Spring 2013 - the P&G Associates Website

FOR P&G ASSOCIATES BY P&G ASSOCIATESTHE ASSOCIATEISSUE 57 SPRING 2013

IN THIS ISSUEFeatures14 September Sunshine15 175 Years of P&G16 Fifty Years of Leightons and Robsonsat LongbentonAssociate Scheme3 South East Region6 North East Region10 North West Region11 Bournemouth Region12 London Plant RegionRegulars9 Books I LikeInformation2 In Memoriam10 New Associates16 Copy Date16 Useful ContactsFront Cover PictureAn Antony Gormley statue in the cryptof Winchester cathedral. See page 4.IN MEMORIAMWilliam Thomas Kerry, Manchester Plant (retired 1986),on 20th September.Vivien Irving, Longbenton (retired 1981), on 30thSeptember 2012.Phyllis Scott, widow of the late George Scott,Longbenton and USA, on 20th October 2012.Rita Cowey, widow of the late Ted Cowey, on 21stOctober 2012.Alicia French, wife of Colin French, Gosforth, on 14thNovember 2012.Alan Francis Brown, Longbenton (retired 1994), on 18thNovember 2012.Michael Garbett, Wakefield Plant (retired 2000), on 21stNovember 2012.Erenest Herd, Manchester Plant (retired 1985), on 23rdNovember 2012.Desmond Thomas Malpass, (retired 1987), on 24thNovember 2012.Edward Alan Cooper, London Plant (retired 1988), on26th November 2012.Peter Vallely, (retired 1981), on 28th November 2012.Dianne Fuller, Egham (retired 2000), on 1st December2012.Pauline Robertson, Cobalt Park (retired 2000), on 7thDecember 2012.Peter John Elkington, Havant (retired 2001), on 13thDecember 2012.Ethel Gladders Alderson, (retired 1981), on 15thDecember 2012.Patricia Ingram, Bournemouth (retired 1992), on 17thDecember 2012.Arthur Pickess, London Plant (retired 1985), on 18thDecember 2012.Grace Wilson, widow of the late Ray Wilson, EngineeringDivision Newcastle on Tyne, on 25th December 2012.Graeme Burge, Advertising, Gosforth (retired 1988), on26th December 2012.Margaret Deverell, London Plant (retired 1989), on 2ndJanuary 2013.Ken Hammond, Sales Dept. Gosforth (retired 1985), on4th January 2013.Peter Dickson, London Plant (retired 1986), on 19thJanuary 2013.Ron Balmbra, Longbenton (retired 1994), on 27thJanuary 2013.Ellen Smith, (retired 1998) on 30th January 2013.Dawn Grey, Shulton Works, Seaton Delaval (retired1997), on 30th January 2013.(We apologise for the late inclusion of some of theseAssociates following the changeover by P&G to a newcontractor for the outsourced management of thePensions Department. Editor.)2 | The Associate

SOUTH EASTREGIONClay Pigeon ShootJust when you thought it was safe to go out, somegallant Associates took on P&G current employeesin a Clay Pigeon Shoot competition at RAF Odiham,Hampshire, in October.In crisp, bright, light-wind conditions Jack Scott(RAF Odiham Clay Pigeon Club Coach & Associate)and his team provided us all with the fundamentalsafety training and excellent tuition necessary toenable even such novices as ourselves to aim and hitmany of the variety of different clays (moving targets)presented.Everyone had a wonderful time. Such a pity thatthe rain poured down during the presentationscausing several participants to bolt for cover beforethe photo session was completed.Top Gun: This was close,with 3 participants scoring36/50 and about to enter ashoot-off before yours trulyfinished with 40/50 to winoutright for the Associates.This was my bestperformance to-date by aproverbial country mile!Top Lady: A wonderfulPeter Mordue (left) and Davidperformance by employeeDyer, Club Chairman.Lisa Meade, with 36/50 one ofthe joint-second highest scores recorded on the day.Special Award: To 12 years-old Ted (son of LisaMeade), with 28/50, a truly commendable effort.Whether you’ve shot before or not, it doesn’tmatter, come and join us. You’ll never find a betteropportunity to try this great sporting challenge forsuch little money.Whilst I do not yet know the date for the next P&Gshoot, please be mindful that there are only 32places available, which are allocated on a firstcome-first-servedbasis. So, drop me an email now(peter.mordue@btopenworld.com) to reserve yourplace(s).The shoot was organised by Jack Scott , LaraO’Keefe (Freetime Clay Pigeon Club Leader) and TheP&G Freetime organisation, without whom events ofthis nature would be more difficult to arrange andbeyond the financial reach of many.Peter MorduePuttenham WalkThe start of the this walk, in early November, wasdelayed due to the all-too-frequent traffic problemsin the South East, and a decision was made toshorten the walk.Meeting in the car park on top of the Hog's Backwe were treated to a fantastic view to the west overWest Surrey and into Hampshire.The walk was partly in woods and for once we didnot get lost before passing through the beautiful oldvillage of Puttenham on the North Downs Way, thenon into open country for the return leg. The GoodIntent pub provided excellent home-made food anda large selection of real ales to end the outing.Jack ScottThe Cartoon Museum and Soane's HouseSir John Soane, 1753-1837, has been declaredthe ‘Grandfather ofArchitecture’, as is amplyevidenced by his amazinghome, now a museum, inLincoln’s Inn Fields,London. He was a great18th century architectwho used his own houseto show how light, spaceand decoration couldcreate the ‘poetry ofSoane’s House.architecture’.After a sumptuous, noisy and sociable pub lunchat the 16th century Ship Tavern, just around thecorner, the large number (36) of Associates on thismid-November visit were marshalled into twogroups, one to visit the nearby Cartoon Museum inLittle Russell Street, the other to visit Soane’sHouse.The Cartoon Museum was good fun, featuringoriginal art by the greats: Giles, Gilray, Scarfe,Stedman, JAK, Steve Bell etc., and a history ofsatirical illustration from the 19th century, includingHogarth’s incredibly detailed satires on themonarchy.There was aspecial exhibitioncelebrating the75th Anniversary ofthe Dandy. So,many of us (mostlythe fellas!) weretaken on aDesperate Dannostalgia trip.Desperate Dan winning the war.The Associate | 3

