at approximately of this is In excess of £1 m. €20/77. The work will necessitate the provision of about 30 staff, 250 At site erectors and will include the supervision of sub-contractors Work at Invergordon commenced in employing approximately 350 November 1 968 with the general erection staff and site men. levelling and preparation of the site. Members of our site staff are shown The civil engineering work is now on the accompanying photograph. well past the halfway mark whilst Managing the department is John the plant erection is still in its early Lander, supported by Bob stages. (The aerial photograph Mitchell - recently appointed cfiief shows the progress made on site to erection engineer, Peter Warwick - the end of January 1 970). chief electrical engineer. Alan Muir- Invergordon is a small town of 2,500 plant agency contractor supervision population located on the shores of and Ian Fox - commercial manager. the Moray Firth. It is popularly best Other familiarfaces include Mike Our site staff .ii m .^iquKiun January known for the Royal Navy mutiny Jones, Alan Ayres, Geoff Smith, 1970

5 When the fumes of the burnt sand and the chatter of the chipping HW steel foundries hammers have faded away at HW Steel Foundries the castings come under stringent scrutiny from the inspection staff. Typical of the very special medium and medium/heavy steel castings passing through their critical hands in recent months are those illustrated here: 1 a 29 ton stern frame casting for a shipunderconstruction in Brazil. Eleven of these formed the largest single direct export contract awarded to HW Steel Foundries. Bob Lock and Albert Higgins are doing the checking. 2 half of a 26ft diameter alloy steel girth gear being marked off by Dick Edmundson and Brian Matthews. After machining this casting was bound for Norway. HW Steel Foundries have successfully cast the largest steel cast gears in Europe. Sometimes they are made in halves or segments before assembly and machining. 3 HW Steel Foundries have long held a leading position in the making of cast steel valve parts: they get bigger as the size of installations grow. This is one of three large stainless steel main bodies for valves for Grangemouth. Made to extremely high radiographic inspection standards, the valves are for hot hydrogen service. Yalve bodies like these have never been produced before outside the United States. 4 a large cast steel armature spindle for an electrical generator being checked dimensionally by Jack Glutton. Grinding miiis for pigment production The accompanying photograph shows a 7 ft X 28 ft tube mill in the final stages of manufacture at HW Teesdale, prior to delivery to the Wallsend, Northumberland works of Associated Lead Manufacturers Ltd. This mill is the latest in a series of some 18 units of various sizes which HW have supplied to Associated Lead Manufacturers for their plants on the Tyne, in Italy and their new plant in Spain, since 1953. in Spain, and will caterforthe supplying zirconium pigments to One of the major products of rapidly expanding Spanish ceramic growth Industries at home and Associated Lead Manufacturers is industries. All of the large mills for abroad. As the demand increases for zirconium pigments which are now Associated Lead Manufacturers, in their products so will there be need extensively used in place of tin oxide this country and abroad have been for increased output for their plants. based materials for imparting the erected and commissioned by HW We at H W anticipate, and hope, to white glazed finish to porcelain personnel. be supplying mills to this company fittings for tiles, kitchens, Associated Lead Manufacturers are for many years to come. bathrooms, etc. It is extremely important that the zirconium sand, which is obtained from Australia, is ultrafine and also iron free. Tube mills of the type illustrated reduce the zirconium sands to very small micron sizes to ensure that a smooth and glossy finish is obtained when the product Is used for glazing. To ensure, in parallel that iron contamination is minimised, which would result in discolouration of the product, the mills are lined with silex blocks, and normally the grinding media is high density synthetic pebbles. All our recent mills for Associated Lead Manufacturers have had 5 inch James Wastell HWT Stockton works. bearing. The bearing forms part of a major thick mild steel end plates welded to operating a horizontal borerduring part of ball-mill contract currently being the shell. Cast steel trunnion stalks the machining process of a spherical manufactured by HWT for supply to Spain. are bolted to the end plates. This design, which was developed in Progress at Egglescliffe conjunction with R&D division, has proved to be far better for this type During January HWIF achieved a of mill, than the previous method of record weekly production of 904 using cast steel trunnion ends. tons of ingot moulds and