The New Marksman Newsletter

The Online Version of the New Marksman ~ Spring Time

A Scene on the River Avon, Evesham

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow

 

 

 

This magazine aims to give news and information about the Baily Thomas Provident fund and the existing Sports and Social activities of ex Mansfield Brewery personnel.

The Baily Thomas Provident Trust funds the magazine but comments and articles of interest from you the beneficiaries will be most welcome.

Closing date for information to be included in the next issue: May 2008

Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this publication

Many thanks to Mike Turner

Mike Turner began working
at Hull Brewery in 1985 as a driver / drayman.

In 1991 he took over the tenancy of the Blacksmith Arms public house in Preston, near Hull, which he ran for 7 years until he retired in October 1998.

Mike is married and has
2 children, 2 stepchildren
and 9 grandchildren.

His hobbies include fishing, oil painting, DIY and he also enjoys taking holidays abroad.

Many thanks to Mike for the photographs and information he has submitted to the New Marksman.

 

Richard Meadows - Master Brewer

Richard Meadows joined Mansfield in 1981, when he
left Ind Coope Burton brewery where he was Brewing Manager of a modern plant that produced 60,000 barrels a week.

This was at a time when Draught Double Diamond was leaving the Burton Brewery to be sold all over the country.

Mansfield Bitter was having similar success in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire.

This was a great time to be working in a brewery.

Richard saw that Robin Chadburn and John Hings had great ambition for Mansfield, but they needed to invest in the brewery as the plant was old and far too small for the potential sales.

This new investment became more necessary when North Country Brewery in Hull was purchased and that brewery closed.

The new brew house was completed in 1987, followed by new conical fermenters, large conditioning tanks and keg plant. The only piece of the brewery that stayed the same was the Yorkshire Squares.

It was essential that whatever changes were made to the brewery, the quality and taste had to remain the same as the Mansfield Bitter drinkers knew their beer.

Richard is now enjoying his retirement with his wife Jill and their three grown up children and three grand children.

The Good Life ~ Wally Clark

A smallholding offers its owners a means of achieving self-suffiency in producing vegetables, fruit, eggs etc and gives Wally Clark and his wife Joan a feeling for ‘the good life’.

Wally has always enjoyed the land and when he was a boy he used to help on the local farm after school and on leaving school went to work on the farm full time. Farming not being the greatest of payers, Wally decided to go into the building trade and later joined the brewery in 1971 in the Transport Department where he worked until he retired in 2005.

Carriage driving is a great interest and Wally and his wife still drive in shows but not competitively. Rally rosettes adorn the living room and include the Beach Manor best overall winner, the British Driving Society Smithy Drive and many more. Wally has three horses grazing on his land and a collection of two wheeled carriages, the most popular being a Genesis.

Wally developed a keen interest in farm machinery and now has a small collection of tractors which include a Weatherbed Special tractor, possibly the only one in the world. It has a single cylinder Leister diesel engine, the steering at the rear and the gear box and clutch adapted from a Reliant Robin three wheeled car. The front wheels have John Deere garden tyres fitted and the rear wheels are from a builder’s dumper truck. It was made locally at Blidworth. The machine has assorted farm implements - a plough, a cultivator, and ridges for potato planting. On the front is mounted an auxiliary electrical generator.

His latest project was the rebuild of a Ferguson 1953 TEF 20 H.P. diesel tractor which was designed for use in Lincolnshire. It weighs 1 ton 8cwt and has a top speed of 20m.p.h. and is sprayed in its original colour grey.

The Walking Group visit to Surrey in September

During the weekend there was the opportunity to walk part of the North Downs Way, with its spectacular views of the surrounding countryside or to investigate the historic town of Guildford.

The walking group pictured here during their visit to Clandon Park

The Group also visited the impressive Royal Horticultural Society Gardens at Wisley, enjoyed a guided coach tour of the nearby Surrey hills and villages and a cruise in an original “River Wey Barge”.

The R.H.S. Garden at Wisley

Photographs by Martin Needham

Diamond Wedding Tony and Ann Scruby

A congratulatory card from the Queen was received by Tony and Ann Scruby when they celebrated their Diamond wedding anniversary.

