Reference
Z1768/1
Title
Scrapbook compiled by Mr James Wooding relating to his work at W H Allen.
Date free text
c1942-c1965
Production date
From: 1935 To: 1965
Admin/biog history
James Wooding (1899-1981) lived in Bedford all his life. His father, William Henry Wooding, had a grocers shop. James trained as an engineer in London and worked at W H Allen in Bedford for at least all his married life. By the end of his career he was the Education Officer for W H Allen. In 1926 James married Dorothy Beagley and the couple had three daughters, Angela, Rachael and Penelope.
Scope and Content
Page 2 - Chairman's notes for interview 'Woodings 2nd report is most disappointing he has entirely missed the whole Question of Education at the works...' 13 April 1942
Page 5 - notes on interview with J S Holmes and Raymond - 19 May 1942.
Page 7 - Details of Harold Gurrich 21 May 1942.
Page 8 - numbers of trade apprentices in different areas of the works 1937-1942.
Page 7 [sic] Notes on procedure for new boy joining the works 4 June 1942. Nursery marking arrangements 5 June 1942 [comments on different opinions on bonus system and increments; possibility of office girl training to do tracing 'Toughness necessary in office girl militates against good tracing.'
Page 8 notes on meetings with Mrs Gurrich and Ronald G Wyer. Notes re apprentices and students joining up, tracers wages and a conversation with Teare about apprentices.
Page 9 notes on conversation with W Hall (Jig an Tool) re. drawing office recruits, and with C Pearcey re. difficulty of moving boys round.
Page 10 notes of various meetings and who engaged for various jobs - gives some indication of difficulties of engaging staff and factors in attracting people to the work.
Page 11 rotation of trainees.
Page 12-13 Various conversations with people about their work and interviews with potential recruits. Difficulties with one particular employee. Procedure for medical inspection of new boys entering works.
Page 14 Reports on P Lant (including his report of his work at Bently Colliery and at Southfields Pumping Station) and Raymond Holmes.
Page 15 Drawing instruments lost; apprentices coming out of time in DO. P Lant had medical for navy. Attached memo of convesations at labour exchange with V W A Sharp and Miss Jarvis re. Jones.
Page 16 Flying wit ATC; nightwork, Home Guard v Night School; Technical Institute; cheap meals.
Page 17 Holidays 1943; Time office boys; conversation with Mr Douglas re. his son.
Page 18 Incident between P O'Close and Miss Ellison the canteen manageress; overalls purchase of; laboratory women (students); day release; special bonus for F W Foster.
Page 19 Table re. selection of junior students Jan 1944.
Page 20 Letter from Keens re. his dismissal. Table of examination awards 1944 and revision 1955.
Page 22 No more fitter apprentices (raise in age at which accepted); list of names of those entered for the promotion exam.
Page 23 list of students and apprentices kept on17 Feb 1944.
Page 24 Students holidays; note on Wilfred George Carter designer of the Gloster Aeroplane Co, noting that he is a cousin of Payne on the Condensor Bench of the Main Drawing Offfice and had been a 3rd class apprentice of Allens.
Page 25 Apprentices to the merchant navy; visit to the converter house, sub station and compressor house; special maintenance allowance; Apprentice Not Out of Time At 21.
Page 27 Co paying for instruments; training auto setters; Apprentices coming out of time; apprentice for permanency in tool room.
Page 28 teas for out of town boys attending BTI. Letter from K Pettigrew re. her son succeeding in the examination 'I was most deeply touched that you did not flinch to shake his grimy hand when congratulating the boy (when even I his mother hesitate to make contact with honest grime)...'
Page 29 Awards.
Page 30 Apprentice to Service Dept, estimated numbers for day release; Turkish student; Apprentices considered for Main DO Dec 1944.; paper by Maurice Riddihough presented to the Institute of Welding.
Page 31 recruiting for the Royal Navy; indorsement of indentures.
Page 32 numbers in dynamo shop; research.
Page 33 Paint boys' overalls; alteration of office hours.
Page 34 Reinstatement of students.
Page 36 apprentices for tool room.
Page 38 what starting boys should be issued with; cancellation of Lambert's indentures.
Page 39 comparison of rates of pay apprentices and junior staff in DO; poem about 'shocking assault by illiberal islanders on a South African guest' (they shaved his sideburns off]. 28 June 1949.
Page 40 DO students under 21 coming O.U.T. ; Boys under 16 to revert to 44 hour week (27 July 1946); parental visits.
Page 41 Notes on draughtsman Ames.
Page 42 Tracers v Print Room [distribution of new girls]; Pay for apprentices over 21; ex pupil appointments.
Page 43 Apprentice in Eng Dept; newspaper cuttings re. fines against Douglas Arthur Russell of Eaton Bray Model Sportsdrome Ltd.
Page 44-45 D K Reavell indentures; O Reynolds, A P Campbell, A Harris, P J Kail. School leaving age.
Page 46 Cambridge University Degrees; average earnings of young journeymen; Gower; Junior draughtsmen's wages.