Then the two groups swapped places.The lower two storeys of Soane’s House haverecently been restored, putting the house back to thestate it was in when he died.It's a vast, atmospheric, dark, rabbit-warren of aplace packed with architectural bits and bobs, ahuge library of books, the odd sarcophagus, a modelof his mausoleum (inspiration for the famous redtelephone box!), statuary, brooding dark woodpanelled rooms, a Turner, a brace of Canalettos andPiranesis, and Hogarth's Rakes Progress. There ishardly any light in the place, and after dark they giveyou a candle to walk around with!And then there is the astonishing picture room,jammed with jobbing artists’ renditions of his manyarchitectural projects, some realised, many not; plusarchitectural fantasies – such as a fantasy picture ofLondon which includes a mountain!The whole back wallof the picture roomopens up to reveal,another wall alsopacked with suchpaintings. This, in turnopens up to reveal aspace with a statue of anymph, more paintingsand a void down intothe bowels of thehouse. The picture(right) gives but a poorimpression of theexperience of thisSoane’s Picture Room.room.When the restoration is complete and the upperthree storeys opened, they plan to put back his vastcollection of architectural models. So a return in2015 is in order!Kevin WilliamsBushy Park & Hampton Court WalkOn a rather cold and foggy mid-Decembermorning 19 warmly-clad Associates gathered inBushy Park for a walk around the Tudor Deer Parkthen along the Thames Path to return via HamptonCourt Palace.Though Bushy Park is mostly associated with theadjacent Hampton Court Palace it has been settledfor at least 4000 years and contains traces of a largeand complete medieval field system.Heading first past the Arethusa ‘Diana’ Fountainwe passed through the woodland gardens thenheaded east to pass the ponds and to join theThames Path by Kingston Bridge.From the Thames Path we entered into Home Parkand walked alongside Long Water to enter HamptonCourt Palace Gardens and from there to The KingsArms – located just outside the palace gates – for aleisurely lunch and a short walk back to themorning’s meeting point.Chris WhiteA Visit to WinchesterOn a cold, crisp Thursday before Xmas, 38Associates gathered in the wonderful old town ofWinchester, former capital city of England, tosample a few of its attractions.We started at the Cathedral, first built in 1079 (it’sconstruction was dramatised in Ken Follett’s ‘Pillarsof the Earth’, and part of the building stood-in for theVatican in ‘The Da Vinci Code’!) and contains mucharchitecture from the 11th to 16th centuries. It is theburial place of Alfred the Great, St Swithin and JaneAusten, (Jane, not because she was famous at thetime, but because her brother Henry had clericalconnections at the cathedral!).We had a marvellous guide who brought the placeto life with tales of how the cathedral was rebuiltfrom the three-vaulted Gothic style to the twovaulted perpendicular style in the 14th Century,though the north nave retains the original structure,which is also illustrated on the font. This must havebeen an immense undertaking, showing the daringand ingenuity of the builders of the time.He also showed us where the cathedral has beensinking on the southeast side, and told the tale of thediver William Walker. When collapse seemedimminent, Walker worked in 20 foot deep water, inthe flooded foundations, in total darkness for 6 hoursa day. Over 5 years from 1906, he shored up thefoundations with 25,000 bags of concrete, 115,000concrete blocks and 900,000 bricks!! His work,which saved the cathedral, was much celebrated andhe was rewarded by King George V.Much of the originalstained glass was smashedby Cromwell’s men, butthere is a wonderful pre-Raphaelite stained glasswindow by Edward Burne-Jones in place. In thepartially flooded crypt is awonderfully evocativestatue (right) by AntonyGormley of a figurecontemplating water held in cupped hands.Following an excellent and very Christmassy lunchat the Bishop on the Bridge pub, in the town, the4 | The Associate

