Keith Donetta

A 1960 apprentice remembers

I started as a "cadet" apprentice in September 1960 at the Priory Crescent, Prittlewell works. (I seem to remember that there were 3 levels of apprenticeship. This basic Trade level, the Cadet level (white collar) and the top level that were to become engineers etc.) I was to become a draftsman.

I missed out on the first fortnight in the training centre with the apprentice master, (whose name escapes me, although Jimmy Budd had the position later during my time) because I had been holidaying in Scotland with a mate. I started in Coil Winding under a Mr Bailey? for a couple of months.

This was followed by a couple of months in Main Assembly under a foreman called Mr Hollister? I think the Production Manager was a Mr. Goddard.

Next was the Press Shop, (churning out chassis' etc) followed by the Auto Shop (Automatic Lathes etc). I can't remember the full name of the boss in the Auto shop, I think he was George something (As an apprentice, I had to call everybody Mr.) but he was a huge man who wore large round spectacles!! I can even still see him in my mind's eye! I can also remember the grey Ward and Sharp machines as well as the BSA lathes. They had labels riveted to them saying - "War Finish - Efficiency As Usual" and had large MAP letters painted on them, which I learned stood for Ministry of Aircraft Production.

There was a locked door in the side of the Auto Shop that led into a room that had been used as a canteen/restroom during the war. When I was in Maintenance, I went in there once and there were old posters all over the walls advertising wartime dances! It may have been an air raid shelter?

I also worked for a two month stint in the stores.

I then spent about 6 months working in the maintenance shop as a plumbers mate and general dogsbody but at least I got to know almost every area of the factory during my time working with the plumber. We also had to do work at the "Gliderdrome"? that was an out station near the Kursaal on the sea front as well as the factory in Progress Road, Leigh that made the electric blankets.

Then I started to specialise. I was sent to Rochford for a long stint with the Methods Department, setting up a line to build some radar units. There were heaps of cartons of components in the stores and lots of "alien" drawings (by that I mean not produced at Southend!) so I had nobody to run to with questions!

What became apparent was that these drawings and components were for airborne radar, which at that time was in the process of being transferred from Malmesbury, so I had I had to get stuck in and make sense of it all. I enjoyed doing this preparation very much, which is probably why I can still remember it!

Rochford factory nearing completion early 1960 courtesy Southend Museum Service

Larger Version

I was then sent back to Southend for a year in the Systems Laboratory where I used a drawing board for the first time.

I was finally posted to the Main Drawing Office under Mr Burtenshaw in 1964 for my final year of apprenticeship. Here, I was seconded to EKCO Electronics and worked under a senior draftsman called Trevor Noakes. We worked in conjunction with one of the Laboratories led by Eric Fielder, all of us in the R & D building. I stayed in this position for about a year after the end of my apprenticeship.

I left the company in September 1966 coincidently at the same time as a period of considerable change within the company where Radio and TV production was being transferred to Lowestoft along with the key staff and draftsmen following the takeover by Philips although being in Electronics, this did not affect me.

As my entire career in engineering was involved with electrical design, preparation of documents and construction supervision (although overseas and in open cut mining) I look back at my training years at EKCO with gratitude and affection.

Keith Donetta – March 2009