Page 1. SD Enthusiasts' Club Newsletter - Winter 2011.
NOVEMBER NOSTALGIA.
Last Saturday, 26th November I made an early start to travel south from my home in West Yorkshire. Traffic was light on the AI and I arrived early for my appointment in Letchworth. So I diverted to Icknield Way.
Photo: Icknield Way/Cromwell Road junction.
Not the Icknield Way I knew as an apprentice over 50 years ago. On the corner of Cromwell Road the brick wall remains, but little else tells of the wonderful history of Shelvoke & Drewry manufacturing on this spot. At the western end of the site a pair of brick pillars still survive with the hinges for the wooden gates still visible. But all rather sad. However the wall at the corner of Cromwell Road reminded me of sunny summer lunchtimes when as apprentices we'd clamber onto this wall and watch the girls go by.
For nine years I went through this gateway every working day. The bicycle sheds were to the left.
Happy memories tinged with sadness! But better yet was still to come.
My next port of call was the Letchworth Golf Club where due to the efforts of Bob Bowker and Stan Quin some 35 former SD apprentices met for a splendid reunion lunch. There were a surprising number of people who I remembered from my days at S&D.
When we had all eaten Bob Bowker shared a few of his memories with us. Then Stan Quin outlined for us the very different characters who had combined to form the Shelvoke & Drewry Company. The autocratic Harry Shelvoke combined with the creative genius of James Drewry. Stan's service with S&D stretches back to before the Second World War but Colin Humble and Vic Negus, who were both able to be present, aren't so very far behind. Stan reminded us that the success of any Company is reliant on a well trained work force and he believes that SD's apprenticeship scheme would have served the Company well into the future.
Other former apprentices then spoke briefly about their youthful memories and we were all agreed that we'd been privileged to have been trained in this way.
Our thanks are due to Bob Bowker for arranging this day and to Stan Quin who obtained the venue for us. I feel sure that I speak on behalf of everyone in saying that it was both a highly enjoyable event and a memorable reunion.
A few of the ex-apprentices reminisce over lunch.