SP1/4/6

Private diary of Mr G.M. Gibbins of Hayward Tyler & Co.

26 March 1918 to 28 March 1964

From: 1918 To: 1964

Entries covering visits, meetings, exhibitions etc. from 26th March 1918 to 24th April 1964. A few examples are given below:- 20-09-1918 Interview with Mr Sanderson re Technical Education Scheme 24-12-1918 Christmas holidays, reopening 30-12-1918 30-12-1918 Meeting with shop stewards regarding 47 hour week. Hours agreed, 8.00-1.00 and 2.00-5.30 Monday to Thursday, 8.00-1.00 and 2.00-6.00 Friday and 8.00-12.00 Saturday to start 1st January 1919 11-11-1919 2 minutes silence observed 15-11-1919 Death of Mr R. L. Howard 19-11-1919 Burial of Mr R. L. Howard. Works closed from 1pm. 18-10-1920 Coal strikes start. Men at work 8.00-1.00 only. Strike ended 08-11-1920 06-12-1920 Canteen opened. 03-10-1921 Swimming Club Gala 13-12-1921 Mr Eliot Howard's Golden Wedding 26-09-1922 Swimming Club Gala 08-09-1923 Staff salary reduced 10% 01-01-1924 Summary of orders during 1923 20-01-1924 Railway strike started at midnight. Ended 28-01-1924 16-02-1924 Dock strike started. Ended 26-02-1924 21-03-1924 Train & bus strike started. Ended 01-04-1924 23-09-1924 Swimming Club Gala 01-01-1925 Summary of orders during 1924 09-06-1925 Mr H Weston Howard made a director. 13-06-1925 Mr Colgate retired on pension - started 1858 22-09-1925 Swimming Club Gala 01-01-1926 Summary of orders during 1925 01-05-1926 Miners stopped work 03-05-1926 T.U.C. called General Strike. Called off 12-05-1926 21-09-1926 Swimming Club Gala 27-11-1926 Burglars entered offices and canteen. Took cigars and made a mess everywhere. 01/01/1927 Summary of orders during 1926 19/01/1927 Trial of burglar at Bedford. Sentanced to 14 days imprisonment 20/07/1927 Fire in core shop in brass foundry. 08/10/1927 Mr Eliot Howard died. Buried 12/10/1927 at Buckhurst Hill. 19/12/1927 Official notification received of new assessment. - works £1500, cottage £21. 01/01/1928 Summary of orders during 1927 28/03/1928 Revised assessment received - works £1345, cottage £21. This has made a difference of £51 on 07/07/1928 Cycle shed finished. 18/09/1928 Swimming Club Gala 01/10/1928 Worker killed by falling off ladder. 03/10/1928 Attended inquest on worker. Verdict 'Accidental death'. 31/10/1928 Interview with worker's father regarding the compensation for his son's accident.£100 was offered on 22nd October, but wanted £25 more. I told him I thought £50 was as much as he could expect and the £100 was generous. £100 finally agreed. 01/01/1929 Summary of orders during 1928 13/05/1929 New mess room opened. 09/09/1929 Works bell transferred to temporary place near time office. 24/09/1929 Swimming Club Gala 25/11/1929 The old original bell rung for the first time since 28th October 1903 01/01/1930 Summary of orders during 1929 25/11/1930 Indoor games club opened. 28/08/1924 Swimming Club Gala 07/12/1937 Coming of age dinner of the swimming club. 14/12/1937 Sports Club inaugurated. 30/08/1938 Swimming Club Gala 03/09/1939 War declared against Germany. 02/10/1939 Night shift started 08/11/1939 Granted a blanket licence for pig iron until March 45 tons / month. Scrap not controlled. 10/11/1939 Inspection from Ministry of Supply for available space with regard to machining gun barrels. 14/11/1939 Representative of General Aircraft called re machining of aircraft parts. 31/01/1940 Applied to the Home Office for permission to employ aliens-Mr Ivanoff and Mr Reisz. 28/05/1940 Had instructions to dismiss Mr Josef Reisz and Mr Victor Ivanoff to be forgiven access to works and all confidential papers. 19/06/1940 France signed Armistice with Germany and Italy. Situation grave. More orders cancelled due to International situation, roughly £45000. 