I know that there are quite a few of you viewing and hopefully enjoying this website because I see the number of daily hits, but there are very few of you sending any feedback when you do. If you would be so kind just to add your name to the feedback page we can use it as a "Signed Guest book" to show that the site does actually get viewed! It would show Roy and I that our efforts are not in vain......
Submitting Pictures or Documents
You may have some pictures or documents that you want to share but are not sure how to go about it. Well, if you have access to a scanner, you can send an email to me using the feedback page and I will get back to you to arrange for you to send the scanned pictures and I will upload them. Secondly, if you want simply to get the pictures to Roy Isaac, you can contact him on ( 01495 ) 223158 and he will scan them and give you back your originals. Roy will then get them to me and then as if by magic they will appear on this website. Although magic doesn't really come into it, there is actually a lot of time and effort involved, but we think it is worth it to capture and share as much SWS history as we can find.
July 17th 2008
I have added a lot more pictures to the "More Photographs" page and added a new story called the "Drawing Office Blues" to the Switchgear Stories" page.
July 18th 2008
Although there are plenty of pictures coming through we could do with more stories, reminiscences, comments, suggestions or feedback, just to prove that there are people actually viewing and hopefully enjoying the site. So if you have visited all you have to do is click on the "Feedback and Comments Welcome Here" page and send me a few lines with your name and I will publish them on the site. They don't have to be long, but I would dearly love to know how many people are enjoying this site, Roy Isaac and I could do with some words of encouragement.........!!
July 19th 2008
The website guru's are still trying to resolve the issue that prevents you enlarging some of the pictures when you click on them. It is a nuisance but hopefully it will be solved before too long, I will let you know as soon as it is.
July 20th 2008
Added a picture from Colin Richards
July 21st 2008
Added a lot of pictures donated by Barbara Evans who is the daughter of Tom Mathews
July 22nd 2008
Looks like the glitch is now fixed and you can now view the pictures properly!
I received feedback from Lionel Mills on a photograph he noticed of his wife.......thanks Lionel nice to hear somebody is looking at the site! and welcome to memory lane.
Alan Morris and his mates got together to list all the people that worked in the Fab Shop from 1955-1970, they must have bloody good memories because they have an impressive list!
July 25th 2008
I added a lot of pictures received from Barbara Evans,
I also added Album number 3 with pictures donated by Harold Morgan who also kindly marked up the pictures with the names of the people he could remember. If you are on one of them and your name is missing, (or misspelled) let me know so I can amend it. This brings the total number of pictures on the website to 398, I didn't count the duplicate marked up pictures..........Keep 'em coming!!
July 28th 2008
I had a feedback message from Lyndon Jones who supplied a lot of the pictures for this site. Lyndon worked with me on a couple of projects I did at SWS. One was a conveyor system that I designed between the paint shop and if I remember correctly the Fab shop. The other was a lift from the ground floor to the mezzanine, it was probably the strongest structure since the Eiffel Tower, because at age 19 it was the first load bearing structure I had ever designed so I overcompensated on the steel size to be safe!!.. You'd better believe I took some stick for that from Maintenance.........
July 30 2008
I had another update from Lyn Jones, he sent me quite a few additional comments on pictures which were missing information and also some corrections.
I also received a list of Machine Shop personnel supplied by Alan Esau which I added to Album 3
July 31 2008
Roy Isaac sent me a copy of a reference from John Parry which I added to Album 3
August 5 2008
I added pictures donated by Mary Rees to Album 3, some of them need names to faces, so if anyone can oblige let me know.
Roy Isaac scanned and sent me a copy of the 1958 SWS Beacon Magazine and I created a new section for it.
August 10 2008
I added a new section to cover a book that was loaned by John Richards, ex-R&D, it is "1958 Past and Present Apprentices"
I also added some pictures sent to me by Lionel Mills ex- Machine Shop Drilling Section - - Thanks Lionel.
August 12 2008
I had some more feedback and comments - great keep 'em coming.
I added a new section to cover a second book from John Richards, 1941-1962 Apprentices Past & present", once again scanned by Roy Isaac.
August 20 2008
I completed uploading the 1941-1962 Apprentices Past and Present Book, and added some names supplied by Lyn Jones to the picture of a group of Maintenance lads. We now have a total of 432 pictures
August 22 2008
Added a picture of a Fabrication Dinner circa 1950 marked up with names by Alan Esau to Album #3
August 29 2008
Added three pictures to Album #3 sent by Roy Isaac
Funeral Announcement
August 30 2008.
