Oral History collection: Francis Leslie Smith (born 7 Oct. 1914) interviewed by B.C. Fagg about Work in Melingriffith Works (tinplate), Whitchurch, Cardiff in 1920s; work in Elba works, Swansea; description of Lydney handmills, North of Chepstow; Trostre works, Llanelli. .

  • This material is held at
  • Reference
      GB 216 TH 59
  • Dates of Creation
      20 Dec. 1977
  • Language of Material
      English
  • Physical Description
      1 audio recording

Scope and Content

Track 1. [00:01:30] Industry: 1928, Five water mills at Melyn griffiths. [00:02:17] Industry: Description of water mills, sourced from rivers. [00:03:02] Industry: Water power turbine decsription. [00:04:40] Industry: 1936, six men to a mill. [00:05:00] Industry: Description of work of furnace men. [00:06:46] Industry: Description of production from furnaces. [00:07:42] Industry: Working conditions not good. Later introduced salt tablets for men. [00:08:50] Industry: Shift system in Works. [00:00:30] Industry: Melyn Griffiths Works, Swansea Valley. [00:10:17] Industry: No protective clothing, heat conditions were unbreable. Men wore flannel shirts. [00:11:21] Industry: Furnace men wore only one clog (the foot nearest the heat). [00:12:32] Industry: Highest paid job was Roller, description of jobsand pay rates. [00:14:00] Industry: Description of all jobs. [00:17:00] Industry: Thomas and Davies automatic pikling machine. [00:19:00] Industry: Description of production in detail. [00:21:02] Industry: 1934 dippers were introduced. [00:23:36] Industry: All female labour making lead pads. [00:27:02] Industry: Testing of quality before export. [00:28:20] Industry: Tallying of Tin Pots and calculating profit. [00:31:00] Industry: Description of production. [00:32:15] Industry: Medical care for workers, organised by Unions and men themselves. [00:33:20] Industry: Naming of unions. [00:34:30] Industry: Steel Compny of Wales took over works. [00:35:30] Industry: Social and sporting clubs for workers. [00:37:00] Industry: Stop fortnight, wrkers could go to holiday camp, cheap rates. [00:39:50] Industry: Firemen in works and fire boxes. [00:41:30] Industry: Making Bran from sawdust for Etna boys to clean the tinplate. [00:44:05] Industry: 1935 Ebbw Vale works started up. [00:50:10] Industry: Description of work conditions and machinery to end of track.

Track 2. [00:00:30] Industry: Further description of tin plate works, machinery and men that worked there. [00:15:12] Industry: 1968 transferred to Trostre works. [00:15:50] Industry: Unpleasant working with me from 'the other side of the bridge'. Was not livinin Llanelli so felt isolated fromen.