other To date, most of the tube mills steelworks castings. Forthe year supplied to Associated Lead ended 31 January 1970 HWIF also Manufacturers have been for their achieved, for the first time in its Wallsend works. Other mills have history, a turnover in excess of £2m been fortheir plant at Carasco, The new financial year commenced Italy, the first mills were supplied in with the receipt of an order from 1962 and a further mill has just left Holland for 500 tons of ingot our works for shipment to Italy. We moulds for delivery to the Royal have recently supplied another mill Dutch Steel Works. fortheir plant at Valencia, Spain. The The photograph shows the stockpile of Spanish plant which will be CI tunnel segments forthe Manhattan completed this year, will be the only Sewer contract at the job site on the plant producing zirconium pigments Hudson River, New York On 1 2 February this year the people hinterland of Darlington to the of Yarm celebrated the 150th Stockton wharves. Their sights were The Friarage anniversary of the founding in a on the coal of South Durham. room at the George & Dragon of the In this part of the County the coal Stockton & Darlington Railway seams lay deep and the expense of and the Company. sinking deep shafts demanded a Those who stride daily through the better and more assured distribution side gates of the Friarage into Yarm of their ore than was available by the Railway High Street do not usually think of . A coal service capable of the momentous event of 12 competing with that of the Tyne was February 1820 when Thomas needed and the mecca was the Meynell, the then owner and Lord great booming London market. The of the Manor, walked through that ships were available at the river same gate on his way to the mouth, whilst the river and roads George & Dragon Inn. There the were impassable. Here was the challenge that Yarm and Darlington were facing. Stockton enterprise was very much S.&.D.R. alive and there were plans for cutting •> i-OMMe^CrAL HOOM OF TMIH a 29^ mile canal from Portrack to [L ON THE Darlington. Other innovations were I2th Day of February. I820 more intriguing. George Stephenson of Wylam-on-Tyne and others were PROMOTERS' MEETING running steam powered locomotives or TN» on rails in the collieries of the North. Robert Stephenson, his son, was Stockton &DarHngton| engaged to survey for a railway. The Rail" decision to use steam locomotives came later but the scene was set. IK FwsT pvBiic u-.H. . . m mm The Stockton and Darlington THOMAi MCVNEll (SQ OT VARM Railway Company was formed with PFFESIOrO Edward Pease the largest shareholder and Thomas Meynell Chairman. The public service meeting of merchants and opened on 27 September 1825 with gentlemen, dominated by a procession from Brusselton Incline Darlington Quakers and presided at Shildon to St Johns Well at over by the Catholic Meynell, Stockton with all the now famous (surely an interesting combination ballyhoo. The journey of 21 miles 9 years before the Catholic took 1 hr 5 mins to Darlington and Emancipation Act), prepared the 3 hrs 7 mins to Stockton. George ground for two memorable Stephenson was driving his own developments that have left their 'Locomotion 1' and 35 wagons. The mark on Great Britain and indeed on attention of the world has the world. They were laying the concentrated on the human seeds of Industrial Teesside and passengers but the businessmen beginning the world wide had their eyes on the coal. Transport Revolution. The main line had four locomotives Yarm was seriously in decline and and they mostly drew coal. Stockton had already overtaken her Most of the passenger traffic as the principal port on the Tees. The continued to be in flanged wheel, new Stockton Bridge in 1771 had horsedrawn carriages and the sealed her fate. The beautiful but Yarm branch line never saw a tortuous river Tees, famous for its locomotive. salmon, had too many twists and The deep shafts were now turns and too many broad flats. The economically possible. The first ship principal traffic had to be left Cottage Row Stockton in 1826 transhipped into barges down river laden with coal for London. The and came up in small keels. trade grew phenomenally. A Stockton took a bold initiative and contract for 100,000 tons per year made two cuts in the river. The was signed. Soon a million tons of Mandate Cut in 1810 was decisive coal had left the Tees and the price and by straightening the river line of coal in Stockton which was 18/- enabled medium vessels above per ton had been brought down to 150 tons to reach the new quays 8/6 per ton. and wharves. This wasthe stroke The Darlingtonians did not have the which finally killed Yarm as a port. local benefit of locomotives either The gentlemen of the George & but they controlled the railway and Dragon were combining to gain they called the tune : 'Why stop half control of the transport from the way at Stockton ?' they said.

