My Working Life - continued - Page 6

So that was the start of my senior management career which included becoming Plant Manager of the Lactic Acid plant, Production Administrator, Assistant Works Manager and eventually Works Manager in 1990 until it's closure in 2005 - sadly this was the Centenary of Bowman's Chemicals incorporation in 1905...........that's life!

Influential People.....

Apart from Eric there were several people who were influential during my early years in plant work - Michael Henry Miller Arnold (MD and champion of the Special Products Plant in the early/mid sixties), Fred Dyer (Production Director) who encouraged me to continue my education at college in order to progress into management, Dave Caldwell (Plant Manager) who taught me lots and left with some good advice when he returned to Vine Chemicals after 3 years at Moss Bank. John Bibby and Tom Reid were the main Sales Office people along with Charlie Appleton (Sales Rep) with who I had some interesting games of table tennis in the coming years. Harold Ireland was the works accountant (my immediate boss) and Bob Williams was the buyer. I had daily contact with all the Directors as I travelled the office block doing many different tasks and apart from MHM Arnold there was Derek Mather (Finance Director and Secretary - I still see Derek occasionally around Widnes or St Helens), Albert Clark (Works Director), Bill Bellamy (Sales Director) and Cliff Childs (Research Director). The early days of my working at Moss Bank were filled with so many people and as Office Boy I got to meet and work with them all in some capacity - especially the female office staff who really looked after the young new starter. Jean Mercer, Lynn Jones, Mavis Bradley, Marie Dalton, Kath Hunt, Lillian Brown, Susan Moffat, Rose-Marie Dixon, Margaret (Bob Williams Secretary) to name a few... On my first day I met with Mrs Connor and Mrs Coady who both lived in Barnes Road and who worked as the office cleaners. Lou Smith and his dad (Lou Snr.) also lived in Barnes Road.

I retired from Croda on 31 December 2005 after 44 years 11 months 3 weeks and 1 day of service .... But who’s counting!

I was invited to a retirement lunch by the Directors of Croda International at Cowick Hall in Snaith, Yorkshire (a memorable honour for me - I think I am the only Works Manager in Croda to be granted this privilege). My work colleagues in Widnes presented me with an inscribed Crystal Vase which has pride of place in the dining room at home - a memorable end to a long and happy career in the chemical industry.....

And so to pastures new, although I did not know it at the time.......

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