Archie Donald
1999/133 Archie Donald interviewed in his own home by DrHeather Holmes on 19 August 1999
000 Start working in Nelson’s; date; decision for working in Nelsons
014 Grandfather worked in Nelsons; good deal of nepotism in printing trade
019 Family members worked in Nelsons
034 Grandfather was James Duff; died in war service; letter to aunt expressing sympathy of His Majesty and the Queen; copy of letter which refers to goods being sent from Nelsons; gifts of cigarettes and confectionery
095 Sending of parcels to Nelson men on service
101 Lot of workers in Nelson dead in World War 1; interview to get into Nelsons; account of interview; obtained interview as his grandfather had worked in the firm
136 Apprenticed in stereotyping and electrotyping; had wanted to be a book binder
147 Not much idea of working in a foundry; outline of work; foundry rebuilt after fire in 1948
166 Start work in the Hall as a mail boy
174 Making plates
183 Outline of process of stereotyping; processes
205 Outline of electrotyping and processes
212 Work during early part of apprenticeship; proofing plates; undertook gradually more work
227 Length of apprenticeship
228 Jobs during early part of apprenticeship; nature of jobs; making tea
246 Metals used in stereotyping; melted old plates
264 Clothing; hand protection
279 Accidents; party piece with hot metal
291 Appearance of stereo plate; making a plate process
311 Processes in making a plate
331 Work constant; repairing plates and processes
344 Tools, making up tools
350 Making corrections to plates; RSV Bible being constantly revised
361 Little emphasis on type faces
366 Course work at Heriot-Watt
370 Demarcation lines of trade
375 Size of workforce in stereotyping department; names and positions
394 Names of apprentices
403 Everyone involved in stereotyping process
407 Journeymen had specific jobs; some jobs for many years
414 Names of apprentices; apprentices and national service
424 People leaving to work in newspapers; names and characters of people in stereotyping
445 Apprentices and national service; did not do national service
486 Apprentices and their later careers; joking amongst apprentices
518 Joking among apprentices in the work place; games; football at lunch time; pranks
543 Apprentices went to get tea in the bindery; stick from women in bindery
549 Pranks on apprentices; character of pranks
560 Initiation on becoming a journeyman; apprentice recreation activities; reaction to becoming a journeyman
572 Marriage subscriptions; getting married and asking for time off
579 Subscription lists for women
585 Illness; assistance from other workers
597 Relations between journeymen and apprentices; varying relations; favourites; character of journeymen
629 Relationship with the gaffer; personal characteristics of foreman
654 Relations with other departments; interaction
668 Apprentices in pressroom
671 Bindery; organisation; insular character of bindery
676 Social interaction
679 Clubs; not a member; types of clubs; playing football at lunch time; support for clubs
692 Annual trip; location; train stations
719 Activities at Dunoon on the trip
725 Enjoyment of annual trip; held on a Saturday
742 Christmas dance
756 Welfare undertaken by Miss Park; her activities; welfare roles
777 First aid; taking men to hospital
796 Health and safety; Nelson fire brigade; extra pay for being a member of fire brigade
817 Working with cyanide; handling of chemicals; handling lead
841 Lead poisoning
847 Storage of chemicals; working with other metals
860 Factory inspectors
866 Cleanliness of foundry
874 Flooring materials
895 Foundry fire
879 Tools; nature and extent; making up of tool kit; sharing of tools; journeymen gave their tools to apprentices when they retired
904 Borrowing tools; upset of journeymen
910 Size of toolkit
919 Social side; management structure
931 Ronnie Nelson; personal characteristics; messages to Ronnie Nelson’s home.
END