This section has been created as a vehicle for keeping our members informed of association news and by reporting current events etc. related to the wide spectrum of engineering. Contributions by members will always be welcome, but no politics or religion please.
My first job was working in the toolroom on a radial drill, drilling bolsters for press tools. Then I worked on a centre lathe. Milling was the most difficult of the machining processes as it required more setting up experience. Never up mill, always down mill, otherwise the component moves and can be fired across the toolroom. Sawing on a … Continue reading “Francis Atkinson – My First Job in the Toolroom”
My initiation into tool room life had been fairly painless in the first two weeks when I had been ‘sat by Eddie’ on the marking off bench. I had made some friends and seen some interesting new machining processes as I scurried around doing odd jobs for my foreman Vince. Perched on my stool in front of the marking off … Continue reading “Gordon Toulson – Let Loose in the Machining Section”
My first day as an apprentice at Wilsons & Mathiesons Ltd. started off with a safety induction course in the personnel department. It was run by the Training Officer Mr. Geoff Muhl. He was a large chap with a bulging waistline and had a red face and was either chuckling or grinning. I was to later find out that he … Continue reading “Gordon Toulson – My First Day as an Apprentice”
The 1969 summer holidays were over. My return to work on the “proper shop floor” didn’t start well. I walked from the bus station to Water Lane as I had done for the previous 12 months, but this time I went under the large archway which was where you clocked in. A few lads where in front of me getting … Continue reading “Malcolm Murray – My Introduction to Engineering – Chapter 3”
Leeds Bradford Airport Our local airport has been in the news recently with proposals for a new more efficient and sustainable terminal and plans to increase passenger numbers from around four million per annum to seven million over a period of ten years. The history of the airport is an interesting story….. On October 17th 1931 ‘Leeds & Bradford Municipal … Continue reading “Leeds Bradford Airport – A Potted History…..”
The President and Council of the association ask a favour of our members. Do you know of anyone who might be interested in joining the association ? Could you perhaps print off a membership application form and propose a new member ? Seconding the application should not be a problem and we can help with that detail. Here is a … Continue reading “Propose a New Member…..”
Barrie Yates sent a couple of links which may bring back memories for some of the longer serving members of the association. Wing Commander Ken Wallis MBE came to Leeds to lecture us about his exploits with Autogyros. The lecture theatre at Leeds University was packed that evening and the audience was enthralled by this amazing gentleman. He was the … Continue reading “Remembering Wing Commander Ken Wallis MBE…”
Barrie Yates sent this link to the Airbus website that you might find interesting to peruse… Especially with news of the first Zero Emission Commercial Aircraft…. There are some informative pages, so well worth a look…. Click here to access the site:- Airbus Website
I left Todmorden Grammar School in September 1953. This school has had two Nobel Prize Winners in the past. The first was Sir John Cockroft for splitting the atom and Prof. Geoffrey Wilkinson for specialist work in Physics. Both were taught by the same teacher, but several years apart. The teacher had retired by my time, so I have … Continue reading “The ‘Chip Lad’ and the Making of a Skilled Man”
