Scope and Content
Part 1
(00 mins)
Parents from Norfolk – father from farming family – given £200 in 1930s to set up as agricultural contractor – near Kings Lynn – included large estates owned by Charles Claw who became a builder – owned construction company which built emergency airfields in England during Second World War – father moved down to Buckinghamshire to help build Wing and Cheddington aerodromes –married in 1940 and set up home in Leighton Buzzard – bought 3 extra-large earth moving machines – later asked to do open cast mining in South Wales.
(05 mins)
Father met Mr Delafield from George Garside, then the Arnold family, both sand operators – helped them open up sand quarries in area - using powerful bulldozer pulling large earth scraper – could do in one day what a steam engine and horses and carts would do in 3 months – removing Gault ‘overburden’ of clay to reveal sand deposits – Garside’s in particular exploited his machinery to the fullest and reinstated and levelled worked out areas after quarrying.
(10 mins)
Took topsoil from next ‘cut’ and put it on reinstated soil to enable it to return to agriculture. Garside’s took great pride in they way they reinstated their quarries for agricultural use – under John and William Delafield. William, also innovative in establishing ‘vortex washing’ for sand and other processes, following research trip to USA. Father first began contract work for them in 1947.
(15 mins)
More machines purchased – before anti-freeze was invented – difficulties in starting machines on cold mornings. Tea and sugar still rationed after war – men would save up some of their work issue to take home for their family.
Richard’s first memories of work – when only 4 years old – four machines, each worked by one man. Often Irishmen, Canadians, Welshmen as well as occasional Englishmen as operators. Father appointed a manager to run the Welsh mining work. International Harvester and other machines. Some caterpillar machines – difficult to maintain on site.
(20m)
Machines brought over under wartime Lend-Lease scheme and purchased from agents such as Oliver’s in Leeds and a firm in St. Albans. Numbers of machines issued were rationed – so they applied for 8 when they really needed 4 and that was what they were given.
Business grew and developed. Richard ‘Dick’ Gilbert – iron founder in Leighton Buzzard town centre – helped maintain the earth-moving machines. The Gilbert’s yard had a moulding workshop for castings, blacksmiths workshop and everything to do maintenance work for farmers and, for example, lock gate racks for canals. Richard, as a young boy, with Colin Gilbert, played there a lot and also followed his father around, learning the family business. Photo exists, showing Richard as a 4-year-old ‘driving’ one of the bulldozers. Gilberts always had a lot of orders for work.
(25 mins)
Gilberts employed a lot of staff – sometimes had up to 30 traction engines in yard to be repaired. Workmen would come to work in black suits, take off their tie and collar and set to work wearing neckerchiefs. The foundry man was also a part-time fireman and when the siren sounded would jump on his bicycle and race off to the fire station.
Richard’s family home in Wing Road, Linslade. Two sisters, one older, one younger. Firm’s office briefly in Bridge Street then a plant yard was established n Grovebury Road from about 1948. Richard always fascinated by machinery and helped out every weekend and in school holidays. Acted as a ‘mate’ to drivers. Started full time after leaving school. Father had also gained experience in working sand quarries and bought and reopened a derelict pit.
(30 mins)
Father and he drilled holes dug by hand to establish what kind of sand was below – father established a partnership with a friend, in about 1955.
Work for Welsh mining firms fizzled out and father took on work for other bigger companies in gravel extraction. Around Bedford and Olney but throughout the south of England and up to Nottingham. Father such a perfectionist that his reputation ensured repeat orders and lifelong working relationships, for example with Mr. Delafield of Garside’s.
(35 mins)
Quarry in Heath and Reach expanded – new entrance off Great Brickhill Road. Other firms in area included Innes & Co (later bought out by Redlands Group) and Bedford Silica Mines Co.
(40 mins)
Some silver sand went for glass making but more for cement testing – a 20 foot seam. During First World War the area was used for Home Guard practice – ground was up and down like the moon. Informant has a gun licence and permission to shoot around the quarries at the weekend, for rabbits and wood pigeons. Further land acquired from Bedford Silica and family quarries expanded locally.
(45 mins)
Local knowledge of the terrain was the method used to make judgements about what was worthwhile quarrying – only later was scientific testing to become the norm. Just looking at the material cottages were made of as you travelled through the country told you what the most prolific materials were locally.