8 Protests from Stockton were of no after whom Skinner Street is named- examine it in 1848. The great iron avail and the Stockton men resigned bought land on the Thornaby Carrs age was to be the next phase. from the railway. By 1829 the at South Stockton near to the old The foundations of Teesside were chain bridge and the causeway Stockton Race Course. There was a being prepared for the bigger which was to take the rail on to the pottery there. They built a glass enterprises that lay ahead and the tiny hamlet of Middlesbrough had bottle factory and they began the first and greatest of the Iron begun. Teesdale Iron Works. It was close to Masters had come to stay. Bolckow No more than a huddle of houses the new railway line, as we all and Vaughan took up residence and a public house on the high and know well, and behind the South together at their well-known house dry land amongst the marshes, it was Stockton shipbuilding yards. The in Queen Square half a mile from the a well chosen site. The instigator of works which were to become Head works. The 'Infant Hercules' as the move was Joseph Pease, Wrightson had begun and Gladstone was to call Edward's son, who with his Thornaby township came into being. Middlesbrough was born. Still very partners had bought Middlesbrough HWF Bolckow came to Stockton much an infant, it was already Farm and 400 acres of adjacent land that year to examine sites for an kicking. forthe purpose in 1828. Here ships Ironworks but Joseph Pease Yarm played no further part in these could load much further down river persuaded him to buy a plot in ventures. Four new ships were and the new estate owners could Middlesbrough. Bolckow and built for their trade but fewer craft control the wharves and staithes Vaughan opened their first puddling came up river until eventually in which at first they called Port furnace and bar mill in 1841 in 1850 the last ship was rebuilt in the Darlington. Vulcan Street, Middlesbrough. yards at Worsall and the stones of Stockton did not give in. They To provide pig iron Bolckow and the quay were used to build the completed the river improvements Vaughan built four blastfurnaces in church. Today people wonder why by the second, the Portrack Cut, in the mid-forties at Witton Park the pub is called 'The Ship'! 1831 and they tried to block the 20 miles to the west, near Bishop Thomas Meynell resigned as railway extension in Parliament. Auckland. Bell Bros of Wylam-on- Chairman of the Stockton & When this failed they opened a Tyne examined sites at Stockton but Darlington Railway in 1828 and competing rail along the north bank they took no decision. Joseph Pease became chairman. of the river to Haverton Hill and There were now 21 blast furnaces in He had presided overthedecision founded Port Clarence on the other operation in County Durham all sited to found it, laid the first rail, side. They gained only a respite. The in the coal fields but not one on performed the opening ceremony victory was to Darlington and to Teesside. This was the era of the and written a page in history. He left Middlesbrough. struggle for King Coal on the his Friarage residence in 1841 and The Railway and the improved port wharves of the Tees. went to live at his other property in facilities brought new industry to the Iron ore forthe Witton Park North Kilvington. area and there was fierce rivalry furnaces came from Grosmont by The Friarage land and buildings between Stockton and the new sea from Whitby and by the rail to were bought by Head Wrightson in town. In 1839 a group of Stockton the West End. The rich seam at 1 957 and the house became the merchants led by William Smith and Eston lay unexplored until Vaughan Headquarters office of the Company William and George Skinner- commissioned John Marley to in 1967.