12/07/1940 Marriage of Mr E. F. E. Howard. 30/08/1940 Luton was bombed at 4.45pm. 194 bombs were dropped without warning. Two hit these works, one on the siding outside the Cost Office, shattering the glass and one on the Finished Stores. The rest fell on Vauxhall causing damage and a considerable number of casualties and on the town demolishing houses. 23/09/1940 Considerable damage done to factory from land mine which fell about 400 yards away on the Corporation bus depot the night before. Factory closed for 1 day, foundry badly damaged closed for 2 or 3 days. 28/09/1940 Presentation of Wedding gifts to Captain E. F. E. Howard and Mrs Howard. 22/10/1940 Decided to build 'immediate cover' shelters in the shops and instal a loud speaker system. 31/10/1940 Decided to employ women in the shops, 4 initially. 19/05/1941 Major Howard, having been released from military service for a period of 6 months, commenced his duties as Works Director. Number of women now employed on machines is 80. 29/10/1941 Mr Francis died - heart attack. 31/10/1941 Two car loads attended funeral. 05/11/1941 Mr Weston now Chairman and General Manager. 12/08/1942 Apprentice prize giving. 20/02/1943 David Eliot Howard born - son of Mr Edward. 08/05/1945 V.E. Day. Works and offices closed for celebrations. 15/08/1945 V.J. Day. Works and offices closed for celebrations. 01/01/1946 Dr Alexander Ivanoff appointed a director of the company. 07/12/1946 Dinner given by the Sports & Social Club on behalf of the management to all pensioners and all employees with over 40 years service. 01/01/1947 44 hour week commences. June 1947 C.B.E. conferred on Mr Weston in the king's birthday honours. 17/10/1947 Byron Jackson terminated agreement covering Wet Submersible Motors. October 1948 First edition of H.T. newsletter published to employees and agents. 01/07/1949 Recorded output of £812,000 achieved in 1948/1949. 21/04/1950 First HT/Terry Turbine completed . 08/08/1954 Move from M.G.F. to East Kilbride begun, finished 14/08/1954 05/01/1956 Mr H Weston Howard relinquishes executive position. 23/07/1956 Mr Edward Howard appointed Sales Director. Mr Giles Howard remains Production Director. 01/01/1957 Company became part of Hall Bros (Holdings)Ltd Group. 12/11/1957 Bishop of St. Albans visited factory. 04/02/1959 Order obtained for pumps for Severn Trent Project valued at £138,000. 25/05/1959 Thief broke into canteen and sampled the whole contents of the director's drinks cupboard. 08/01/1960 Mr Giles Howard left the company. 03/02/1960 Mr Weston attended dinner at the Swan Hotel, Bedford, to mark Mr Rupert Allen's 80th birthday (of W.H. Allen & Co) 10/05/1960 Sir Cuthbert Clegg and Mr Brian Preston, directors of Stone Platt Industries, visited works. 10/05/1960 Mrs E.F.E. Howard died after a long illness. Buried at St Nicholas church, Harpenden on 13th May. 01/12/1960 Man electrocuted on test bay, died within minutes. 06/03/1961 Dunstable land and research building auctioned by Connells. Did not reach reserve price of £100,000. 14/09/1961 Meeting held at Oceanic House to discuss future collaboration between Hayward Tyler and Sumo Pumps. 04/09/1963 Rebuilt railway bridge on Crawley Green Road. Officially opened by the Mayor of Luton. Reception held for 65 people in canteen. At the rear of the book are the readings for the depths of the well taken from 10/09/1929 to October 1938.

item

Hayward Tyler,
Howard, Robert Luke,
Howard, Eliot,
Howard, F,
Howard, Edward,
Howard, D,
Gibbins, G M,
Allen, Rupert,
Howard, David

engineering, companies, LUTON, Hayward Tyler, manufacturing, business, pumps, telephone, soda water manufacturer, London, strikes, industrial accidents, World War Two, swimming, employment of women