Z1205/160

Male. Former Managing Director, London Brick Company, Stewartby. b. 25.05.1934 Side A (00 mins)Born in Peterborough. Grandfather one of three brick work owners (he bought out Hicks & Gardner) who formed London Brick Company (Stewart & Rowe were the others). Father ended up at Deputy Chairman of LBC and retired in 1969, when son (interviewee) became a Director (until 1984). Became Managing Director. (05 mins)Stewart family were dominant partner; Sir Malcolm Stewart was chairman for a long while; and finally, Sir Ronald Stewart. Growing up in Peterborough, where father was Managing Director of the brickworks . Family moved to Bedford in 1946/7, to main offices in Stewartby. Mother's family was Pilcher. Reflections on wartime Peterborough as a boy (aged 5 - 10). Loved American "invasion": jeeps, uniforms, chewing gum. Rationing and blackout. Father in "reserved occupation", making bricks. Extensive airfield construction in Peterborough area. (10 mins)Women took on men's jobs, including brickmaking during Second World War. Remembers VE (Victory in Europe) celebration night. Boarding school from 1943. "Shadowed" father in walks around brick factories when a child during school holidays. Always intended to join family business. Father "really made London Brick what it was"; he introduced mechanisation, through fork lift trucks feeding kilns. Post-war difficulties in attracting labourers: used prisoners of war, then EVWs (European Volunteer Workers), then Italians recruited directly from the south of Italy. (15 mins)Father first saw American fork lift trucks during war. Bought one and asked Shellburgh and Drury at Letchworth to produce British version ("never as good"). Production figures soared to 11 million bricks a day. Satisfaction of seeing the brick production process through from clay extraction to production and sale of bricks. Problem of hiding large knott holes (from clay extraction); extensive tree planting for screening. London Brick Landfill scheme. Public criticism of effects of extraction. (20 mins)Stewartby Lake created by flooding a clay pit. Campaign against brick work chimney smoke emissions by local politicians, including Philip Hendry. London Brick Estates bought up local farms; held 25,00 acres in Marston Vale. Close monitoring of emissions by LBC laboratory. Plans to knock down 35 chimneys and build a new brickworks at the bottom of a clay pit, with only 2 chimneys, turned down by Bedfordshire County Council planning committee. Strong public resentment against London Brick Company. (25 mins)Takeover of other smaller brick firms in are, including Marston Valley Company at Ridgmont. Problems in attempting to harmonise different pay rates. Inefficient small factories kept going too long. LBC in 1970s/1980s decided they had to diversify as a company in order to survive and grow: acquired various other allied companies in the building industry. Abortive projects in Iran and Swaziland. (32 mins)End of Side A Side B (00 mins)LBC bought an Australian pipe company. Interviewer argues that LBC should have stuck to brick production only. LBC referred to Monopolies Commission over attempted takeover of other brick makers. Elderly stick-in-the-mud directors of LBC. Resistance to change regarding brick production. Pleasant life-style of directors in London. Hanson takeover bid for London Brick. He visited the works every day. The other directors never visited. (15 mins)In addition to being Managing Director of London Brick Cp., also chairman of a number of smaller firms. Sir Malcolm Stewart's philanthropy. Paternalistic "cradle to the grave" concept of staff welfare. Workers' villages built at Stewartby, Peterborough and Calvert. (20 mins)LBC introduced paid holidays in 1930s, when it was unusual. Autocratic attitude of Stewarts. Village fire brigade and ambulance. Quaker influence. Land Settlement Association at Eaton Socombe, near Sandby. Stewart family. (25 mins)LBC had second-largest vehicle fleet in the country (after Esso). His father was purely interested in making bricks, rather than in making money. Produced 12 million bricks a day in the end. Hansons rationalised the firm when they took over LBC, which was employing far too many people. Demolition of brick chimneys throughout Marston Vale. (30 mins)Glad to see outmoded factories demolished. Looked forward to a super model kiln. Fallen chimneys provided hard core for new M1 motorway, nearby. End of Side B.Continued from CS160C2 (00 mins)After leaving London Brick Co. he began a business from home renovating, restoring and repairing clocks. Had always understood machines (university degree in ceramic engineering). Also mends barometers and musical boxes. (05 mins)His children: Tim - brickmaker; George - personnel "head-hunter"; Melissa - five children; Barnie - architect. Brick Development Association. Change of family houses over the years. Move to Isle of Wight. (10 mins)Trustee of Sir Malcolm Stewart Homes, Stewartby. Briefly on board of Charles Wells, in Bedford. Reflections on major changes during lifetime: contraceptive pill and television (plus cars). (15 mins)Always felt a sympathy for workers, despite ring-wing tendency of boards of management. (20 mins)End of Interview. Original Interview 80 mins.

27 September 2002

From: 1930 To: 2002

item

London Brick Company,
Hendry, Philip,
Bedfordshire County Council,
Marston Valley Brickworks,
Hanson Brick Limited,
Charles Wells

Managing Director, Sir Malcolm Stewart Trust, brick making, World War Two, employment of women, prisoners of war, Germans, Italians, American Army, pollution, landfill, farms, chimneys, planners, wages/conditions, welfare, holidays, FIRE, Quakers, lorry driver, clocks, engineer, television, contraception, STEWARTBY, Peterborough, Italy, Letchworth, RIDGMONT, Iran, Swaziland, Australia, SANDY, EATON SOCON, Isle of Wight