I received this message from Roy Isaac
Comments: To all ex S.W.S employees, William ( Bill ) Hicks who was a Superintendent of Experimental and also Main Assembly in the Blackwood factory has passed away, and his funeral is next Wednesday, 3rd September 2008, at 10am, at the Woodfieldside Funeral Directors
September 8 2008
I was recently contacted by Steve Lindon who is the webmaster of a local history website. He donated two pictures of the SWS Christmas Sleigh, the website address is http://www.localinfohistory.moonfruit.com/
September 9 2008
There is now a section added for the Beacon Magazines. They were kindly donated by Ken Jones and scanned once again by my silent partner Roy Isaac. I didn't realize until I read them again, how widely varying the contents were. They cover Sporting events, Local History, Social Events, Marriages, Births, Fishing, History, Geography, Travel and of course Product Knowledge. If you see any pictures of yourself in any of them please let me know.
September 15 2008
Beacon magazines up to 1967 have now been added.
I came across an Engineering Employers Federation (EEF) Apprentice Award Prize giving Programme which I have added to Album #3. In it, yours truly and two other SWS Apprentices had their 15 minutes of fame.
September 18 2008
I added pictures donated by Mrs Jean Steed ( nee Morgan ), she is Sid Morgan's daughter, and she and her sister Ann also worked at S.W.S. She lives in Cwmfelinfach, and her father Sid died a few years ago, the family all lived in Springfield. When her father died Jean inherited the family photos, and she will continue to search through them so there be more.
September 24 2008
Added nine pictures to Album #3 which were donated by Mike Hicks.
October 9 2008
Added 8 more pictures from Brian Cooper, son of Eddie Cooper who was the Maintenance Manager. He also donated more Beacon Magazines and I will be adding those in the near future.
October 10 2008
Added the 1959 Autumn Beacon and an undated brochure on "Opportunities at SWS" donated by Brian Cooper
October 18 2008
I added the 1962 Beacon Edition #4
November 6 2008
I added another picture to Album number 3 which was donated by Ken Jones
January 2009
Happy New Year.........well I haven't had any pictures to add for a long while now, maybe the "well" has dried up? If you have any and want to see them on this site, you know what to do.........:)
February 6 2009
I got some new pictures and Beacon magazines from Ted Beecham, via Roy Isaac and today I started to upload them. Keep watching as I add more from his collection.
February 12 2009
I completed uploading the 1958 Summer Beacon as well as adding 6 more pictures to Album #3. These pictures have no date, no venue and the people in them are unknown, it would be great if I could get some feedback giving me more details.........???
February 17 2009
Two pictures added which were donated by Alan Morris
October 2010
"Interesting website for anyone connected with SWS. My dad, William Williams, worked there 1947-8 having been a fitter-armourer in the RAF during the war. Hope this photo is of use -my dad is on the third row up, wearing goggles". Many thanks, Rosemary Broadhurst
The photo has been added to Photograph Album 3, thanks Rosemary I was beginning to think the site was dead!
October 28 2010
November 17 2010
January 2011
More pictures supplied by Bill Moses have been added to Photograph Album 3. Keep 'em coming..........
I am pleased to say that on January 6th there were 130 visitors to the site - the most ever!!!!
February 2011
April 2011
October 2011
October 2011
August 2013
Hi
I just came across your site. I feel like I grew up with the switchgear, my father was the boiler man there for twenty five years. My sister and I have many happy memories of the Christmas parties and the famous sleigh. My father was Royston Harding from Tredegar he is on the far right of the entry titled ( Robert Campbell SWS Maintenance Dept. on left with two unknown faces). Thanks for the memory
Ron Harding
hi i just saw a photo of my dad he was a boiler man for 25 years till his death in 1977 his name was roy harding he was the most conscientious worker i have ever known ,he kept the boiler room immaculate pictures adorned the walls of his time in the airforce but alas he died from cancer just a few weeks before his 25 year service so he did'nt get to receive his watch my mam was so upset
after all he lived for the switchgear he also went to do the manager garden at machen i think his name was mr nicolas,my dad is on the right of the photo.
Thanks for your feedback guys, if you can tell me which album your Dad's picture was in I can add his name to it. This will save me trawling through a few hundred pictures.!
You might also be interested to know that I have added all of the pictures to a website called "Peoples Collection Wales" check it out, your Dad's picture has been saved as a part of Welsh history!
My name is Scott Watkins, my father (and site creator) was Colin Leslie Watkins. It is with a saddened heart that I pass on the news to you that on December 15th, 2013 he passed away. Dad was 61 years old at his passing. He loved creating this site and keeping it updated. He always found joy in sharing with me old photographs of his days at "The Switch." His memory will be kept alive in the stories that are told and shared on this website. Please continue to keep me updated through his email address of stories and photographs, and I will try to continue his rich tradition of sharing them with everyone.
Many thanks
Scott Watkins