Description:Pictured outside the entrance to the Main Offices of English Electric at Stafford are a group of employees with their retirement certificates of long service. They are surrounded by colleagues following a presentation made by Mr J W C Milligan, Manager of Stafford Works along with tea in the Board Room in the Main Offices.
Holding their certificates are (from left to right): George Wellard with 53 years’ service, Joseph Bowen with 42 years’ service, Frederick Machin with 40 years’ service, Thomas Walter Harvey with 42 years’ service, and Joseph Cottrill with 40 years’ service. With the length of service of these men it is possible that several may have relocated from Siemens factory in Woolwich to the new Siemens factory which opened in Stafford in 1903.
Mr J W C Milligan (is standing behind Mr T W Harvey) also at the presentation (in no particular order) were: Mr M Farrand, Personnel Superintendent, Mr J E Peover, Works Manager, Plant and Transformer Works, Mr T P Jolly, Chief Works Inspector, Mr S W Terrill, Foreman 06 Shop, Mr J Carter, Chief of Forwarding Dept. Mr F Smith, Foreman of Packing Dept. Mr A Martin, Chairman Works Committee, Mr H Williams, Secretary Works Committee, Mr J White, Vice-Chairman, Staff Committee and Mr W E Holland, Pensions Offices.
This image is taken from a glass negative donated to the Staffordshire County Museum by Alstom Power, Stafford.
Additional information on the Company: Siemens Brothers purchased the land in 1901 and built the factory and offices which were ready to start production in 1903. In 1918 Siemens merged with several companies, including Dick, Kerr and Co., to become The English Electric Co. Two years later in 1920, The English Electric Co bought the Stafford Works. The English Electric Co. merged with GEC (The General Electric Company) during 1968 and the Lichfield Road Site became part of GEC Power Engineering Ltd. On 22 March 1989 became part of GEC ALSTHOM, an Anglo French Joint Venture. On 22 June 1998 this in turn became part of ALSTOM with global HQ in Paris and on 2 November 2015 the Stafford Grid and Power Businesses became part of GE (General Electric, an American Company).