Tony and Ann were married on 6th September 1947.

A celebration party was organised by their three children, Hilary, Philip and James, which was attended by friends & family including their 6 grandchildren.

Ruby Wedding Alan and Barbara Brown

30th September1967 really was A Nice Day for it!

Born 1949 and 1950 respectively and growing up within five minutes walk from each other. Alan swears he can remember pulling Barbara’s pigtails whilst playing kiss chase at Rosemary Street Infants School. Barbara refutes this saying that she only ever had a ponytail, so it wasn’t her he was chasing`

Alan attended Moor Lane Junior School then Queen Elizabeth’s grammar and Barbara Ladybrook Junior followed Cumberland secondary Modern.

They eventually started courting at the tender age of 14 and were married at St. John’s Street Registrar Office in September 1967. They have a son, Paul.

40 years later they are very proud to have celebrated their Ruby Anniversary, helped enormously by Paul, his wife Cheryl and their two granddaughters Leigh and Hannah.

They had two wonderful days of celebrations with lots of family and friends to share their happiness.

Barbara worked in Wine and Spirits and headed the HQ admin team.

Where are they Now?

Joely Godson

Joely worked at Mansfield in Customers Services.

When the brewery was taken over she moved to Spain and now works in Alicante.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Sapey

A Sister to Molly

Congratulations on the birth of Megan Elizabeth May on 7th December 2007 to Mark Sapey and his wife Kathrin Ruegg. They already have a daughter Molly.

Mark (worked in IT at Mansfield) and his family live in Switzerland.

Mick Evans

Mick’s a Granddad

Congratulations to Mick Evans and his wife Catherine on the birth of their first grandchild Chloe, born to their son Christopher and his wife Lisa..

Mick worked in the Beer Process

A Big Thank You

In an earlier edition of the New Marksman Marie Rose asked if anyone had a copy of The Mansfield Brew which was published some years ago.

Marie now says a big thank you to Wally Clark who has kindly given Marie a copy of the book.

Marie is giving the book to her children as a keepsake of their father, Marie’s husband Brian, who died in 1979.

Brian was a Supervisor fitter at the Brewery and his picture appears on page 14 of the book.

 

 

 

They weren’t going to take it lying down

THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

Roll out the barrel and we’ll have barrel of fun. Well not exactly!

Left to Right Steve Quigley, John Williams, Steve Gregg,
Mick Raciey, Dave Shaw, Russ Singleton, Les Revell

In 1997 Mansfield police were somewhat annoyed when they had to report to the brewery that one of their articulated lorries had overturned whilst turning a corner on Sutton Road.

The Big Fallout

The early evening rush hour was in full swing and quickly came to a halt when the 40 ton lorry, loaded with keg mild, came to rest on its side. A team of hardy brewery men - THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN - were quickly despatched to recover the kegs and they weren’t going to take it lying down.

The police immediately asked the team leader, Dave Shaw, “How long will it take to remove the kegs?”

“It could take up to six hours” came the reply.

Police - “Can this be speeded up?”

“Only if we have a fork lift truck”.

“Send for one”, said the man in blue.

“Can’t do that. The trucks are only licensed around the brewery.”

Annoyed at this the police despatched a car to the brewery to escort a fork lift truck to the accident.

Dave, concerned about removing this unstable load, briefed the mild men on the dangers of the situation. He then went into the upturned lorry to remove the first keg, and in true brewery fashion the men went into hysterics as a second keg fell on Dave’s ankle. Dave said it did hurt (it had torn a tendon) but that his pride was hurt more!

With Les Revell shuffling the spare lorry to and from the brewery with the kegs the team reduced the down time to two and a half hours and this was much appreciated by the authorities.

Have you any stories? Please Send them in.

CELLAR to FRONT of HOUSE EXCELLANCE

The staff of Hull Brewery welcomes four international Rugby players who visited the Brewery in 1981.

They are from the left Fred Au Khoi and Gary Kemble (New Zealand), John Muggleton (Australia) and Lee Crooks (England). At the time they were playing for Hull F.C. (Rugby League).

Many Thanks to Mike Turner (back row third from the left wearing dark glasses) for supplying the details.