T

8: I! *

IS

9 The current photograph in the series The Diddy' door maker at Head Wrightson for several is the oldest we have published to years, as was his father before him. date and from the story angle it is In the last edition of 'Wright Ahead' MURIEL MOWBRAY certainly the most interesting. a small article on Bill Hopper's Lancaster Road The photograph was taken in HW Steel Foundries miniature door Salford December 1907 and shows the was published. The Fvening Gazette Lanes official model of the Mauretania were intrigued by the story and Bill's which was built by Robert Smith's cheery face duly appeared on the of Stockton-on-Tees, reputed to be front page of the Gazette on The model of the one of the premier model builders in 1 5 January with the story of the Mauretania the country. Standing with the 'diddy' door. Following this Bill model are the craftsmen who received a letter from a Mr F Clark of The model took 38 weeks to make created this perfect facsimile of the 5 Raby Road, Stockton, who stated and cost £725. A long time and a lot great ship being built at that time for that he also had a similar 'mini' door of money, you may think the Cunard Steam Ship Company which was in fact surplus for the (particularly in 1907), but when it is at the yards of Swan and Hunter, model of the Mauretania. At Mr taken into account that the model Wallsend. Clark's invitation Bill Hopper and the represents a steamer 790 ft long, editor visited Mr Clark and spent a 88 ft beam, 60 ft moulded depth, Standing left to right are most entertaining evening with a 33,200 gross tonnage, and that Mr E Turpin model maker of wonderful gentleman and a master every detail, however small, had to Ropner's Shipyard craftsman. Meanwhile, the following be fitted with great care and MrD HoXXon model maker of letter appeared in the Gazette on exactness, the surprise is that the Richardson & Duck's Shipyard 19 January: model did not take longer to build. Mr W Bartram Robert Smith's The scale was yjin to 1 ft, it was originally intended to be ^ in to 1 ft, Mr R Smith himself Diddy door Mr J Mowbray HW patternmaker but this would have made the model M r W Walker model maker of Craig A friend who lives in Norton sent me 18 in too long for Cunard's shop Taylor's Shipyard Xhe Fvening Gazette containing the window in London, where it was Mr F Clark apprentice with Robert report 'Strictly for the Diddy Men'. intended to be on display. Smith. Mr Jack Mowbray, who died in The model was, of course, for the March 1 941, was my father, and I most part solid in hull and bridge Robert Smith and his staff were well remember when I was a child decks but there were several virtually full-time on the model and seeing the little door mentioned. thousand specially made parts, all model makers of the shipyards and I never knew where this door went to perfect replicas, used in the Jack Mowbray, HW patternmaker, but am very pleased to know that it construction, eg the windows and worked on various special parts is still in existence. berth lights were made of mirror either at home or in Robert Smith's I believe the door was for a model glass which gave a representation of workshops in the evenings and ship my father made or was making a real interior, these numbered 280 at weekends. before I was born. Perhaps Mr sky-lights, 1,818 windows in deck There are three interesting stories Hopper could enlighten me. berths and 874 port lights around the connected with the photograph: My father was foreman pattern• hull, all of which were fitted with 10 gold plated frames and settings. also underwater signalling devices. Along the deck were 30 gold plated He recalled that during research on Condolences ventilators, several electric cranes these projects he required a 60 ft and winches, thermo tanks for deep testing tank, and built a HWPEL Thornaby sincerely regret heating the cabins, wireless makeshift tank out of cast iron having to announce the death of telegraphy fitted to the fore and aft tunnel segments which H W were Joe Nevin who died on 5 February masts, 16 life-boats supported on producing at that time for the after a very short illness, and also the gold plated davits, 76 ft of teak London underground. Mr Clark death of Eric Hill (No 2 DO) who handrailing complete with 852 stayed with H W after the war, was killed in a road accident on the stanchions, 20 small ladders with working on various experimental moor road near Castleton on handrails and even 200 doorknobs. models of blast furnaces, BF 7 December 1969. The deck cabins, lounges and cafes chargers and other steelworks plant. were complete in every detail with He left the company in 1921 when miniature tables and chairs and he started his own business in other furnishings. Prince Regent Street, Stockton, his HW Machine Co personnel and letterhead stated 'Maker of ships indeed personnel throughout the Mr F Clark models and fittings and engineering Group were very sorry to hear of the and structural models'. For a few death of Mr F V Hall on 11 January. Mr Clark, the apprentice in the years his business flourished, but Fred, who started his career with HW photograph, is quite a remarkable hard times throughout the country in 1 930 and progressed from work man for his 80 years. made him give up his business in bench to works manager of H WM He has examples of the portholes, 1926. However, prior to this he had retired in 1966 due to ill health. handrail stanchions, and windows undertaken a lot of work for a new He was a well-known local cricketer used in the ship model, all of which firm in Billingham called Synthetic and one of the finest players in the were 'basically' handmade, and Ammonia Nitrates Company (now NYSD league. During his 18 years beautifully reproduced, a ICI) and when they heard he was service with Norton CC he made photograph of these would not do giving up his workshops they three centuries, played in five justice to the workmanship. During immediately offered him a job and Kerridge Cup finals, and had a 50 on the First World War he was seconded was employed by them until his every ground in the 'A' division. He by the Admiralty to Head Wrightson retirement in 1 953. was also a remarkable slip fielder and Company Limited as Research and in later years shone as a slow and Experimental Engineer. He did An interesting photograph, an bowler, for in the 1 947 Kerridge Cup experimental work on sea rmnes and interesting story, an interesting final he claimed 6 Darlington sinkers, on oscillating mines and gentleman. wickets for 22 runs. Besides his cricket accomplishments, Fred had also been a football referee, played rugby for Stockton and bowls for the 'Rooks' and Blue Hall Recreation Stop press Club. Many congratulations to Kenneth Poole, apprentice plater with HW Teesdale who has been chosen to be a British Bob Sharpies, Chief Engineer HW representative for the 19th International Apprentice (Australia) Pty Ltd, died very Competition in Tokyo Japan, November 1970. suddenly whilst playing cricket on (see page 12) 3 January 1 970. Bob joined the then associate company of HW in Sydney, Messrs Gibson Battle & Co Ltd, in 1 950 as Assistant Works Manager and subsequently transferred to H W Australia staff on 1 October 1957. He paid many visits to the UK, the United States and Japan and was well-known and respected as an adaptable engineer of the practical kind. He was a great sportsman and this was borne out by the fact that at the age of 50 he was still playing cricket. His sudden death has left a void both in his private and business life and we send our condolences to his family and colleagues in Australia.

