Domestic Carbon usage Benchmarks?

[Penners]

Its a small world - I also did some apprentice training at Ransomes in Ipswich in the holidays while studying engineering at University. I was staying at the YMCA and remember seeing the fall of the Calaghan government there on the telly (so it must have been 1979?).

Due to my great age, Nigel, we missed each other by a sizeable margin. I was there from 1961 until 1969. However, I spent my first 6 months in Ipswich at the YMCA hostel in Norwich Road. What's more I met my wife at the YMCA club across the road (how respectable is that?!).

Was Cyril Jennings still the Training Officer at Ransomes when you were there?

 

[Nigel Watts]

I'm afraid I dont remember many names from those days. The MD during my time there, Geoff Bone, happened to be the next door neighbour of my parents in Colchester, which is how I got the placement.

Geoff Bone had worked with Frank Writtal during WWII in developing the jet engine. Quite how he ended up making ploughs and lawn mowers I'm not sure.

I still have my spot welded steel toolbox, painted in Ransomes blue, which we all had to make in the apprentice school.

 

[Penners]

Yes, Geoffrey Bone was MD for the latter part of my time, too. And Bob Dodsworth was FD. Sales was Bill Akester.

Apprentice school?! There's posh! We just got shoved out onto the shop floor and cycled round all the departments - a few months in each. The Experimental Department was the favourite place. That was where you got to make things for yourself (unofficially of course). It was always known as "Government Work". I made a stainless steel dashboard for my Mini.

The company's a pale shadow of its former self, now.

 

[NT]

I made a stainless steel dashboard for my Mini.

The company's a pale shadow of its former self, now.

Could there be any connection between the 2?


NT

 

[Penners]

No question about it, NT. My dashboard was the company's downfall.

It's not all bad news, though. It was a bloody fine dashboard.