William Delafield sold out his Garside company to English China Clay Company from Cornwall. Bedfordshire County Council did drillings to establish the geology of the county
(50 mins)
In early 1960s, father started working land in Sheepcote and formed the company, LB Silica Sand. His large earth-moving equipment enabled him to work pits which had been left by previous quarrying firms. He gradually bought up more old workings from Redlands and from Bedford Silica Sand Mines.
ARC Company was bought out by Hanson Group and began digging all their sand from Reach Lane Quarry but LB Silica Sand eventually bought out the Hanson quarries and now have two quarries – Reach Lane and Bryant’s Lane Quarry. Changes in transport during twentieth century from horses and carts to steam then motor lorries, local narrow-gauge railways.
(55 mins)
4-5 tonne lorries eventually became 7 and 9 tonne and now 29 and 30 tonne articulated lorries. In earlier times, up to the 1950s, heavy loads of sand were conveyed by canals from the jetties in Linslade. There were small railway lines leading to the canal side and tipper trucks holding about one ton of sand. Horses were still being used up to 1930s. Lorries were the transport used throughout Richard’s time in the business. Arnolds and Garside’s jointly formed a small railway company (now owned by the railway preservation trust) to enable sand to be taken directly from their sand quarries in the Double Arches area (Arnold’s on one side, Garside’s the other) into Leighton Buzzard (and their drying sheds) and to connect with the main line railways.
(60 mins)
Uncovering and processing sand – separate sand into the various grades and colours – for various customers. Washing and drying sands – getting rid of the fine powder, dust and clay to make a clean product.
Father got cancer in 1979 – recovered but died from recurrence in January 1996, aged 79. Richard now solely responsible for family firm.
Industrial sands go for foundry work, others to leisure markets – e.g. horse arenas and training grounds. Products for specific uses – artificial surfaces for football, tennis, lacrosse. Even a particular grade of sand to be used by NASA (the space agency in the USA) as a growing medium for food in space. And Leighton Buzzard sand being mixed with a special sand from Madagascar for sticking insulation tiles on the space shuttles, able to withstand intense heat.
(65 mins)
Pilkington Glass firm archives revealed that Heath and Reach sand used to be conveyed by canal up to Birmingham and used to produce the sheet glass that was used ton glaze the ‘Crystal Palace’ exhibition hall at the Great Exhibition in Hyde Park, London in 1851.
End of Part 1 (00 mins) Interview continued from SOT R12 (Part 1)
Use of canal for transporting sand stopped in late 1950s (?) Prior to that – sand tipped into barges from horse-drawn carts or small lorries – Bob Butler – foreman at Sheepcote – his family were on barges for many years – his father would take sand [to customers] and bring coal back – very hard work – travelled quickly, day and night.
Seasonal effects – if you have a lot of clay to move, better to move it in summer – light and dry. ‘Overburden’ (top soil and clay) removed first. If sand is to be washed or dried, it does not matter whether you are removing it in wet or dry conditions.
Richard has a son – working in the ‘city’ [of London] at present – it remains to be seen whether he would wish to take on the family firm – they are the last private company in the sand industry in Leighton Buzzard areas
(05 mins)
Richard met his wife-to-be, Judith Woodhouse, at the end of March in Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, and were married on 16 December 1970. Been married for 38 years and have three children: Harriet (1973), Lucy (1977) and Robert (1981). Lived first in Wingrave, Buckinghamshire.
(10 mins)
Judith’s mother was the TV-dog-training celebrity, Barbara Woodhouse. Both families were keen on animals. Richard and father used to keep pigs just for fun.
After 17 years, did up Home Farm house and land in Heath and Reach, then sold it and moved to their present house backing on to their firm’s quarries.
Richard’s schooling – kindergarten, then The Gables, Linslade; Sutherlands; then Berkhamsted Boys’ school. Travelled daily by train, rather than boarding. Wanted to do so things with father in the evenings and at weekend.
(15 mins)
When working at Totternhoe Lime Company for Rugby Cement, met up with old school mate, Roger Bates, who had taken on his father’s lime and chalk works. Lime works started in 1600s. Also present was a deposit of hard stone called Totternhoe clunch – white stone that can be cut when damp but rapidly hardens when exposed to air. Many tunnels were found from ancient workings dating from 1400s onwards.