11 Secretaries' achievements Miss Maureen Sm\xh personnel department was successful in Training Miss MA Burleson AYWPfZ. receiving the London Chamber of Tfiornaby was successful in passing Commerce Private Secretary's the London Chamber of Commerce Certificate following her studies at news Private Secretary's Diploma Stockton & Billingham Technical following her studies at Constantine College. No doubt Maureen will College of Technology, continue her studies to attain the Middlesbrough. 'diploma'.

Tokyo 1970

The finals of this year's International Apprentice Competition will be held in Tokyo. These competitions are often referred to as the Apprentice Olympics. Apprentices from all over the United Kingdom compete and the City and Guilds of London Institute choose a competitor in each category to represent the country. The following HW apprentices have entered the competition and we wish them every success : Kenneth Poole and Alan Purkis HWT bridge yard {fabrication and steelwork). Keith Watson HWT drawing office. Philip Coney HWPEL drawing office {engineering drawing). Stephen Lumley HWP\Aachine Co {turning). Ourthree young technicians who Leader accompanied these three The Head Wrightson Training Centre attended a reception at Buckingham proud lads. has been selected to provide Palace in December 1969 for left to right: intensive training for the British winners of the Duke of Edinburgh Ronald Wilson HWPEL DO. Mr A E Rose, winner in the Fabrication and Gold Award Scheme. Mr A E Rose, Brian A Gray HWT machine shop and Steelwork section prior to the final Norton Methodist Youth Club David Walton R&D electrical workshop. international competition in Tokyo.

The Institute of British Foundrymen

John Sanderson HWSF trainee patternmaker, has been awarded the Institute of British Foundrymen Award for the student making the most progress during the year 1968/69 in patternmaking at Longlands College. He also came second in the competition for patternmaking run by the Teesside branch of the Institute of British Foundrymen.

Finals of degrees

Best wishes to the following HW students who are taking finals of degrees this year. JConroy HWPEL BSc/Rutherford GE Goodwin BSc/Aston D N HallidayAyW BSc/Newcastle D Maddison HWT BSc/Constantine V Oliver/yiVT BSc/Sunderland T Scaife HWPEL BSc/Constantine D P Scott HWT BSc/Constantine WE Short A/W/W MSc/Manchester