C 2 C Cycle Route (Coast to Coast)

Recollections of a bike ride across the “Roof of England”

Whitehaven to Sunderland

By Kevin Hall and Peter Riley

A sponsored ride, on behalf of a mate of ours and The PBC Charity Foundation.

Having travelled to Whitehaven Cumbria on a Sunday in May we found our lodging for the evening, a nice guest house. The conservatory overlooked the once busy harbour, with views on a clear day to the Isle of Man to the west and the southern coast of Scotland to the north. We then set about finding sustenance for the dark hours of the night, with nightmares that the bikes just might not be up to the rigors and strains we were about to subject them to over the next four days.

 

With food now the major requirement, we wandered the streets in search of the elusive Haddock and King Edwards only to be thwarted and resigned to purchase velly nicely flied black bean beef and bamboo shoots in a foil tray.

Perching preciously on a log strapped to two baulks of original Whitehaven Columbian pine, we consumed the said purchase aware at all times we were in mortal danger of aerial attack from the local terradacgulls.

Across the road the Shipmakers Arms was in buoyant mood. Hundreds of revellers were enjoying the replays of the second division play-off in Cardiff and all but one ceased to speak immediately upon Pete saying “eh up me duck” two halves of your strongest porter, landlady, if you please! Armed with two glasses of beer we proceeded to find a space in which to sample the golden fluid only to be driven back into the fray by a stampede of new customers wanting to know the score.

One more half each and we were on our way, back to Grimelda’s palace and bed. Pete snores and the noise can only be described as panic working in an engine shed. We were in separate beds - honest!

Monday 31st May Whitehaven to Greystoke

Breakfast consisted of Grimelda`s version of a Greasy Spoon café, but the view was nice. Dragging the bikes around to the front of the house, we inflated the tyres to a nut numbing 65 psi and set off for the harbour for “back wheel in the Irish sea” and we were ON OUR WAY” in scorching sunshine and 22 degrees C. Many hills and valleys later we arrived at Greystoke, a distance 46 miles

Mrs Giles, the farmer’s wife, was our host for the night and immediately supplied sweet tea and hob-nob biscuits. The panic stricken pet dog relaxed only after we removed our helmets, Pete had blown his nose and we had adjusted our manhood.

Hot baths and more tea! Pub, forty winks, pub and bed. Remember, Pete snores. I told him that if he snored tonight I would have no option but to snog him. He looked dreadful next morning

Tuesday 1st June Greystokes to Leadgate

Breakfast consisted of egg, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, fried bread and toast and marmalade and a packed lunch of ploppedham and chalk.

Down the hill around the corner and up the “oh sh!! This is a rather large one to start the day with. “IT’S SPITTING” came the cry from the head of the ride.

Luckily we had foreseen the possibility of foul weather and were suitably attired. Wet through outside and in. We battled our way almost vertically at times and were soon in the snowline and very dense fog.

Visibility down to 20 yards and we were sitting targets for the lumbering pantecnions as we approached the top of Hartside some 580m (1975ft) above sea level.

We almost missed the café but due to Pete’s superior sense of smell - he can detect the aroma of date and walnut cake at around a mile - we arrived safely at the entrance without mishap.

Inside there appeared to be a wet t-shirt competition taking place. Pete went to buy tickets for the front row only to be told that these ladies, like ourselves, had fought their way to the summit on cycles and their display was not sexual but they were extremely cold.

Refreshed, we rode onwards and downwards to a little place named Leadgate, 27 miles away and only 490m above sea level.

Wednesday 2nd June Leadgate to Shotley Bridge

7.30 am and a very nice breakfast with home made bread awaited us

Sunshine and a very undulating route greeted our efforts to get the old legs moving – Pete’s daughter Emma works with physically disabled children and a colleague of hers is a herbalist. This lady had manufactured a muscle conditioning lotion for us and on this the third day I asked Pete if he minded if I rubbed it on my legs as the taste was making me feel ill. Progress was painful for the first few miles.

Onwards and upwards through Nentheads, along the very steep old mineral railway to the abandoned winding house.