Wingrave architect friend, Alan Frost – in charge of restoration after fire at Windsor Castle – was looking for clunch, was about to knock down olds walls at Woburn Abbey to provide some. Richard pointed out that it could be quarried from Totternhoe Lime and Stone Company. Further clunch stone quarried and stored for future use on Woburn Abbey for the Duke of Bedford.
(20 mins)
Many churches in London, as well as local churches, are built of Totternhoe clunch.
Sandstone also quarried: one of bluey colour, very hard; browner stone which is softer – more like fused sand. Harder stone ideal for rockeries because it can cope with frosts. Whipsnade Zoo takes big lumps of sandstone – 4, 5 or 6 ton pieces – for elephants and rhinos to rub against and pretend to push. Also large flat stones 18 inches thick, about 9 feet by 5 feet for lions and cheetahs to lay on in the sun. London Zoo also seeks similar stone.
Industrial creamy-coloured sand also provided to zoos for elephant bedding – fine sand that does not harm elephants’ feet. Also now used in dairy farms for bedding cows as a better and cheaper medium than straw, with less chance of bacteria spreading to cows teats.
School trips to quarries – fossil hunting.
In earth-moving of the firm – did work for Buckinghamshire County Council near to Pinewood film studios – clearing areas of forest cut down during Second World War but with stumps of tree left – cleared area with ‘wind pan’ busting machine, digging up hard crust of soil to enable new seedlings to grow.
Met film people who sought Richard’s advice on suitable areas for filming and use of his firm’s machines to create ‘fox holes’ for war films.
(30 mins)
Later the film companies used his quarries in Leighton Buzzard for many film shoots – “The Mummy Returns”, “Alien 3”, “The Da Vinci Code”, as well as TV shows such as “Scrap Heap Challenge”. Workers always keen to take part, driving vehicles, so as to be seen in films.
(35 mins)
Sheepcote and Thrift quarries now almost finished and restored, using clean earth from building sites in Milton Keynes. Restoration plans approved by county councils. More imaginative restoration of quarry sites include houses and weekend apartments round the edges of lakes formed by the quarrying, with boating or fishing lakes, also popular. Golf courses have also been created.
Housing has been built on former quarry sites in Leighton Buzzard: Grovebury Road (formerly an Arnold’s quarry), now an estate; Firbank sand quarry, now a housing development. Part of the bypass road now travels over where Garside’s had their sand washing plant on Grovebury Road. Fields have been restored in many places.
(40 mins)
Previously, restoration work was more flexible’; guidelines are now in place to specify which areas are for recreation and which for building.
Machinery has got a lot bigger and more able. Formerly many quarries were left when it appeared it was no longer producing sand of merchantable quality but now new machinery makes these viable because of short supply and more effective machinery, as at Bedford Silica Sand Mine. Most sand from there is for construction work. Glass making sand has gone now as has the demand for foundry sand. Other industrial processes, such as water filtration remain, requiring specialist sands.
(45 mins)
Some companies are more prudent and have better management systems than others. As a private company it is in their interest to mine everything that is possibly there on their lands. Sands in Leighton Buzzard are likely to run out in 20 years’ times. New markets may develop in the future, as will machinery and processes to exploit the natural materials.
Personal knowledge of the quarrying industry is still vital, especially of local geology and what methods have worked and not worked.
(50 mins)
Profitability is a matter of judgement – being able to sell a product for enough money to make a profit on it, having taken account of all the vast costs of uncovering and the various processes involved. Investment in larger machines has enabled the firm to reduce costs and be more efficient. Some sands and processes take long or are more careful and the rarity and quality creates a higher price. Eventually, the sand in this country will be running out and will have to be imported from elsewhere in the world, as have other materials. Leighton Buzzard is on that narrow strip of natural materials running from Southampton up across the east o the country to Kings Lynn and a lot of that has been depleted.
The firm’s employees have often worked as families, over several generations, for the industry – fathers, grandfathers, uncles, nephews, nieces. Once they were all known as ‘sand dobbers’. They loaded sand into little trains by hand, using sieves to clean out the sand rejects. Then machinery came into use – large cranes, shovels and excavators, which gradually got rid of the need for so much manpower. Specialist knowledge is still a most important element in the business. Now only a few workers are needed to remove, select and remove the sand, transport it to the processing plant and wash and grade it ready for customers.
(60mins?) End of Part 2
End of interview
Summarised by Stuart Antrobus (25 May 2009)