Jimmy Cuthbert
1999/103 Jimmy Cuthbert interviewed in his own home in Edinburgh by Heather Holmes on 3 June, 1999.
000 Starting at Nelsons; length of employment
007 Closure of Nelsons; demolition of site; asset stripping; takeovers
035 Books printed; range
050 Overtime
051 Printing of books for Gordon and Gotch in 1951/2; titles; other books
069 Large volume of work; technologically advanced
077 Demand for tradesmen; old men working
083 Strike of 1959; reasons for strike; retirement of workers; introduction of pension scheme
097 Interest in Ronnie Nelson in firm
104 Nelson management; death of Ian Nelson; closure of works to mark his death
116 Nelson as a market leader; technical innovations
128 Changes in technology; case room; changes in composition
139 Importance of printing industry as an employer in Edinburgh
144 Impact of television on printing trade
147 Family members in printing trade; changes in demand for publishing
154 Start of work at Nelsons; reasons for starting at Nelsons; enjoyment of work
170 Nature of Nelson workforce; camaraderie
175 Getting a job in Nelsons; approach for jobs; starting people
189 Wage levels; changes in wages; bonus
202 Bonus money; merit money; rate of payment
214 Overtime; nights; breaks; work rates today
227 Length of working week
229 Shift working; hours
237 Welfare provision; supply of overalls; wearing of regulation overalls
257 Sick payment
262 Role of chapel; chapel dues
268 Subscription for people who were long term ill; payment by firm
276 Payment of wages on sick
279 Chapel business; payment for time off work to attend the chapel business; extent of union membership; changes in extent of union membership
293 Union name; facilities such as convalescent home; closing of convalescent homes
315 Nelson home at Penicuik for welfare of girls
324 Family connections in nelsons; pride of working in Nelsons
223 Benevolence of Nelsons
337 Chapel; extent of chapel; election of Father of the Chapel; function of the Chapel; committee members
346 Strength of union; decline in interest over years
354 Scottish Typographical Association; fining for non-attendance; union of employers
362 Strength of chapels
371 Strike of 1959; duration; strike payment; weather; activities; extra money on return to work
387 Return after the strike; undertaking activities during strike; picketing; negotiations; working arrangements
408 Pension scheme
412 Strike; finance
416 Strikes during twentieth century; early conditions; need to fight for better conditions
426 Involvement with bindery chapel; meetings and their length
437 Calling up of meetings; announcement of meetings
442 Location of meetings; speaking up for workers
457 Disputes; move to get women to undertake men’s work
463 Nature of shop practices; changes of practices
469 Practices; hiring of a train
471 Dance in Assembly rooms
473 Social clubs; football; golf; rifle
476 Fundraising dances
477 Institute; dances at institute
479 Flannel dance; dress code
481 Coronation dance; location
484 Social events
485 Bowling club; members; prizes
488 Social side in other firms; sports leagues; competitions between other firms; greenkeeper
497 Club membership
503 Canteen; location; allotments; food rationing; allotment system; tomato growing
521 Hearing about closure of Nelsons; reaction
531 Community spirit; marriages within the firm; camaraderie
536 Marriages of girls; dressing up women; display of women; champing in women
551 Male marriage customs; night out
558 Employment of married women; crippled women; casual employment
572 Female apprentices
580 Employment of Catholics; dislike
637 First aiders; first aid facilities
647 Health and safety facilities; fining; taking off guards from machines; employment of cleaning woman
663 Overalls; dress code; dress safety
672 Safety notices and regulations; firedrill; fire practice at Hunter and Foulis; precautions against fire; safety consciousness
697 Working with dangerous substances; discipline
703 Ask permission to leave work; clocking in system
716 Lateness for work; time allowance
729 Tea breaks; length; tea distribution
739 Work in bindery; blocking; types of blocking; rotary blockers and their work
749 Filling up dockets; time to undertake a job; rules of timekeeping
761 Comparing timesheets from earlier years; unwritten rules of timekeeping
776 Chapel intervention
780 Work atmosphere in nelsons
785 Time allocation for setting up a machine; no disputes
796 Timesheets; ways of working
810 Nonsense and joking; instances of pranks
820 Enjoyment of work
821 Nicknaming
826 Blocking; process of gold blocking; rubbing off excess gold
843 Work with real gold; extent of gold blocking; guilding
852 Number of men employed blocking; work of rotaries
861 Difficult blocking jobs; work rates
872 Engineers and electricians
876 Boxmaker to supply boxes for Gordon and Gotch books
882 Container shed for packing books
895 Boots subscription libraries; making up orders for the library
906 Impact of Thomson’s takeover; asset stripping
917 1960s changes in work; work for Frank Cass
936 Takeover by British Printing Corporation
940 Contact with other departments
945 Workers leaving work; changing technology; present state of printing industry in Edinburgh
956 Work pattern and employment after leaving Nelsons
961 Work in Hunter and Foulis then moved onto other companies and into the Civil Service
964 End