Into Country Durham and over the highest part of the “Roof of England” - 609m above sea level. A ride of a further 10 to 12 miles along the Wasskerly Way and we arrive in Consett. What a brilliant ride! Beautiful scenery, the Angel of the North, somebody or others Folly and a tiny three-legged pony, leaning on the fence of a coral, who answered to the name of Hoppit.

Consett! What a stupendously beautiful little town .We proceed to wind our way vertically down hill into Shotley Bridge and arrived at the Crown and Crossed Swords Hotel.

“Room 4, chaps” said the bar keeper and off we went. Upstairs and downstairs until, almost exhausted we arrived at our resting place for the night.

Spiders in various stages of decay adorned the once operative sliding sashes and the net curtains fell apart at the first touch.

Take your pick of the bathroom, any one of three! I chose the one which had been decorated when Anaglypta was a young girl of seven. The pattern had condensation stains built in, but the water was hot.

Back up the hill for a pint and nosh then back down the hill for another pint and bed.

Thursday 3rd June Shotley Bridge to Sunderland

Guess what ”IT`S SPITTING”!!!!

Nice breakfast, packed lunch and on the road for 8.15am

First 150 yards nearly vertical but after we were bike-borne for the rest of the 28 mile ride into Sunderland. Another old railway line surfaced with cinders riddled with pot holes full of thick slurry, only seen before in an early episode of Quatermass, topped up with the various depths of the latest downpour. Gave up trying to avoid the puddles, instead set about achieving the lap record for long course slurry skating. Within less than 5 minutes we were absolutely covered from toe to head in self adhesive black ash super glue. Water was running out of our shoes, our socks were being pressure washed and the grit embodied in our shorts was rapidly removing skin, warts`n all, from our nether regions but the bikes were enjoying this last dash for home and the traditional paddle in the North Sea.

Sunderland marina is not the most affluent of facilities but allowed us to complete this epic adventure by “two old man on bikes”.

Approximately 140 miles and many hills and valleys encountered, lots of laughs fantastic camaraderie and respect for each other, would we do it again?

Yes - for some other good cause cos we’re like that

Obituaries

George Burton

Over 30 ex work colleagues attended the funeral of George Burton (84) who died on 18 October 2007. George was born at Pye Bridge Derbyshire and was educated at the Samuel Barlow School Clipstone.

As a schoolboy he would go `rabbiting` for the dinner pot in Clipstone woods with his pet ferrets. After learning to dance he would cycle to Welbeck Abbey where dances were held in the underground ballroom.

He had a passion for driving and after leaving school he followed this as a career. As a young man he drove removal vans to London and Southend bringing evacuees to the Midlands.

On joining the army in 1942 he saw service in Italy and Austria and on being demobbed in 1947 he returned to driving. He joined Mansfield Brewery some years later becoming a drayman driving both flats and tankers until his retirement in 1987.

After the death of his wife, George took up dancing and he would go to dances in Clipstone. It was here he met his second wife Betty and in 1995 they married.

George and Betty enjoyed caravanning in the Yorkshire Dales, Scotland and Ireland. George also enjoyed his garden and allotment. George leaves his wife Betty, son David and two step sons John and Martin Bullock. Betty had worked for Mansfield Brewery as an order clerk for 10 years and also in the Property department.

Obituaries

Mary Pearson (Mansfield)
John Woodhouse (Worcester)
Wilfred Yates (Mansfield)
Margaret Grocock (Mansfield)
Owen Canning (Evesham)
Arnold Noble (Hull)
Mrs Norman (Mansfield)
Donald Johns (Evesham)
George Bush (Worcester)

The Get Together

A group of ex work colleagues and friends attended the six monthly get together at Margarita’s Italian restaurant in Mansfield Woodhouse in October. The evening started with a pre-dinner drink at a local pub and a jolly good evening was had by all.

Rob Woods, Sue Woods, Shelly England, Sharon England, John Else, Alan Brown, Joe White, Melanie Tagg, Barbara Brown, Hazel Eyley, Graham Cooling, Andrea Hicks, Kevin Hall, Ian Boucher. (not pictured John Hare).

Further information on future get togethers phone Kevin Hall on 07739 989626.