12 Sandy Muir Award justified his inclusion by winning against strong competition, to Once again preparations are in hand become the first welder trainee to to decide who shall be the 1970 achieve the honour. winner of the'Sandy' Muir Apart from this, he is very active in Memorial Fund Award. the Young Christian Workers This fund was created by workmates Movement, an organisation which if in order that 'Sandy's' memory may Terry is anything to go by, builds up be perpetuated and honoured by self confidence in its members and generations of apprentice provides opportunities for social boilermakers through the years. The activities and debates on contro• income of the fund is used each year versial subjects of the present day. to provide an award of tools or When relaxing, Terry enjoys all books, etc to the chosen best outdoor activities including apprentice boilermaker. horse-riding, hiking and camping. Last year, Terry Ford HWT He is also preparing for our Stockton Works was put forward as acceptance in EEC by learning a candidate forthe award, and German. Works visits

photograph top left Professor A G Quarrell {right) of the University of Sheffield shows interest in one of the R&D test rigs during his visit to our works. Professor Guarrell is a Vice President of The Iron and Steel Institute and President Elect of the Institution of Metallurgists. With Professor Quarrel in the photograph are {/tor) George Lyons, Ian McDowall f and DrC Rounthwaite. photograph bottom left Mr Jack Wright managing director HW Australia arrived home' to Teesside for the Christmas holidays. Mr Wright, who has been resident in Sydney since 1952, spent the first few weeks of the new year visiting our offices and works in the UK exchanging information on current and future projects. He returned to the summer sunshine of Australia at the end of January. The photograph shows MrWright with Barry Hope, R&D physicist, explaining the intricacies of the stretch leveller pilot plant.

Editor's competition

From the amused expression on Mr Wright's face the editor wondered what he was thinking when the photograph (left) was taken. Could it be 'at last a secret weapon to combat my Japanese competitors' or perhaps 'does a stretch leveller make girdles ?' What do you think ? a small prize will be given to the best suggested / think - he thinks'. Entries please to The Editor. Wright Ahead. Head Wrightson & Co Ltd. Yarm. Yorks TS159DA.

13 Sport & social t • • • Yarm Friars FC

At the beginning of the 1969-70 football season, a team comprising of Head Wrightson employees, mainly from The Friarage, was formed and entered the Stockton and District Sunday League. The Friars lost their first game by the only goal and then had a fine run of wins until they lost four games during November. Since then fortunes have been mixed and the Friars are placed about midway in the league. However the Friars hope to atone for their position in the league by back row left to right front ro w left to right winning this years G Green. P Bates, N Darley. P Appleby, M Copping capt., P Walker, Inter-Departmental Knock-Out S Merryweather, J Legg. J Maxwell, K Lamb, K Harrison competition ! D Lamb (Absentees J Dobson, R Lee)

HWCricket section HWSoclalClub bar committee:

Secretary Mr M Pratt HWT shipping Mr W Ferguson (Secretary) dept HW works engineers BINGO is called every Friday and The season commences on Sunday nights in the Club at Mr H Hum HWT bridge yard Saturday 25 April and again we Teesdale Park Acklam Road Mr D Gibson HWT bridge yard are fielding two teams in the Thornaby. The bingo sessions Mr F Rodgers HWT bridge yard Cleveland and Teesside league. commence at 9 pm. Mr G Maihias HWT too/room The first eleven competes in division Please remember that all members Mr R Hawks & Mr J Hunt one and the second eleven in the must be able to produce a current are associate members reserve division. membership card if asked to do so. Outdoor practice begins on Membership cards are obtainable Wednesday evening 1 5 April. Ail from any of the Bar Committee or members and prospective members from your departmental Athletic are welcome. Committee representative.