groups visited the large Christmas market, which ispresent around the south side of the cathedral everyyear.Kevin WilliamsA Tour and Luncheon in the Houses ofParliamentAn opportunity rarely available was presented toour Associates that enabled 40 people to take aguided tour of the Houses of Parliament and Palaceof Westminster - the heart of our Government – inJanuary.We were split into two groups and the veryknowledgeable guides took us through the House ofLords with the wonderful gilded throne, woolsack,and ornate carvings familiar on television from theState Opening of Parliament. We then went throughthe Central Lobby, with its statues of WinstonChurchill and others, to the House of Commons.You can always tell at a glance which Chamber youare in because all the seating in the Lords is red andeverywhere to do with the Commons is green. Thereis only seating for 400 of the 650 MPs with theGovernment and Opposition Benches opposite oneanother, just over two swords length’s apart, and thecross-benches either side facing the Speaker’sChair. We all touched the Dispatch Box, where theMinisters lean when they argue their case, and felta small connection with the famous speakers of thepast.We were then guided to the parts the generalpublic does not see. The Queen’s Robing Room ismagnificent with wonderful paintings and gold leaf,and is where The Queen dons the Robes of State andthe Imperial State Crown as she prepares for herappearance at the State Opening of Parliament – andthat is the only day it is used! All colours in roomsused by The Queen are coded (Royal) blue. This isalso the room where the House of Lords sat after theCommons was bombed in World War 2, allowing theCommons to use their Chamber for their regularsittings.St Stephen’s Hall stands on the site of the royalChapel of St Stephen, where the House of Commonssat until it was destroyed by fire in 1834 andsubsequently rebuilt to its current splendour.The tour finished, where it had begun, in thewonderful Westminster Hall. This was built 900years ago and has the largest medieval timber roofin northern Europe. It has a central role in Britishhistory, since in and around it grew the majorinstitutions of the British state, Parliament and theLaw Courts. It was the place in which Charles I andGuido Fawkes were tried and found guilty, and wherepresent day world leaders such as Nelson Mandelaand Aung San Suu Kyi spoke to Members of bothHouses of Parliament. It is well worth a visit to thewww.parliament.uk web site to see pictures of theplaces used by those who govern us and which thepublic rarely see.After our tour, 37 of us met for drinks in one of therooms alongside the House of Commons Terrace bythe River Thames and then took our place for a silverservice luncheon in one of the Commons DiningRooms. Our sponsor and chief guest was the Rt.Hon. Michael Gove MP, Secretary of State forEducation, who is the local MP for many of theattendees.Michael Gove (left) and Geoff Cornwel-Smith.He gave a short speech including praise for thework of our Associate volunteers, especially for theOlympics Gamesmakers, Queens Jubilee oarsmanand Young Enterprise organisers who were seatedaround him. He then answered several searchingquestions posed by the diners.We gave a vote of thanks to him for giving us histime, and also his private secretary for arranging allthe necessary permissions and paperwork whichhad made the tour and lunch possible.After lunch many took the opportunity of a seat inthe Strangers Gallery of the House of Lords to watcha debate (an amendment to the Electoral BoundariesBill) and do some ‘famous Lord’ spotting. Altogetherit was an enjoyable and informative day.Geoff & Jenny Cornwel-SmithThe Associate | 5

NORTH EASTREGIONA Mini-break in Market BosworthIn early November, 46 Associates, friends,neighbours and family members embarked on anall-inclusive National Holidays coach break toMarket Bosworth in Warwickshire. Our base for fournights was to be the Bosworth Hall Hotel.After a final pick-up we headed for the cathedralcity of Lichfield, in sunny Staffordshire, with time forlunch, at Wetherspoon’s for some, and limitedsightseeing. Many would have liked to see theinterior of the 760-years-old three-spired cathedral,pictured below, but a memorial service preventedthis during our time there.Litchfield Cathedral across Minster Pond.On arrival at the hotel - this was to be a relaxedholiday with no fuss, no early starts and no latefinishes when travelling - we were held captive onthe coach to be informed of eating arrangements forthe week.Conflict! Our welcome envelopes containeddifferent information to that given on the coach, sowe had to scurry round to find out which was correct.Despair? The first we had heard about this for ourstay - it is ‘Turkey and Tinsel’ time.Joy! Our welcome packs contained bar drinktokens for each of the four days.So, first night was ‘Christmas Eve’. Our diningtables were decorated with shiny card hats,crackers, squeakers and streamers - this beingrepeated on the subsequent days. Meals werebuffet-style, each evening to include an excellentcarvery with other choices if preferred, all with aglass of wine too. Desserts - well just forget that dietfor the week.‘Christmas Eve’ meal.The night’s entertainment followed, after time fora rest, for the three coach groups and, of course,other hotel guests who wished to join in. It was alarge and lively compère who guided us throughgames of Bingo, to be followed by Disco Dancing.The liberal supply of drink vouchers allowed Bingowinners to keep their cash prizes intact.‘Christmas Day’ saw us in adamp, mostly magnoliapaintedRoyal LeamingtonSpa, again with the localWetherspoon’s being anattraction for many, beforereturning for a siesta inpreparation for tackling 'theworks' - Christmas Dinnerwith all the trimmings.Jennifer Patterson (left) and KathMcloughin in the Pump Room –to taste the spa water?Disappointing describes the ‘singist’ on the floorthat evening – and on Thursday too - but Colin,having packed his guitar along with his quiz sheets,rounded off the evening with a cheerful sing-along.Not all holidaymakers joined each excursion, somestaying behind to explore the pretty village of MarketBosworth, and also enlighten themselves regardingthe Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.A depiction of the scene of the battle.6 | The Associate