Anthony T. Scruby

A Remarkable Gentleman

Tony Scruby was born in Nottingham in 1917 and grew up in Collingham near Newark. At the age of 12 he spent a year’s savings, £3.00, to buy a Levis two stroke motorcycle, on which he would ride around the village whilst the village bobby was having his lunch. This began a life long love of motor cycles.

He was educated at Oakham, Rutland, until he was 16 years old when he was sent to Law School in London for a year. On his return he joined a firm of solicitors in Sleaford as an articled clerk. During this time he played rugger for Lincoln and was commissioned as a 2 nd Lieutenant in the 4 th Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, Territorial Army.

At the outbreak of World War 2 he had qualified as a solicitor and was embodied into the Army, still aged only 21. He took part in the Norway Campaign and after the withdrawal he was posted to Scotland and then to Iceland. (Britain occupied Iceland in 1940 denying German submarines access to the North Atlantic shipping routes).

Whilst there he was sent on short notice to the Army Senior Staff College at Camberely for six months and then posted as a Brigadier Major to the Royal West Africa Frontier Force (RWAFF) to fight the ‘Japs’ attempting to seize the North East entries to India. Following two years prolonged campaigns in Burma, he was withdrawn to H.Q. responsible for air supply to the Arakan area of Burma in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

On being demobbed he was offered a partnership with a firm of lawyers in Nairobi , Kenya. During this time he met and married Ann (bless her!) who agreed to accompany him to Kenya. Ann was the daughter of a Lincolnshire farmer and an ex Petty Officer in the W.R.E.N.S. Their three children, Hilary, Philip and James were all born in Kenya.

As the only advocate with modern commercial experience out there Tony worked tremendously hard and built up a leading firm of Company Lawyers – Kaplan and Straton. He personally organised the building of a block of 23 flats in the centre of Nairobi. Together with his wife they acquired 25 acres of coffee bearing land on which they built a home. Up country they acquired a 4,000 acre beef rearing farm and 750 acres of softwood and wattle plantation.

With the onset of the Mau Mau emergency in 1953 Tony and two friends (both with war records similar to his) formed D-force and recruited around 150 recruits to fight the Mau Mau terrorists. Whilst Tony was up country with D force Ann guarded the home and family, always with a revolver to hand.

Tony and Ann realised however that Westminster was abandoning colonialism and that their children required education at home. Tony retired from the law practice in favour of the job of Managing Director of Mitchell Coffs (part of an international company). Having completed that job they returned to the U.K., despite the inability to repatriate one’s capital and acquired a home in Essex.

Tony was offered a partnership in an established Essex law firm and was about to accept the position when the ‘phone rang one evening. It was Robin Chadburn telling him the sad news of the death of David Weston (M.D. of Mansfield Brewery), and enquiring if he would meet with him and Jock Nangle with a view to joining the brewery as joint managing director with Edward Deakin. When Edward Deakin retired in 1971 Tony took on the task of sole Managing Director until his retirement in 1979.

Cellar Service – A walk down memory lane

I started with Mansfield Brewery in 1979 as Technical Services Brewer working along side Les Yates with Michael Parsons in charge. Although not strictly part of the Cellar Installation Dept. (CID) we worked closely with them. At this time CSD was sited in the old foundry, later to become the new office block. Jack Wood was the manager, ably abetted by Fred Ghilks, with George Rowe in overall charge. In the early days the only products Mansfield sold were a Bitter and a Mild, mainly to satisfy the thirsty miners and later the steelworkers of South Yorkshire.

In subsequent years CID changed its name to Cellar Services Dept. (CSD) and in the final years to the Technical Services Dept. (TSD). It also had as many homes as it did names, eventually moving from the foundry to Rooth Street and finally to Broadway where we shared a building with JKD builders. I came to manage both CSD & Technical Services (as Trade Quality was then known) in 1987 after a 4 year absence managing Conditioning and Chilling.

In the early years the department was “owned” by Properties then passed to Production and on to Free trade, Finance, back to Production and finally Marketing. CSD was the proverbial hot potato.

