Wickman Machine Tools

On 17th Aug 2024 5:01pm, Tony C said: A good few memory joggers for me in this thread and, believe me, if anybody's memory needs jogging it's mine. Despite having spectacularly failed to get a GCE O-level in French, (Grade Huite), I left school having managed to secure several offers of engineering apprenticeship. Not being particularly interested in cars, I passed on the offers from Rootes, Standard Motors and Dunlop. That left me to choose between Coventry Gauge & Tool and Wickmans. The new training school at Wickmans was definitely a big factor in making that choice. A choice that I have never had reason to regret. The combination of quality facilities, quality staff and a decent bunch of apprentices eager to learn, was spot on. Here is the Wickman apprentice intake of September 1965. Taken outside the new Wickman Group Apprentice Training School. 2 Eric Twamley, 4 Tony Cordery 5 Keith Print, 6 Brian Glover, 8 Gordon Taylor, 9 Mick Price, 10 Malc Harker, 11 Roy Edkins, 19 ???? ?????? (Milling), 20 Ralph Tipton (Turning), 21 Joe Williams Group Training Manager, 22 Colin Tipson, (Assistantl Manager), 23 Jack Trigg,(Fitting), 24 Bill Shaw (Grinding), 27 John Candler, 28 Neil Foster, 29 Wal Tipson Many of the starters were from Wickman Group companies such as Wickman Scrivener, Webster & Bennett, Samuel Gill and Taylor & Challen. I seem to recall that the Birmingham based lads were ferried back and forth on a daily basis, by minibus. Of the Wickman Machine Tools starters at least six of us were ex-Woodlands. Thanks to Mick Strong for reminding me of Kathy and Bert. Kathy, the secretary, was 'the apprentice's friend'. In addition to dispensing clean wipers Bert also smoked Woodbines. The only staff member that appears not to be positively named, as yet, is the milling instructor sitting at #19. Am I wrong to imagine that his surname was Ward?

On 17th Aug 2024 5:01pm, Tony C said: A good few memory joggers for me in this thread and, believe me, if anybody's memory needs jogging it's mine. Despite having spectacularly failed to get a GCE O-level in French, (Grade Huite), I left school having managed to secure several offers of engineering apprenticeship. Not being particularly interested in cars, I passed on the offers from Rootes, Standard Motors and Dunlop. That left me to choose between Coventry Gauge & Tool and Wickmans. The new training school at Wickmans was definitely a big factor in making that choice. A choice that I have never had reason to regret. The combination of quality facilities, quality staff and a decent bunch of apprentices eager to learn, was spot on. Here is the Wickman apprentice intake of September 1965. Taken outside the new Wickman Group Apprentice Training School. Hi Tony, was his first name Derek? 2 Eric Twamley, 4 Tony Cordery 5 Keith Print, 6 Brian Glover, 8 Gordon Taylor, 9 Mick Price, 10 Malc Harker, 11 Roy Edkins, 19 ???? ?????? (Milling), 20 Ralph Tipton (Turning), 21 Joe Williams Group Training Manager, 22 Colin Tipson, (Assistantl Manager), 23 Jack Trigg,(Fitting), 24 Bill Shaw (Grinding), 27 John Candler, 28 Neil Foster, 29 Wal Tipson Many of the starters were from Wickman Group companies such as Wickman Scrivener, Webster & Bennett, Samuel Gill and Taylor & Challen. I seem to recall that the Birmingham based lads were ferried back and forth on a daily basis, by minibus. Of the Wickman Machine Tools starters at least six of us were ex-Woodlands. Thanks to Mick Strong for reminding me of Kathy and Bert. Kathy, the secretary, was 'the apprentice's friend'. In addition to dispensing clean wipers Bert also smoked Woodbines. The only staff member that appears not to be positively named, as yet, is the milling instructor sitting at #19. Am I wrong to imagine that his surname was Ward?