Heading east into Lincolnshire a trip to Stamfordsaw us in brilliant sunshine after rounding RutlandWater, the lake looking so serene.The town boasts lots of pubs, which appear to beoutnumbered by churches, but no Wetherspoon’s,though other hostelries were available.The ‘Boxing Day’ evening meal wasn’t leftovers butanother challenge in terms of selection and volume.Later we were entertained by an excellent Yorkshirecomedian who played to his audience, who of courseplayed back to him. A 'horticultural' joke, not to berepeated here, caused much merriment andinteraction! He filled the complete evening for us, allfun and never offensive.On the last full day and it was south to Stratfordupon-Avon- Wetherspoon’s are there too - and aguided tour, for some, covering the theatre and thehouses which were part of Shakespeare’s life,together with fascinating accounts of the goings-onassociated with each.On the last day how many of the nearly 1000 hats,squeakers, penny novelty crackers (yes 1d.!) andstreamers had been packed to reappear on the realChristmas Day?As we headed north to Bakewell in Derbyshire, forour lunch stop, it was time for ‘Colin’s Quiz No 5’.Later, we passed through Chesterfield, having agood view of its famous crooked spire, before joiningthe M1. After a driver’s break at Ferrybridge, withtime to shop at 'M&S Food', we then were taken thelast 100 miles into darkness, until we saw the lightsof home.Despite the welcome pack hiccup everything hadgone very well, as always the National Holidaysarrangements, supported by our driver, John, beingfaultless – and all for £179 each.Great Whittington to Matfen WalkThe rendezvous for the late November walk wasthe attractive village of Great Whittington, a relativelyunspoiled hamlet a few miles north of Corbridge.Three new walkers were welcomed into the group,but who was who? - in full wet-weather gear fewpeople were immediately recognisable as weprepared in the damp conditions. Eight of the partyopted for the 6½ mile route and the remainingfourteen were to do 5 miles.Anne Hathaway’s cottage.Back at the hotel there was curry on the menu -vegetable, not turkey - and we then psychedourselves up, or tried to, for the evening ahead. Ourentertainer, running ‘The Big Bosworth Quiz’tonight, stayed true to form and must have been alittle downhearted when he left, as many of theaudience had disappeared earlier to do some ‘latepacking’. Again, though, Colin and his guitar cameto the rescue, with our group remaining to the end.The booby-prize winners in the Quiz.With the wet and boggy conditions pictured abovewe climbed from the village and passed the derelictWhittington Mill and some farmsteads on the way toMatfen, our original start point, but then ruled outas the pub there didn't open until four of theafternoon! From there the return leg of our ‘round’walk was all on minor roads, so thankfully no moremud. On the way back we surmounted Grizzly Hilland passed ‘Click ‘Em In’ farm before the finalstretch along ‘St. Oswald’s Way’.Back at Great Whittington we invaded theattractive Queens Head Inn for lunch, our numberaugmented by some non-walkers joining us. Moregood food - and good beer from the local Wylambrewery - together with the conversation made for afun two-hour lunch stop.The Associate | 7

Christmas LunchThis well-supported annual event was again at TheAssembly Rooms in Newcastle and arriving guestswere greeted and then firmly directed towards theraffle ticket desk, as pictured below - this beforemost could reach out for a welcoming and warmingdrink.From the left: Ken Elliott, Harry Lowe, Barbara Ellis,Alice Coulthard and Anne Woodward.Next they had to negotiate thecheck-in hurdle and collect a namebadge,just in case they couldn'tremember who they were! First inline on the labels desk, Colin Harris'stie was another distraction.In all over three-hundred attended,so as you may imagine conversationlevels were pretty high, for many thisbeing a once-in-a year opportunity tomeet up with past colleagues. As insome previous years there was anoverspill into an adjacent room.The focus then moved to the food, a traditionalturkey roast, claiming to be from Northumberland.As usual a bottle of Champagne each waspresented to the oldest lady and gentleman, followedby a vote of thanks to the Company for footing thebill. The raffle draw was the final act, and this year’scharity, Blind Veterans UK - formerly St. Dunstan's,benefitted to the tune of £1,160, including acontribution of £150 from Waitrose which was madeat our October event.Later, after the meal, it was time for farewells andexchange of seasonal greetings before braving thecold streets of Newcastle.Peter Harrison provided the original write-upsthat form the basis of all the above reports.Mouth of the Tyne walkOur first walk of the New Year at the end ofJanuary was designed to be an easy loosener,following on from the winter break and festiveseason excesses.Unfortunately, Mother Nature decided to take ahand, and in the week leading up to the walk, thenorth-east was covered with a couple of feet of snow.So numbers were halved by the day of the walk,mostly because it was impossible to get cars out oflocal, ungritted streets.Nevertheless, 27 hardy souls made it to the startpoint - The Wooden Doll pub in North Shields, wherethe salty sea air had ensured that all traces of snowhad disappeared.The first point of interest was the High Light - a tallwhite building, set on a hill, with a correspondingLow Light on the quayside, these are a pre-GPSnavigational aid to ensure that ships entering theTyne take the correct line in order to avoid theinfamous Black Middens, a treacherous outcrop ofrocks which has been responsible for many ashipwreck – Aaargh, Jim lad!Very quickly, we came upon the statue of StanLaurel, who lived in North Shields whilst attendingKing's School in Tynemouth. Then down to theriverfront and the fish quay with its own inimicalsmell, then on to the mouth of the river passing theBlack Middens, The Spanish Battery - gunemplacement manned by Spanish mercenaries in1545 - and the ruins of Tynemouth Priory.The hardier amongst us added in the extra walkalong the pier, whilst the more sensible continuedalong the seafront as far as Cullercoats.Two of the raffle winners; Brian Bell (left), and Sue Barton.Walking back along Tynemouth Long Sands.8 | The Associate

