A Gem from the Bristol Review from Spring 1955

Well, while I was supposed to be getting on with something else, my attention as usual wandered and I came across this page in the Bristol Review, vol 3, number 8. 

The Bristol Review was the Works Journal of the mighty Bristol Aeroplane Company in its heyday. It contained news, information and updates on various great and small aspects of this huge enterprise. It was very much of its time, and it includes the activities of the company’s Drama Club, the launch of the Olympus jet engine, sea firing trials of the Bristol Bofors cannon aboard a destroyer in a storm, the annual dinner and dance, and health and safety news describing 45,000 manhours lost due to accidents, (not as bad as it sounds as that’s about one hour per year per person). 

Staff and visitors are seen, in those pre-central heating days, wearing tremendous overcoats. One fitter wears a gas mask on top of his. Some of the jokes are, ahem, really not acceptable nowadays. 

One of the quieter corners in this huge enterprise was the Car Division and here is a little announcement about it. 

The Arnolt contract, James Watts brainchild, using some 40 (and opinions may vary about the exact number), 404 chassis was apparently a big boost to the Car Division who were still losing money on (or investing resources in) every car sold, while manufacturing, agents, distribution, maintenance, servicing, warranties etc were all being set up de novo for Bristol’s brilliant fledgling car enterprise.

Here we see an Arnolt, long before the days of containerisation, being craned aboard a cargo ship at rather a wonky angle. Let us hope that it , and its fellows, survived such dockside perils.

Stefan Cembrowicz