The Executive Director responsible for research, Mr. J. F. Stirling with senior personnel from the Research Division

RESEARCH DIVISION

Executive Director

We live in a changing world. Our forebears of one hundred years ago might have been inclined to dispute it, but our standards of living are higher, largely because of the efforts of the scientists and technologists. This is true in the field of glass making and processing.

Our company has for many years been preeminent in the manufacture of domestic glassware and will, we trust, continue to be so in the future, but we have to adapt our methods and products to meet the changing requirements of a critical public. Designs must be neater and colours more attractive, while the articles we make must continue to stand up to the stresses of domestic usage. All this means continuous research. We must progress or perish.

While the manufacture of domestic glass continues to be our main activity, it is perhaps not generally realised how great and increasing a part we play in the production of glass, in many shapes and forms, for technical and industrial purposes. The chemical industry is demanding bigger and more complicated glass equipment, most of it in the sort of glass we make in our blownware factory. This means closer control of glass quality and the development of means of measuring and testing its properties. Chemical and physical analysis of the glass must not only be accurate but also rapid, to be of value, and research into such methods goes forward all the time.

In addition to our efforts to maintain the quality of our products in highly competitive markets, we must keep in touch with new developments and be ready to apply them as opportunity occurs. Our associates, the Corning Glass Works of U.S.A. have recently produced some new crystalline materials with amazing properties. These materials are first formed as glasses and are then converted to new forms with great strength and resistance to heat. They have an enormous potential value in industrial and domestic use and we are in close touch with Corning in their development.

Much is written and spoken nowadays about the training of scientific man-power. It is said that the U.S.S.R. and U.S.A. outstrip us in this respect. In the laboratories of this company, we are doing our best to meet this situation. We have a number of student-apprentices of high quality who work on practical problems in the laboratories and at the same time pursue their studies at the local technical colleges. They have a big part to play in our technical advance in the future.

LABORATORY JOTTINGS

Despite it being summer, an air of quiet expectancy hangs over the Physics Laboratory. This is no doubt due to the approaching release of examination results at the Tech., and a more than normally anxious expression is the order of the day.

We understand the book is now open on the list of engagement runners. There are very short odds on a certain favourite, who, strangely enough has the same Christian name as a famous jockey.

Mr. Ridley, we understand, can be seen any night in his garden, that is if one is tall enough to see over the pile of bricks. It is rumoured he sometimes works by a floodlight, craftily tapped into the mains. Hugh Bevan has developed a slight, but marked stoop. We believe this is due to the thoughts of the millstone he has hung round his neck, in the shape of a semi-detached, with all mod. cons., etc. In direct contrast, John Campbell has burst upon the car park with — yes a Bentley! The hinge on the bonnet we understand is specially reinforced, to stand the strain of constant lifting to allow the engine to be duly admired. Anyway that’s the story. Incidentally, Mr. Stirling’s car is not now the oldest car on the park. Don Price now feeds the ducks thrice daily since he moved into his new flat, and comes to work via Mowbray Park. Perhaps that is why he is beginning to look like a policeman, or maybe, it is on account of his small daughter who likes him to be a traffic cop. Bob Ferry has erected a certain piece of apparatus which we still say is a garden swing in the corner of the Physics Lab. He refuses to be drawn out although he has been heard to mutter something about the expansion of a semi-detached in Whitburn or Cleadon. As an extra special item of news, just come to hand, we understand that Mr. Stirling has finally decided to part with his trusty four wheeled friend. We understand that his next car will be in the luxury class. The change will certainly be drastic and perhaps further comment should be reserved for a future issue.

Miss Margaret Swinney, who spends her time here in deciphering the mysterious hieroglyphics of the laboratory staff, has recently become engaged to be married. We offer our best wishes and congratulations.

A cold June morning was perhaps not quite the time for visiting the new refractories section. The winter seemed to have left some of its chill in the structure. No doubt this atmosphere will be corrected, in due course, when the place is fully occupied, and ‘hot air’ in its various forms gets into the odd holes and corners. Mind you, the chill atmosphere was not reflected in the faces of the boys, who appeared to be in the best of spirits and only too pleased that at last, they were getting premises worthy of them. Certainly the set-up is most impressive and a far cry from the old joiners shop and pump house.

Page Seventy-eight

It was a change to get from the new-house atmosphere of refractories to the lived-in comfort of the chem. lab., with its homely smells — if you like that kind of thing. The chem. lab. always looks mysterious, something like a witches’ cave, with smells, and spells, and charms. The recent leak through the floor into the Physics Lab, we were assured, was not the result of a spell. Talking of charm, a certain lady of this department recently visited Ireland on holiday. We hear she appeared a little green about the gills on her return. The sea voyage, perhaps, or a reflection of the Emerald Isle ? Incidentally, the lady’s name is not Scottish. One of the males brought some fish back recently from one of his fishing expeditions. We are sure he actually caught them, although one can never be sure of fishermen. Motor-bikes seem to cause another male member of the staff some trouble, perhaps he added the wrong reagent to his petrol. Before leaving the chem. lab. we heard that Mr. Sedgwick has an up-and-coming youngster who is a keen supporter of Newcastle United, in spite of Sedgwick Senior’s efforts to show him the error of his ways.

Altogether, chatting to the laboratories staff brings it home that these laboratory boffin types are really human after all, with their domestic problems large and small. The same as you and me in fact.

AS.

LETTER FROM MR. A. FALCONER

The following letter was received by our Deputy Chairman from Mr. A. Falconer.

Dear John,

I would like you to know how much I enjoyed my visit this week to Sunderland. It was a real pleasure to meet once again so many of my friends on the Executive Staff and to find them in good heart and full of enthusiasm for the future prosperity of Joblings. I thank you and your colleagues for organising the dinner given in my honour and also for the very handsome gift presented to Mrs. Falconer and myself. I will long cherish this token of many happy years spent as Chairman of the Company.

I was greatly impressed with all I saw during my tour of the factory. There has been a wonderful improvement in the lay-out, productivity and cleanliness of the factory compared with eight years ago, when I was appointed Chairman. The new offices are attractive and well planned and should help a lot to increase efficiency.

When I was appointed Chairman sales were slightly under £2,000,000. I told the first Sales Conference that the next target was £3,000,000 and that I expected it to be reached in a few years time. I was delighted to learn from you that sales in 1957 were £3,500,000. This is a wonderful achievement. You have a good team.

Wishing you the best of luck.

THE WORLD’S LARGEST
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