NORTH WESTREGION*Kevin Mitchell Steps DownOn behalf of theNorth West Region, andall its Committeemembers, I would liketo say a huge thank youto Kevin Mitchell whohas retired from hispost as Chairman of itsAssociates Committee.Kevin started theAssociate Scheme inManchester in 1999from it's foundations,which meant manyKevin Mitchell in 2009.meetings at Newcastle and in other regions. He thenspent hours of his time in setting up the Scheme inthe Manchester Region and asking other retirees tojoin his Committee.At that time the main function of the Committeewas to visit retired employees of P&G in their homes,at their request, for a chat and a cup of tea and bringthem up to date with P&G and the Associates. Thisis still the main function of the Committee, but afterfunds were allocated to the Associate Scheme forsocial events Kevin was required to set up a SocialCommittee.Under his guidance many very successful socialevents have taken place, including 36 coach trips!Kevin has worked tirelessly for the Associates in theNorthWest Region over the past 14 years and wewish him well in his retirement.Bert Kelly(*To date I have always used the term ‘ManchesterRegion’, but will, in future refer to it as the ‘NorthWest Region’. Ed.)NEW ASSOCIATESPenelope Harris ...........................North East, June 2012Rosemary Ure ..............................North East, June 2012Michael Addison ................Longbenton, November 2012Michael Alexiou ......................................November 2012Geoffrey Banks..........................Egham, November 2012Paul Brown ................................Egham, November 2012Wendy Ann Butler...................................November 2012John Anthony Copestake........................November 2012Paul Devlin..............................................November 2012Kevin Dicker.....................London Plant November 2012Richard Faulkner....................................November 2012Christopher Forrest ...............................November 2012John Forsyth ...........................................November 2012David Raymond Gibbard .........................November 2012Peter Greenhill..........................Egham, November 2012Stephen Hazell .......................................November 2012John Horrocks ........................................November 2012Trevor David Hubbard ............................November 2012Mazorah Leighton .............Longbenton, November 2012Jackie McGovern.....................................November 2012Jan Morgan .............................................November 2012Gillian Newstead .......................Egham, November 2012Vivienne Nuttall.................Longbenton, November 2012Bruce Olds..........................Brooklands, November 2012Peter Royston Phillips............................November 2012Maria Raczkowecky................................November 2012Susan Randall ...................Longbenton, November 2012Michael Reeve ....................Brooklands, November 2012David Sandbach ......................................November 2012Martin Spooner.......................................November 2012Peter Tait ...................................Egham, November 2012John Talbot .............................................November 2012Janet Tankel.......................Brooklands, November 2012Brian Thompson................Longbenton, November 2012Robert Trigg............................................November 2012Brian Tunnah .....................Longbenton, November 2012Rita Vienhues..........................................November 2012Michael Vigar ..........................................November 2012Jaqueline Wilkinson..........Cobalt Park, November 2012Trevor Wilson .......................Harrogate, November 2012Andrea Witty ......................Brooklands, November 2012Philip Yeomans...................Brooklands, November 2012Robert Colin Young.................................November 2012John Chapman...........................Egham, December 2012Clive Constable ...............London Plant, December 2012Sandra Powell.........................................December 2012David Wright....................London Plant, December 2012Bernard Melly.............................................January 2013Anne Walker ...............................................January 2013Linda White.................................................January 2013Penelope Wilkinson....................................January 2013Paul Blunden.............................................February 2013Jillian Doble ..............................................February 2013Vijai Kachhwaha........................................February 2013(We apologise for some late inclusions in this list and for the absence of locations for many of the entries. However, those of you wholike to know about the retirement of ex-colleagues will likely know where they most recently worked anyway! Editor.)10 | The Associate

