HUBERT LAWRENCE, a chargehand in the Toolroom, Radford factory, retired recently after 51 years and 10 months with the Company. This is one of our longest service records. Hubert started as an indentured machinist and fitter in 1919.
RECORD OF SERVICE
Hubert Lawrence was born in Swindon but later his parents moved to Stoke Heath. This district was then outside the city of Coventry where the school leaving age was 14. Thus, Hubert, at the age of 13, was able to leave school and start work for our Company in 1919. He began at Cash’s Lane under Joe Cowdall in the Drawing Office, as an indentured machinist and fitter. Later he moved to capstan work under foreman Albert Walton, and then went on to centre lathe work under Mr. Taylor.
PRACTICAL TRAINING
After some time, Hubert had a spell on Production grinding under foreman Charlie Harrison — remembered as ” the last bowler-hatted foreman.” At Cash’s Lane, Hubert did a lot of night work — hours 5.30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Eventually, at a wage of 8/-s. per week, he graduated to the Toolroom. It is interesting to note that even in those days of 50 years ago our Company had a training scheme for young people and Hubert gained practical experience in operating many types of machine tools.
SOCCER PLAYER
In his younger days, Hubert was a good soccer player. At times, at Cash’s Lane, the Toolroom worked from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays — and Hubert had to plead for time off to play in inter-departmental soccer matches ! He is proud of a winner’s medal and a runner-up medal which he won in inter-departmental football whilst at Cash’s Lane.
MADE A CHARGEHAND
Hubert worked in the Toolroom at Cash’s Lane under foreman Billy Wood, and had been on Toolroom work ever since. He moved with the department to Canley in 1937, and then became a Toolroom chargehand at Radford fac-tory in 1960.
FACTORY PRESENTATION
Mr. A. C. A. Johnson, Toolroom executive presented Hubert with a retirement gift of money from Radford employees. He also thanked him for his loyal and excellent work.
September 1971
UPDATE: After a random search to see if i could find any information on my uncle your website (Standard Triumph Works Directory) gave me a huge surprise when it popped up.
I was only looking for information on him as I still have one of his Engineers toolbox (my brother has his second) which is in a sorry state and I was contemplating having it returned to its former glory by TV’s The Repair Shop.
More to follow…