Forty-Three Years: A Civil Servant by Royston J Tucker

Author:Royston J Tucker
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Brown Dog Books

CHAPTER NINE

PRODUCTION

In the summer of 1968, I was transferred to another ship production section in E Block as an additional clerical support but this had nothing to do with finance. The section was headed by Brendan Mercer who was recruited specially from Cammell Laird, Shipbuilders because of his experience and depth of knowledge of the shipbuilding industry.

Besides Mr Mercer and I the section was staffed by Stuart Pope ex-British Railways Engineering Works, Swindon, Dickie Westcombe ex-Stothert & Pitt of Bath and Roger Jones ex-Dockyard and a keen footballer. All were technical grades. So the section was well endowed with people from the commercial world. Clerical support was provided by Jessie, a wheelchair bound spinster who travelled to and from work in her covered three wheeled invalid’s carriage. Despite her disposition I never once heard her complain about the work although she did occasionally get a little annoyed under her breadth when she was limited and unable to do things an abled person could do, otherwise she was a very independent person and well conversant with the workings of the section.

Everyone welcomed me with open arms and I was soon on Christian name terms with all members of the team. The section dealt with pumps manufactured by Glasgow based companies G & J Weir of Cathcart and Drysdales of Yoker (later to become Weir Pumps Ltd), Stothert & Pitt of Bath, Worthington Simpson of Newark, Alpha Laval and other less known manufacturers. This being in the days of steam powered RN ships the section was kept very busy ensuring manufacture and repair of pumps were progressed and completed and any inherent defects found would be investigated, identified and rectified as quickly as possible without compromising cost, performance, or quality.

Brendan was the type that if he thought, irrespective of grade, that a person was capable of undertaking certain work above that of his/her station he would ask the person to do it on the basis that ability and capability would find its own level in the course of time.

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