BOURNEMOUTHREGIONWinchester at ChristmasAt the end of November, 45 Associates took acoach trip to Winchester to visit the ChristmasMarket in the Cathedral grounds. There was also askating rink, but I don’t think anyone dared to try itas we didn’t fancy any broken bones!One of the tables of gentlemen.After visiting the market some Associates touredthe Cathedral whilst others went into the town – onlya short walk away. Most of us finished up in a pub (ofwhich there were plenty to choose from) for a verywelcome lunch and to rest our feet. Then it was backto last minute shopping, perhaps presents forChristmas, and maybe a quick coffee beforeboarding the coach for the journey home.Despite the cold and occasional drizzle we allenjoyed ourselves, although we were all spent-outand tired.Chris Hockey reported the above event and theSkittles Evening.Christmas LunchSome of the stalls at the Christmas Market.In mid December Bournemouth Associates heldtheir Christmas lunch at the Wessex Hotel on theWest Cliff in Bournemouth.It was a typical English December day, rainingheavily and overcast, but undaunted by the weatherthe attendance was excellent. With drinks on arrivaland being greeted by P&G employees, Sadie Leach(the event organiser), Annette Willis and ColinDupree, Associates soon put the weather behindthem and began chatting and enjoying the companyof their ex work colleagues, and catching up on whatthey are doing in their retirement, many they had notseen for a long time.The menu was a traditional Christmas lunch ofRoast Tomato & Bell Pepper Soup, Turkey with allthe trimmings, Christmas Pudding with BrandySauce followed by Tea and Coffee with Mints; thehotel service was excellent.Associate committeemember Audrey Berry(pictured left) gave abrief update of Associateevents; the committeeare to be commendedfor all their hard work inorganising these eventsand visiting Associateswho are unable to attendthem.After the meal Debbie Brown from P&G gave aCompany update in the form of a quiz - askingquestions on the Company’s performance - to anextremely knowledgeable audience.Thanks are due to the committee members whoorganised the numerous prizes for the Raffle - whichwere much appreciated - and to the P&G organisersfor making the day extremely enjoyable.Maggie EbnerSkittles EveningA table full of ladies.In December 31 Associates enjoyed a SkittlesEvening at the Canford Magna Club. The eveningincluded a hot and cold buffet, with a helping ofchips, followed by tea or coffee. A raffle was held inthe interval and everyone agreed that they werelooking forward to the next one.The Associate | 11

LONDON PLANTREGIONBrentford Music MuseumIn late November 35 Associates met-up to go to anafternoon concert at the Music Museum in the westof London. Afterwards we boarded the coach with aBlue Badge Guide for a tour of London’s West EndChristmas Lights, finishing at the National HistoryMuseum Ice Rink.The Music Museum was founded in 1963 by thelate Frank Holland MBE, who was passionate thatself-playing musical instruments should bepreserved and not destroyed and lost to futuregenerations. Frank was a pioneer in this field andfirmly believed that collections of musicalinstruments should be heard as well as seen. Hiswork has been continued by enthusiastic volunteersever since.The concert was very entertaining with severalvery old instruments being played. The highlight wasthe playing of a Wurlitzer Organ, which brought backmany memories of younger days at the local cinema.At the end of the concert mince pies and glasses ofsherry were served.Visit to the Dickens FestivalRochester, in Kent, holds an annual DickensFestival and at the beginning of December and 40Associates braved the cold weather to visit it.The parade through the town.Three chimney sweeps from the parade.Dickens lived in Rochester for a time and wrotemany of his novels there. Packed with shoppingstalls the town becomes a feast of Victorian delightswith live entertainment, readings, song and danceduring the day and into the evening. Framed by thefairytale cathedral and castle, Rochester hasmaintained much of its Victorian charm - with itswide pavements, ornate lamp posts and buildings ofgreat architectural and historical interest.The Wurlitzer organ.The London Christmas streetlights and shopwindow decorations were well worth a visit. It washard to believe that there is a problem with theeconomy when you see the Rolls Royce and Porcheshowrooms, along with expensive items in shopwindows.We ended the tour at the National History MuseumIce Rink for a refreshment break before headinghome in the middle of the evening.Ron SuttlingRochester castle and Farmers market.If you would like to enjoy a video of the day, takenby Richard Moore, go to:http://youtube/Urq1XDqXmK4John Fox12 | The Associate

St Clements Church 2012 Carol ServiceThe St Clements carol service this year was a greatsuccess with 70 people attending including SandraMartinelli the new London Plant Manager.who was a leader of the Anniversary celebrations -covering each decade of the Site’s history throughthe WWII years and its challenges, adapting ourproducts in the post-war years up to the demands ofthe giant supermarkets we know today. It was aninteresting and enlightening presentation.The service was conducted by Brain Eames andthere were readings from Barbara Collins, GeorgeMann, Tom Padwick, Brian Dollemore and CarolEames. Guest organist was Robin Mumford.John FoxChristmas LunchIn early December over 150 Associates enjoyedtheir annual Christmas Lunch at the usual venue -Orsett Hall. This year, unlike last, the weather wasfair and attendance was good.Associates were welcomed by Site Leader SandraMartinelli, who has an engineering background andhas had connections with the Site over the past 10years. Sandra replaced Pedro Estragues and wewish Pedro good luck in his new role in P&G Geneva.We all then enjoyed a festive lunch with lots ofreminiscing.Some of the ladies at the lunch.This has been a special year for P&G UK with itsinvolvement in the Olympics, and London Site’scelebration of its 75th Anniversary of thecommencement of construction of the plant. Thistheme led on to a presentation by Peter Bowers -Some of the lads at the lunch – from MSG & PSG.Sandra Martinelli (centre) with Linda Illing and George Mann.There followed the usual generous free rafflewhich is always very popular. Everyone seemed toenjoy the chance to meet up with work colleaguesfrom the past and once again we appreciate thegenerosity of the Site in supporting this event.Linda Illing & Brian RelfTony and Mike step downTony Hill and MikeClement, two of LondonPlant Region’s AssociateVolunteers have steppeddown from their roles.Tony Hill (left) has beena coordinator for theregion since 2007. He wasresponsible for theAssociate’s web site,Associate magazine entries, and was organiser forthe social team meetings.(continued on page 14.)The Associate | 13

