Hi, for those of us who have not been able to meet other aqd apps for a number of years, any chance of putting names & year of app. under any pics, of the most resent pics I only recognized Mike Atkins & Sue!!!, (she never changes ).Time does take its toll ;) cheers, peter ray my email is fieldfarm@aol.com
From Ian(Mac): Pete(r) Ray was, to the best of my knowledge in the 1969 intake, I am sure he will correct me if I am wrong. Could we all please include such info when posting questions.
I will put names to faces, where known, as a number of you have asked for such info. It will either be tatood across a strategic part of the pic or as a fly-by. If any pics have neither and you know who, what, when etc. drop me a line so that I can update, mail address at top of page. Should anyone object to such info being provided, I will have to respect their objections.
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Traction Engine - After I left in 1983 and transferred to the MOD Aquila site at Bromley, I was advised that one of the senior staff still at Harefield had offered to purchase the traction engine for its scrap value! So I rapidly arranged for it to be transferred to the Apprentice Training Section at Aquila, although by that time I was working elsewhere on the site. The beast duly arrived and I gave one or two of the Apprentice Instructors some basic driving lessons. For some reason it was then transferred to the Apprentice Training Section at Woolwich. My last bit of information was from an ex Woolwich Instructor. When the Woolwich site closed in the early 1990's the engine had apparently ended up at an MOD site in Wales and somebody from that site was seeking information i.e. who made it?, where was it made? etc. etc. Although I gave permission for any interested parties to make contact with me, I never received any further enquiries.
The Engine in question, 1 off, traction. Was not completed until at least 1980 or therabouts .. during which period Cyril was known ( by me ) to have mumbled something about it being actually about an inch longer than the drawings .. I recall drilling a bar of copper about 2 ½" in diameter and about 6" long with a monster drill .. of course I buggered the job up and Cyril had to machine 20 thou of the inside and outside surfaces to hide the twist in what had become a tube ( now I think about it, I think that was for the heat engine .. never mind ) .. more mumbling ensued. I saw it run for the first time .. it was cute .. and powerfull as all hell. I was told where it was going but I cannot remember. You are welcome to this useless information.
Firstly the laboratory brochure sent in by Peter Suttling. The photo of the Metrology Lab has Laurie Harwood from the first intake of apprentices (1953 ?) seated on the r/h side. The girl form the DO? Her name was Justin Kemp and she lived in Vernon Drive, which is the road that sweeps round the back of Harefield Village Green and joins Northwood Road and Rickmansworth Road. I used to knock around with her two brothers Robert and Norman but have not seen either of them for years, therefore I have no idea where Justin is now, only that she married and moved away.