TitleInvisible Histories project interview: Ward and Goldstone - Tom Wakefield
ReferenceSUBJ/INVHIST/1/IH022
Date
21 May 2013
CreatorDean, Lois
Production date 2013-05-21 - 2013-05-21
Scope and ContentAudio file and summary (Word file) of interview with Tom Wakefield, ex-employee of Ward and Goldstone.
Tom Wakefield worked at Ward and Goldstone from 1973 to approximately 1983 and describes it as the best job he ever had. He starts the interview with on overview of his early life: school and work before Ward and Goldstones’, as well as talking about the ‘interview’ for the job. He goes on to speak about his time at the company discussing training, different machines and processes as well as the make-up of the workforce.
There is a fair amount of discussion over workplace conditions and incidents such as a one worker’s finger being cut off, and another having their foot run over as well as a sleepy worker getting a ‘drum’ rolled into him by the foreman. Social activities are touched on too, a lot of the time involving ‘The Railway Pub’ at dinner time. Union activities are also spoken of, Tom was a shop steward briefly, though Jimmy Cuddy was the main union man, a bonus scam is also mentioned, where the minimum bonus payments were manipulated by the loading bay workers.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are the interviewee’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Working Class Movement Library
Tom Wakefield worked at Ward and Goldstone from 1973 to approximately 1983 and describes it as the best job he ever had. He starts the interview with on overview of his early life: school and work before Ward and Goldstones’, as well as talking about the ‘interview’ for the job. He goes on to speak about his time at the company discussing training, different machines and processes as well as the make-up of the workforce.
There is a fair amount of discussion over workplace conditions and incidents such as a one worker’s finger being cut off, and another having their foot run over as well as a sleepy worker getting a ‘drum’ rolled into him by the foreman. Social activities are touched on too, a lot of the time involving ‘The Railway Pub’ at dinner time. Union activities are also spoken of, Tom was a shop steward briefly, though Jimmy Cuddy was the main union man, a bonus scam is also mentioned, where the minimum bonus payments were manipulated by the loading bay workers.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this interview are the interviewee’s own, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Working Class Movement Library
Extent1 audio file and 1 word file
LanguageEnglish
Persons keywordWard and Goldstone, Wakefield, Tom
SubjectWorkers, Oral history, Manufacturing, Engineering industry
Conditions governing accessOpen
Levelfile
Normal locationDigital Resource - S:\Audio visual archive\Invisible Histories project