Head Wrightson works Readers of Wright Ahead' will The band were featured by Radio band remember that in 1968 the band Durham in a half-hour programme qualified forthe national on Sunday and Monday, 22 and 23 Head Wrightson works band have championship to be held atthe February, and on Sunday, 12 April, been carrying out a full programme Royal Albert Hall, London. they took part in a concert by of concerts and contests in the last Unfortunately, the band were massed brass bands, together with few months. In the contest field they prevented by the loss of several the Apollo Male Voice Choir, in played last May in the Spring Brass players and other domestic Middlesbrough Town Hall. Band Festival at Belle Vue, commitments from competing in the Manchester, playing in the senior final, but this year they hope to Some of the band's forthcoming cup section. They were placed qualify again in the preliminary heats engagements are listed below : seventh out of twenty-four in Sunderland on 14 March. competitors, a slightly disappointing On the concert platform the band Saturday 16 May 2.30 pm result but a creditable one in view have given their usual varied series concert. Thornaby Town Centre of the strong opposition. of concerts in the Teesside area. Saturday 6 June 2.30 pm In December last the band played in Perhaps the most successful was a concert: Billingham Town Centre the regional qualifying round of a gala performance in Hartlepool Saturday 13 June 3.00 pm national championship organized by Town Hall with HODA, the concert: Redcar W D & H 0 Wills. Although the band Hartlepool Operatic Society. This Saturday 20 June 2.30 pm were not amongst the winners, they concert, in November last year, concert. Thornaby Town Centre were awarded sufficient marks to played to a packed hall and was one Saturday 11 July qualify forthe final held at of the high spots of the Hartlepool Garden Fete: Ropner Convalescent Leicester, on 22 March. musical scene this winter. Home

14 HWT Staff Social Committee

Two major festive social events organised by the committee were the childrens party attended by over 100 children of HWT staff members who were entertained to tea, films, punch and judy show, games and carols, not forgetting the very special guest 'Father Christmas'. The second event was the staff dance held on Boxing Night atthe Golden Eagle Hotel, Thornaby. Some 300 staff and friends attended this very successful evening to which all credit must go to the social committee.

The Annual General Meeting was held on the 11 February when the following officials were elected for 1970/71 : chairman Mr D Wright nuclear contracts tel278 vice chairman Mr F M Seaman process equipment DO tel391 Cabaret time at the HWT staff dance treasurer Mr J CTrenholm left to right: Ke\lh Botwright, Fred Seaman, heatX&PVDO tel224 Garth Robson and Ken Tytler (photo by Gordon Turnbull) secretary Miss D W Forster nuclear typist tel213

right The magic of the Punch & Judy show below A top level conference with Father Christmas

Retirements MrESIack

Mr J L Ingledew, photo right A presentation of a beautiful 65 Northumberland Road, cigarette box and table lighter was Thornaby retired on 5 December made to Eric Slack cost accountant 1 969. Joe, a moulder with HW steel foundries on behalf of all HW Iron Foundries had been with his friends and colleagues at HW. HW for over 50 years. The The presentation was made at a photograph was taken during a special social evening on 6 January presentation to him by his to mark Eric's leaving the Company workmates. We all wish Joe a very after 32 years service. happy retirement. 15 plight - of ten men trapped beneath the Loss of the Lairdsf ield waves The following poem was written by So once again, its back to port'. Two lifeboats and a 'copter' too D R Tallet HWT contracts dept There's pending doom shipmates Soon on the scene in search of within a few days of the tragic loss beware! crew of the coaster 'Lairdsf ield' off the Two hours later at South Gare and 'frogmen' from a nearby town. Tees-mouth on the night of Friday And who can know, orguess, Equipped and eager to go down 6 February 1970. It is based on local or say And 'Cullercoats' Radio on the air press reports and messages heard What is to happen in Tees Bay ? An 'all-ships' call, 'ships on Marine Radio. everywhere'! Her cargo is of North East steel Loss of the Lairdsf ield What do we, 'land-bound' know, Although this help is near at hand Unhappy captain, ill at ease or think or feel Cruel fate hath very different The night the Lairdsfield' left the For men who go to sea in ships ? plans Tees With prayers for them on These ten beyond all human aid Two attempts to leave the quay loved-ones lips ? The Lairdsfield's final voyage Before she finally put to sea. made The pilot boat has come away A flying rope, an injured wrist The weather worsens in Tees Bay To those who sit 'neath sheltering And fate then takes another twist Without a warning down roof For still conditions aren't set fair' 'Lairdsfield'goes This awful drama's living proof There's now a lack of compressed The lifeboat warning rockets The sea is cold and cruel, aloof air boom, we know - To those who sit at home and Those engines won't go as they there's awful trouble in the night weep ought The 'mayday' signal tells the For those in peril on the deep.

