Innocently walking past picketed gate

ALONGSIDE Maurice Collier’s letter, Cowley problems began in the 1950s (Memory Lane, October 7), you published a picture of a lorry bursting through the factory gate with a number of people trying to stop it.
I am the person seen walking by the gate near the front bumper of the lorry.
In fact, just after that photograph was taken, I had to leap on to the gate because when the rear of the lorry came round, there were people hanging on it. (I had heard of the picture, but had not seen it before).
This happened just after 1pm as a colleague and I were going out to lunch.
The lorry came up Hollow Way from the direction of the Swan and suddenly turned into the gate, catching the strikers unawares.
Once in the yard, the driver stopped the vehicle because of those hanging on to it.
A police constable appeared and spoke to the driver and said that as he was ‘in’, he could continue or he would see him back out. He chose to continue in.
At this point, an irate shop steward arrived and complained to the constable because he had not been able to speak to the driver.
The next thing we saw was the constable and shop steward marching off down Hollow Way.
At that time, the detached house at the top of St Luke’s Road was empty and the police were using it as a temporary HQ (Cowley Police Station was not even a dream then).
At that time, I was working for what was then known as BMC Service and we occupied the red brick building which faced Hollow Way in front of the apprentice school.
My desk was over the busy post office, which was on the ground floor at the far end of the building until they closed it when the CowleyCentre post office opened

From our viewpoint, we were able to see all sorts of activities when the strikes were on, but it got very intense on the occasions when one union was ‘in’ and one was ‘out’.

I will always remember the sight of Hollow Way at the works turnout time.
It just filled with men and women on cycles and other road users – cars, buses and lorries – just had to stop until the road had cleared.
BRIAN CARVELL
Arlington Drive
Old Marston
Oxford

The workers aren’t at fault
DESPITE what Maurice Collier writes (Memory Lane, October 7) and his belief that management at Cowley was strong, there must have been serious failings at the top.
Never having worked at Cowley, I can't judge how good or bad things were, but was higher management visible and close to the workforce or did it live in an ivory tower?
Were shop floor workers made to feel that all in the organisation were just as important as each other and that what they were producing was the very best?
The president of the company I worked for said: “Everyone in this organisation is equal, the difference in wages only reflects the difference in responsibility.”
When one looks at how successful Japanese, German and now Indian car manufacturers are, there is clearly little wrong with British workpeople.
The problems with past British car manufacture must have been created by others.
DERRICK HOLT
Fortnam Close
Headington
Oxford

More dinner ladies named
I CAN name most of the Charlbury ladies in your picture (Memory Lane, October 14).
The photograph, below, was taken in the 1950s at the annual flower show, not at the school.
There are no teachers among them – I think they were probably all dinner ladies.
DEREK FOWLER
Browns Lane
Charlbury

Trophy for running boys
THIS is a picture of the team from Temple Cowley School, Oxford, which won the cross-country trophy at the Oxford School Sports in 1936.
Most of the boys were also in the school football team, which also won a trophy that year.
JIM TANNER
Littlemore Road
Cowley
Oxford

All dressed up for the Pageant
I WAS interested to see the pictures of the 1907 Oxford Pageant (Memory Lane, September 23).
I enclose pictures of my grandmother, Molly Sirman, and my mother, Wyn Sirman, later Wyn West, who appeared at the event in costume.
I have a souvenir of the pageant which includes these photographs.
MARY DEAN
Dorchester Court
Ferry Pool Road
Oxford

 

Legendary singer has still got the magic

THE 60s’ Gold show at the New Theatre, Oxford, attracted a lot of PJ Proby fans.
Quite a few came at the last minute because of your great article about PJ (Memory Lane, October 7).
One lady called Bridget, who was there, had seen PJ a few times at the New Theatre in the past, including the early 1965 show when she was 16.
She said she was one of the PJ fans outside the theatre in the 1965 picture you featured with the article.
A week after seeing PJ at the
New Theatre, my wife Linda and I saw him again at Canterbury, probably for the last time on his current tour.
I enclose a picture of PJ and me taken on October 1 when I was 66.
RON TENNANT
PJ Proby fan club
Belgium

THANK you for a great article on singer P J Proby (Memory Lane, October 7). I am a Swedish girl living in Stockholm. I have loved listening to PJ for more than 25 years. I am 49, so I was in my 20s when I first heard him.
I hope there will be more shows for PJ so that more people will find out that he is still great and very professional and relaxed at the same time.
He knows what he wants and you can see and feel the stage is his home, and he’s a fantastic singer.

We always have a big smile on our faces when we hear him sing and watch him perform.
I wish him many more years so we are able to enjoy his wonderful voice and charismatic personality.
SUSANNE PERSSON
Stockholm
Sweden