Do you remember the article by Valerie Grubbin the last issue – ‘Messing About on theRiver’, well husband Roger’s boat, Skálávágrwas also involved in a sponsored row lastSeptember. Here’s the story of it:SeptemberSunshineOver a wonderfully sunny weekend in midSeptember Skálávágr and her crew, joined this timeby our son Simon, took part in a sponsored row fromRadley in Oxfordshire to Hampton Court - 85 miles,through 30 locks, over two long days.They were accompanied by another flotilla, thistime made up of school children aged from 14 yearsupwards, and some parents - some of whom areexperienced rowers and some who have, like Rogerso many years ago, just started to row in order to findout what their children go through during theirtraining sessions and in races.Simon is standing in the bow, and Roger coxing in the stern.They made the journey in 35 boats, in every kind ofcombination, 8s, 4s, pairs, doubles, etc., rowing forabout 11 to 12 hours each day (some of the boatseven took a couple of hours longer).Whilst the crew of Skálávágr, above, sat down to(continued from page 13.)Tony has decided to take a more back-seat roleand will be missed by the London Plant team. Wethank him on behalf of London Plant Associates forhis work and commitment over this period.Mike Clement has run theAssociates golf section for 10years and has handed over toMick Roach. We thank Mikefor all the work he has donein that role and help inorganising other events (Mikeis pictured here asking thequestions at a quiz night).John Foxdo their work, and were swapping rowing, coxing andpassenger roles in the locks so that everyone had aturn - and a rest - I was haring around thecountryside (...by car - no fool me, I thought!) insupport, to meet up with them at various locksand/or food and drink stations during the course ofeach day. Saturday just whizzed by as I followedthem down as they rowed from Radley to Henley-on-Thames where they stopped for the night.On the Sunday, however, it seemed as thoughevery little village I needed to go through to get fromA to B had closed its roads for some event oranother; a triathlon in Henley to start with, and thena carnival, a fete and so on. I guess they had all beensaving the date for after the Olympics.This being the eighth time Roger has done thisevent though, and so eight times I have followed himdownriver by road, I had a fair idea of how to getaround the area, and so by ten past nine I hadditched the AA route instructions and reverted to ourancient Ordnance Survey Map 175 and picked myway through the very narrow back lanes.The school does this fundraising event about everyfour years and Roger says this will be his last, buthe said that last time!This time the row was in aid of Leukaemia andLymphoma Research, and partly the school boatclub renovations to accommodate all the newchildren who want to row. They raised over £40,000through their efforts.What are my lasting memories of the weekend?• Seeing Skálávágr after Sunday lunchtime breakleaving one of Eton’s boathouses, very skilfullycoxed by Roger as she rounded the bend into themain channel, all flags and bunting flying in thewind looking in the sunshine like a mini Viking shiprowing along;• the joy on the four grandchildren’s faces and onRoger’s as they saw and waved to each other atthe different stages of the journey;• and, as the sun was almost setting behind us atHampton Court watching eight singles rowed bysome of the older schoolboys stretched rightacross the river, oar tip to oar tip, rowing withperfect timing, skill and grace as they broughttheir boats back to the boathouse having justcome through Molesey Lock, the last of the thirtylocks, with 85 miles completed. How we cheeredthem home!After all the special summer 2012 exertions, atalmost 74 years old, Roger might just be getting alittle tired (!) so we decided to have a bit of a rest, inCanada for a couple of weeks, during which wevisited some friends who have a boat on a lake – butit was only sailing and we were just passengers!14 | The Associate

