A Job For Life Swindon Works BBC 1985

This is the second episode of 3 about Swindon Works and some of the men that worked there. Broadcast by the BBC in 1985. I recorded all 3 episodes on to a video tape at the time they were shown on TV. No infringement of copyright is intended. Enjoy.

[paulberesford]

Memories from a time when British engineering led the world. Les's enthusiasm and pride is wonderful.

[chunkychunks]

30+ years later it would be interesting to try and find some of those younger ones who were made redundant and see how their working lives worked out for them.

[colincleverley]

Coming from Swindon the railways was a big part of Swindon my late father come out of the army after WW2 and worked there for 49 years until his retirement, and I still have his clock for long service in there.

[oldvet]

So sad to lose that level of professionalism and skills. They were the foundation of the society. We did the same thing in the United States and have paid for it every since. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. So sad.

[DOCTORDROTT]

Pleasure to work there in 1974 /75 as a first year apprenticeship. Just designer shops now so so sad

[Robbie_B]

If any of you get the chance, check out my Dad's book he just released. It's called 'The End Of The Line - The Last Ten Years At Swindon Works' by Ron Bateman.
He started as an apprentice in 1977.

[rosewood]

Most people have never experienced working in a big factory. There is allot of skill but also tremendous capability. People simply built stuff. There is no try. When Ford Australia bought the land in Geelong to build a car factory the government of the day had estimated that it would take Ford 5 years to build the essential railway line. They did it in under 3 months...

[behan]

My great grandfather, grandfather, dad, and brother's worked there when Swindon was a great town

[gcfcos]

What a great video thanks for uploading. So sad to see this, I feel for the guys in the workshops, old guys who looked near or past retirement age still grafting as they loved their work, younger chaps with family's to support and then the apprentices who so clearly have so much skill and want to work with their hands (rare to see today) and they looked like they were just thrown on the scrap heap and probably had to join the dole queue and ruined any self respect for themselves when they had to do so. It seems crazy the foreign trains going past the building where we used to make them. Makes me feel so sad for this country that I used to feel proud to be in. Luckily I work with my hands (motor mechanic in an old rural garage) and repair anything from a 3 year old car to farm equipment and classic motorbikes. Makes you feel alive. I couldn't imagine how soul destroying working behind a computer would be. Service industry? Sell out more like

[bernardsaucier]

Sent this doc to several of our grandchildren, hopefully they will glean some knowledge of how progress in industry occurs and what groups are really responsible for its achievements.

[granskare]

I remember Swindon - it was a few miles from Malmesbury my destination in 1959

[rentaghostokish]

Real working men, working real physical jobs...all gone now, and look at Swindon today - shopping malls and roundabouts. Just heartbreaking.

[manekdubash]

Wonderful evocation of an industry that epitomised the results of Thatcherism, which destroyed so much of our industries. I'd find it hard to imagine that such a programme would be made by today's BBC.

[Pauldjreadman]

I like archived stuff like this. This is probably the cleanest tape transfer to Youtube, i have seen

[victorious]

The pattern repeats itself every time we have a majority tory government.... its scary that as a nation we walk into this wall time and time again and each time it happens the working class worker losses out and as a nation we loose more of our industries :-(

[colliecandle]

As my relatives on mum's side of the family were all working on 'the inside', this video has personal interest to me. 'Uncle Jim Ellison was foreman at the (GWR) gasworks, and i remember as very young kid i went to visit him and his family - by that time the gas holders had been removed, and the vacant holes left had become fish ponds ! Also, remember being put up onto the footplate of a 'dead' pannier loco that was parked in gas works yard ( it seemed miles off the ground to me at that time ! )

[vintagebicyclenut]

Unfortunately this was filmed at the demise of Heavy Engineering in Britain RIP

[petermorris]

Good documentary and useful background as I have lived in Swindon since 1996 and regularly shop at the Outlet Village (The former railway works).

[mentonish]

Yes swindon died with the closure of the GWR. i remember visiting the works as a Young boy, happy memories

[paulbroderick]

The British Railways Board + Dr. Beeching + Thatcher = Disaster, plain and simple. Thatcher hated the ordinary working man. Same story with the steel an automobile industries.
Great video. Thank you.