Page 48 K R Williams. Poem about evening meetings by Paul Falconer Morgan.
Page 50 Wedding gifts to female employees; scheme for transferred apprentices.
Page 52 Notes on P Webbs new appointment made 29/8/50 for Mr Poole. Letter offering appointment to B L Rose in the pump, fan and condenser department.
Page 53 newspaper cutting re. Charles Fenwick and O W Reynolds.
Page 54 New Office 'New block built without definite plans as to use...'
Page 55 Notes by B W M Carpendale 'To a Best Man' 22 Nov 1951 [outlining the duties of a best man at a wedding].
Page 58 cuttings re. Allen Apprentices' boat for procession of illuminated boats.
Page 60 J P Goodacre Queens Medal.
Page 62 Interviews re. Richardson and J A Pike. 1952.
Page 63 Cutting from Allen Magazine re. restoration of veteran car.
Page 64 Newspaper cutting re R J Atkinson of staff of Bedford School. Presentation to Mr R J Atkinson with photographs of the bookcase and letter of thanks from Mr Atkinson.
Page 65 Allen engineering training scheme conditions of attendance at college 1952 - 6/7/1953.
Page 66 D W F Goslin, John B Goodall.
Page 68 payment in drawing offices.
Page 69 newspaper cutting re. gift of metal casting equipment to Silver Jubilee school with note by Mr Wooding that 'we never got one recruit from S Jubilee'.
Page 70 announcement of appointment of T C Johnes as superintendent, 6 May 1954.
Page 71 information re. bicycle accident; list of visits to works made by Michael Grace during his studentship 6/9/54.
Page 72 Invitation (in French) to the marriage of Andree Hanemoglou to David Patrick Wood; information about the new flag for BP's tanker fleet (with comment by Wooding on the following page).
Page 73 newspaper cutting of the wedding of David Arthur Timperley (ex student of Allens) and Miss Eunice Mona Scott.
Page 74-75 Newspaper cutting re. new apprenticeship plan for GEC; notice that Charles William Gwynne Allen having completed 3 years studentship at John Brown & Co, Clydebank will continue his studentship at the Queens Works for 14 months; Thank you letter from A R More following visit to works. Wooding notes that A R More and his father were trained by W H Allen. Information on the Wallace Electronic Harness Tester designed by A R More.
Page 78-79 extract from The Allen Magazine April 1954 called the 'Moulder's Masterpiece?'. Correspondence with J H Biles re. research and use of vacuums April 1940-March 1941 .
Page 80-81 Invitation to wedding of Maureen Pearce and Harold Anthony Searle. Various cuttings from 19571963 re. education and GCEs; Letters re. the outcome of Frederick Webb's exams.
Page 84-85 Newspaper cutting re. engineering awards presented 14 Nov 1958; letter to R S Allen from the apprentices and students who attended the World Fair in Brussels explaining that rumours of their being unsatisfied by the trip were untrue, with named photograph of the group in Brussels and list of the Brussels party with notes on each member of the group;
Page 86-87 technical authors for industry; notes on talk about bulge 'union would not support extra apprenticeships...';
Page 88 Engagement of 15 year old boy for the recreation club 'Told NFJ I must know nothing about it as rate much greater than any other 15 year old is geting here...'
Page 90-91 prizegiving 1959.
Page 92-93 Earnings of skilled man Jan 1960 average in works for 44 hour week over 21 £13.15.11. Extract from The Engineer.
Page 94-95 Correspondence with a prisoner in Bartons Mill Prison Western Australia who was studying Steam theory, steam boilers and steam engines with the Government Technical College with the ambition of becoming a marine engineer re. sending working instructions to assist with his studies. June 1960-March 1961; note regarding a notice that had appeared in the pupils and students wash house which Mr Wooding approved of.
Page 101 Copy of internal memo re. value of training young men from overseas. 3 Sept 1963.
Page 103 Retirement of Henry Arthur Jones with letter from 'Arthur' expressing his thanks, 25 Oct 1963.
At back of volume
List of 'Boys entered at Works under my reign'
Loose at back
Notes made 11/11/49 and extracted 23/2/50. Notes by the Works Manager on education and training sent to Mr Boddy 24 Feb 1950. Notes by the chairman and response to same re. pupils, students and apprentices, Feb 1952; Two photographs of the unveiling of a plaque and Bedford School on the presentation of some machinery by Allens, 9/3/56; Mr Rupert's notes on the training apprentices Feb 1957; programmes for the annual prize givings on 1963, 1964 and 1965; Letter from Marion Field wishing Mr Wooding a good retirement 1/10/64; menu for the 35 annual dinner of the association of past and present students of W H Allen, 29 Oct 1965.
Colour photocopy of article from the Beds Times 14 March 1958 giving a profile on Mr James Wooding starting with crashing a Sopwith Camel into the North Sea in 1917.
Archival history
On the death of James Wooding in 1981 the scrapbook passed to his youngest daughter, Penny, who donated it to the archives service in 2022.
Closed under Data Protection Legislation due to some personal details of apprentices being given.
Level of description
item
Closed until
2051