175 Yearsof P&GA heart-felt letter, written to P&G’sco-founder from his father, reveals how agreat loss led to great success.Last year was the 175th anniversary ofthe founding of Procter & Gamble, and aspart of the celebration of this, P&G’s KarenAdamson Lloyd published a story about howthe past has helped to shape what theCompany is today.In all of its unpleasantness, adversity plays asmuch a role in shaping a company’s future assuccess.One such example - a crushing blow to one ofP&G’s original founders before the Company wasever established - would prove to be deeplysignificant to P&G’s very existence, let alone itssuccess.For the young William Procter, the abrupt anduntimely end to his budding business venture inEngland in 1831 led to his decision to leave Londonfor America, where he would first meet - and formhis momentous partnership with - a young Irishmannamed James Gamble in 1837.How did Procter’s business fail?Throughout the 1820s, William Procter had beendeveloping his business acumen as a dry goodsdealer in Wolverhampton - known at that time forwoollen goods trade. He then decided to open hisown woollen shop in the heart of London toward theend of 1831.Things were off to a good start in London. Then,two devastating events struck his very youngbusiness sometime between November 25, 1831 andearly January 1832. We know from later writings thathis shop sustained first a fire, then a robbery in closesuccession - decimating his assets and leaving himdestitute almost overnight.News of William’s abrupt and untimely loss sentshock waves through the Procter family, promptinga heart-felt letter from his father, William ProcterSr., a minister living in Orleton, Ludlow, England atthe time.In a letter dated January 11, 1832, Procter’s fatherseemed to weep over his son’s loss as he pennedthese words:“Some time ago I wrote about half a letter inanswer to yours of the 25th of November, but,between the business of the Parson, and the Parish,I had not time to finish it, before I had the melancholynews of your great loss. I then had to congratulateyou on an increase in your business. I now have tocondole you on your misfortune, a misfortune but toolikely to afflict the whole family. It is but poorconsolation to you, to say how sorry we all are notonly for your present loss, but also for your gloomyprospects, as in all probability you will not recoverthe loss for some years.”The elder Procter’s letter goes on to offer practicaladvice and business prospects to consider -including a strong commendation of the idea ofmoving to America:“We are quite pleased with the accounts fromAmerica, your mother so much so, that there isnothing she says but the water that prevents hergoing there…”But best of all, like any good father, WilliamProcter, Sr. offered his son a forward-looking hope- a hope that adversity can bring resilience,leadership and wisdom like no other experience can:“An old sailor that has split upon a sunk rock andhas lost his ship is not the worst man to make a pilotof; on the contrary he is particularly able to guidethose that come after, to shun the dangers of thatunhappy plan.”It’s possible that these very words were whatprompted Procter to persevere and not let hisshipwreck stop him. Determined to rebuild his lifeand repay his creditors, he and his wife sailed to theNew World later that year, setting in motion thecircumstances that would lead to the partnershipthat bears his name to this day.The Long Blue P&G Line that has endured for 175years has had its share of adversity - adversity thatwould have altered the Company’s course for theworse had it not happened. Though it wasundoubtedly painful for the young William Procter tosuffer as he did, we can look back on the ‘old sailor’- whose ship split upon a sunk rock 181 years ago -and be grateful for the gift of guidance adversitygranted him.Out of his tremendousloss which brought with ita greater sense ofpurpose, the spirit ofWilliam Procter (right)has lived on to inspiregenerations of P&Gersafter him to touch andimprove more everydaymoments than he wouldhave ever dreamedpossible.The Associate | 15

Fifty Years’ of Leightons andRobsons at LongbentonAt my wife Mazorah’s retirement buffet atLongbenton last October, I gave a brief speechtelling her colleagues that her retirement fromNewcastle Innovation Centre ended over fifty yearsof continuous service by my family on theLongbenton site. In fact my family predate thechange of name to P&G on the site as an aunt andcousin started in the late 1950’s (they cannotremember the exact year) when it was Hedleys.‘COPY’ DATEThe copy date by when I must have articles andnews items for the summer issue is 10th May.Please let me have items sooner if you can.Associates should receive the summer magazinearound the end of June, later than usual.David Hirst, EditorUseful ContactsAssociate Scheme administration by DPSTelephone number:01529 455911e-mail address:dps@themetisgroup.co.ukMaz, seated second from the right, with work colleagues.The family members who make up the unbrokenchain of continuous service are my wife Maz; mysister Jill; my late mother Margaret Leighton andher five sisters; my uncle Harold and aunt MaryLeighton; four cousins; and two sons, Peter and Alan– sixteen people in total – all Leightons and Robsons(my mother’s maiden name).FREEPOST RRAS-ULCG-KGXRThe Associate SchemeProcter & Gamble UKGreenacresDemblebySleafordNG34 0EJThe Associate Scheme Manager telephone:01932 896447‘The Associate’ Magazine e-mail address:theassociate@davehirst.plus.comThe Associate Web Site address:www.pgassociates.co.ukThe Web Site mailbag e-mail address:enquiries@pgassociates.co.ukFor Pensions or Pensions payment, orPPP Medical Insurance Plan, orP&G Shares queries, freephone:0800 9174552SIGNpost Use the telephone number or e-mailaddress for DPS at the top of this list of contacts.Maz and husband Keith.Thank you P&G for providing excellentemployment for the above, and I wish you everysuccess internationally and on Tyneside in thefuture.Keith Leighton(Please note, SIGNpost is a service funded by P&G andprovided by DPS Consultants for P&G Associates and theirspouses/partners and immediate family only.There have been occasions when friends of Associates havecontacted SIGNpost seeking information. SIGNpost is notable to provide any support or advice to these individuals.)Published by the Associate Scheme of Procter & Gamble UK,Weybridge.Issue 57, Spring 2013.Editor D G S Hirst.Designed and produced byC3imaging Colchester – Tel: 01206 84554416 | The Associate