Wake Club, which has no formal organisation and no subscription. Fitting shop 'dirgers* The only way to gain admission to the club is by ordeal, and all who Tension now was mounting At this stage of the crossing complete the walk become As we drank our Camerons Ate, We thought it all a wow. 'dirgers' and receive a black-edged Not knowing what was waiting The Tank road, then the Pylon, condolence card for their efforts. Dare not thinking we could fail. And to the end at last! There are an amusing series of And then at last eight-thirty. ThesigningintheCafe, degrees within the Lyke Wake Club And it is time to leave the Trig Which we very nearly passed. as follows: Some voices cursed, while others, The first pint of Double Diamond Somehow did not care a fig. Did not touch the sides, One crossing We safely passed by Scugdale, But we had to split up later qualifies for the title of 'dirger'. To catch our different rides. And then to Carlton Bank, Three crossings But the miles were passing slowly The findings of the crossing which include one reverse direction And our packs began to yank. Are very plain to see. and two wakes, promotes the Then, as we reached the Wainstones Of the two ales we did sample, 'dirger' to the degree of a Master The first illluck did strike. We preferred the Double 'D'. (Mistress) of Misery'. An apprentice who is nameless A further four crossings, making a Withdrew from his first hike. The above poem was written by a total of seven, which must include Then over Clay and onward group of fitters from HWT Thornaby, one solo unsupported walk, and one Till we reached the railway track, describing their attempt last summer winter (December. January, Twas here we got the feeling at the Lyke Wake Walk. The 'walk' February) walk and four wakes plus That there was no turning back. covers a route of about 45 miles of a thesis on the walk, qualifies for the We also set a scorching pace rugged North Yorkshire Moors. title 'Doctor of Dolefulness'. That caused we have no doubt. For the benefit of readers who have An ache, a stitch, a footsore never heard of the famous Lyke The principal degree is that of 'Past And another two dropped out. Wake Walk, a brief explanation may Master of the Lyke Wake Walk', From then up through the Esklets be of interest. which is only granted after 15 Till Ralphs Cross was in sight. Way back in 1955 Mr W Cowley, crossings, involving the specialised But bad luck caught another author and writer for the Dalesman' crossings referred to above, some And threw him in bad plight. magazine, issued a challenge to great service to the club and the The open moor was irksome anyone to complete a crossing of ability to find one's way across any As we splashed through water deep. the North Yorkshire Moors at the moor, day or night, drunk or sober, Our gaze was on the horizon widest point - from Osmotherley, in without map or compass. It can be For three balls we had to peep. the west, to Ravenscar, on the east understood why this degree is held Our feet were hot and tired coast. The challenge was taken up, by very few people. So too our blisters red. and the first successful crossing Following last year's walk we now They sizzled in the water was made in October 1955. Since have a number of 'dirgers' in the On the Wheeldale river bed. then 25.000 successful attempts Fitting Shop. Will this summer see At last, the Warning Station, have been recorded. their promotion to Masters of And later Lilla Howe, There is now a flourishing Lyke Misery'

16 fVIr George Wilks recently joined the Personnel Department as Employee Employee Relations Officer. His duties will be concerned with liaison and in particular with the development of relations the Employees' Council and Divisional Councils and general administration of Employee services officer including welfare, social and sports facilities. Mr Wilks has been with the Company since 1942 and has wide experience of Head Wrightson, having worked at HW Steel Foundries, HW Aluminium, HW Stockton and at Head Office since 1958. He is the present editor of 'Wright Ahead' and will continue this activity in his new post. Stampings- birdi-eye view

Head Wrightson Stampings Limited located at Brenda Road, Seaton Carew, Hartlepool employs 550 personnel in well equipped forging shops, die shop, heat treatment department, laboratories and drawing and commercial offices. They produce drop and upset forgings in carbon, alloy, and stainless steels and some non-ferrous metals in weights ranging from 1 ^ lb to 1 50 lb. Their long experience as drop-forgers, and progressive research and development combine to serve a wide variety of industries including, automobile, heavy vehicle, oil, tractor, mining, marine and railways.

T station

5 /Seaton

CD /Carew CO /

XT / 3 / \ 3 / A j \ Head Wrightson & Co Ltd Yarm Telephone: Eaglescliffe 3081 Yorkshire Telex: 58-606 England Cables: Teesdale Stockton-on-Tees TS15 9DA

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