Mists of Autumn fruitfullness

[goodlookingone]

The main point (in my mind) about Nympsfield Long Barrow, is that I've never heard of it.. But a quick lurk tells me a little of it. Obvious Historic - or pre Historic - Interest. Perhaps it is good that few people know of Ancient history, and thus keeping it intact and secure.
I note that it is near to places I was connected with .. (I was working in Chelmsford that Produced drawings and costings that passed across my desk - who remembers RB211 engines - aka Concorde), but ... Nympsfield Long Barrow seems near to Aston Down. The Managers that I was working in (Gloucester) invited me to go Gliding from RAF Aston Down...

I remember you in Cambridge - Pina, Rosolie et al.

Ford ... well Living near to Dagenham, it had many employees (40,000 at one time plus their suppliers and duistributors) Ford had many fingers in pies. The Sewing machinists affair was bad for Ford, but worse for the Area.
I did a job for their Borough Council... The Councillors were all Ford Shop Stewards. I was present in a meeting when the Council employees were demanding money - But the Councillers had to reverse THEIR claim for more pay, and gove reasons why they had to deny the claim??? but their wartime exploits are more interesting Henry was a passivist ??? but others claimned that BMC specialised in making cars, but Ford made money. In wartime commandeered a field to fill his stock of New Tractors (GB needed food in wartime), but the field of orange tractors was a guide for Bombers aiming to London, so they tried to paint them "Olive-drab" but all that colour was designated for the Military ... which was also used by Ford - Their Army Ambulances were formaned by staff borrowed from An ambulance maker. (Ford Tractors since been dark blue)
I worked in the Tractor Factory in Basildon - originally a Ford and Ferguson combination (Henry & Harry), but Ford caught more of a cold when The World trade Center (Nine-elleven) was demolished. So it is now an assembly shop for Dutch/Italian/Indian parts.

[Rwth of Cornovii]

My mother told me about American tractors, and how only people whose horses were on their last legs were interested. I think Ford's main problem was that they were trying to micro manage from a very long way off, just from the financial records.
Cambridge Meet was funny. People wanted one, but nobody local wanted to organise it. It was a good one though, and lunch in a good Italian restaurant was a good feature. It will be wonderful when we can do it again, but I can't really do the distances any more.

[goodlookingone]

Yup ... There was a demand for home-made food (Imports meant Ships and Merchant Ships lost lives) thus Ford Built Tractors for UK, as well as Military Ambulances (albeit on off-road, High ground clearance four-wheel drive military style). but post war they worked with Harry Ferguson to use his English (OK, Irish) links to drive the equipment they were ploughing with, - They had a Big ex-RAF station at Boreham, (nr Chelmsford) to practice on. Henry had desires to build "The American Rolls-Royce???" in USA, named after Ford's son, Edsel. When it didn't sell, the accountants were unable to "lose" the tooling costs, so transferred the tooling to a shiny new tractor factory in a the New Town of Basildon that was encouraging industry. Unfortunately the Engime machining (aka "That Boody great big thing by the foundry"), fell off the crane into Boston Harbour. By some miracle it was recovered two years later just after the insurers paid the loss, the New site ar Basildon was completed, and The Engine Machining Centre was found servicable, just in time (????) to find that it suffered very little from its dousing.... What a miracle.
My Tutor at Tech College had been Foreman at the Tractor site. I was latterly contracted by the accountant at Borham, and Basildon where I was needed, and on a later date (incl the Nine Eleven day) I was working there for a Prod Manager who had previously been invoved with the engine machining at the time of that machine - then and now, standing idle .... it took thirty odd hours for a gang of men to change from Four cylinder engine stock, to the six cylinder version... and thus into disuse, and buy foregn engines Four and three cyl engines from a russian outfit in Gloucester. (No longer used in any UK factory) and the modern Six and eight cyl made by a Scandanavian Factory - in Northampton I think, (Euro Diesel).

Sorry to go on... I wish I was still working. Work was fine, but most jobs involved Miles and hours of driving and living in "digs".