In 1985 North Country Breweries (Hull) was taken over by Mansfield and with it came an active Cellar Service Dept. with a staff of 7. They were integrated into the company by Robert Burton before Robert became Head Brewer and I took over from him. The department now had a staff approaching 30, comprising fitters (later to become technicians), supervisors and office staff. During the following years, up to the takeover in 1999, the department saw many changes; the reintroduction of cask beer, the introduction of many other products, both home grown and bought in, the fast developing technology to cool and dispense beer, the need is to satisfy customer expectations by providing service cover 7 days per week 16 hours per day.

The office staff was eventually integrated into the Customer Service Dept and in 1988 the Cellar Services operation was outsourced and the staff transferred to an outside company. Although a small staff stayed on to manage the operation, this was effectively the end of the in-house cellar service operation. During the years it existed, the department provided a high class service to all customers both external and internal and I was proud to be a part of that.

Graham Cooling

Picture: Cellar bar by David Lowe

INSECTS IN YOUR GARDEN

If you’re a keen gardener you’ll be aware that plants are not the only things around you whilst you’re gardening. Here is a quick guide to some of the insects that you may regularly see whilst tending your borders or vegetable patch.

Digging over any patch of soil will often turn up some of the commoner ground beetles. Although called ground beetles, they do have wings under the hard wing cases, but they fly infrequently. Generally dark coloured, closer examination of some will reveal a shiny lustre to the wing cases. Look out for:

• Amara aenea (no common name) a small (6-8mm) coppery green ground beetle.
• Strawberry beetle. Larger (10-12mm), this is black with either black or reddish legs.
• Like most ground beetles it is a hunter. One of several beetles often referred to as “blacklocks”.
• Violet ground beetle. One of the largest (22-25mm). Black but with violet edge to its wing cases.

 

On flowers, you can distinguish the bees and wasps (that cause many people concern) from the hoverflies and other look-a-like species by counting the wings. If it has two wings it’s a fly. If there are four wings it’s usually a bee or a wasp. Many people recognise hoverflies that hover around flowers. Some of the hoverflies are quite large and are mistaken for wasps, but a wing count will tell you.

The Drone fly is so called because it resembles a honeybee drone – again two wings only. There are only about five or six types of bumblebees that visit gardens but if your soil is very light and sandy you may also see some small bees burrowing into it. These are solitary bees, unlike bumblebees that live in colonies. Bumblebees, despite their size, are normally less aggressive than wasps. Hornets, reddish coloured and the largest British wasp, are becoming much more common. Like bumblebees, they are not as aggressive as the two most common wasp species, the Common and German wasps. You can tell the last two apart by the markings on the front of their face. Common wasps have an anchor shaped mark whereas German wasps have three dots.

If you are really lucky and see a very large yellow and black insect with yellow legs and a long ‘sting’, don’t panic. Though called a Wood wasp, it is a sawfly, related to bees and wasps, the sting is actually an ovipositor used for egg laying; the insect itself is quite harmless!

MARTIN NEEDHAM (Guest Writer)

 

Martin and Ann pictured on
the walking week-end in Surrey.

Ann worked in the brewery offices at Mansfield

 

 

 

Notice Board

Mansfield Brewery Dinner Dance
Saturday 1 st March 2008.
Contact Barbara Brown for details 01623 481488.

Mansfield Brewery Golfing Society
Summer is a coming!
Duncan Henderson is willing to arrange a nostalgic golf match. Anyone interested please contact Duncan on 01623 467617 Mobile 07932 258118

Mansfield Brewery Walking Group
Contact Barbara Brown 01623 481488

Mansfield Brewery Pensioners Group
Proposed Day Trips for 2008:
April Liverpool
May Spalding
June Bridlington and Sewerby Hall
July Kew Gardens
Aug Stratford up on Avon
Sept Wicksteed Park
Oct To Be Announced
Nov Milton Keynes and Bletchley Museum
Dec Christmas Market To Be Announced

For Further Information Telephone Club Secretary George Powell 01623 624478

If you have any photos, information, stories or tales about
W.G.Boalers and Son, Hull Brewery, R L Jones, Mansfield Brewery,
Mandora Soft Drinks, T.W.Beach, Frampton Village cider Company.

Please send to
Ian F P Boucher
34 Haddon Road
Mansfield
Notts
NG19 7BS
Telephone 01623 644798

All photographs etc will be returned if requested.

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Newsletter Sponsored by Baily Thomas Provident Fund