VIC SHAW

It was Plessey that brought me to Broadstone. I was one of the vanguard from their Ilford works who came down in June 1965 to open up the premises here, and made a swift assessment that I should settle here in Broadstone, because it seemed a very nice place. Having exhausted my wife in a frenzied house hunting spree, we were both delighted to find this bungalow in York Road where I still live.

I have been fortunate to have had a very satisfying career at Plesseys (now Siemens). Perhaps unusually I have made the successful transition from Chief Methods Engineer to teaboy for the retirees section. We used to meet in Plessey's own premises, and our accommodation and refreshments were provided by the company. Now that part of the site has been sold off there is no longer room for us and so we meet at St John's Church Hall.

I describe myself as lucky. I think you make your own luck. My formal education came to an end when I was twelve and I suffered a bout of rheumatic fever. This hasn't prevented me acquiring 7 or 8 trades which enabled me to put together prototypes for my employers relatively quickly and inexpensively. My first wife died after six years of marriage and I remarried in 1951 and enjoyed forty-six years of happy marriage. I have had my own share of illness, and had to have a triple heart bypass a few years ago. This condition had forced me to give up being a Road Warden for the Association after doing for about four years. I'm back now with part of my old area. With so many diverse interests and family commitments, I was unable to do the voluntary work I hankered after doing. Now I am a volunteer Room Steward at Kingston Lacey and a guide at White Mill, Sturminster Marshall.

There isn't really time or space to cover all aspects of what I do or have done. I work on the Swanage Railway and I build model railways. I'm a bit of a fanatic for detail. I suffered a few strained tendons crouching under a train for too long and so now I tend to restrict myself to refurbishing carriages in the sheds.

I have an interesting camera collection and acquired my first one 73 years ago. I was instrumental in synchronising the electronic flash, which is taken for granted by photographers today. Indeed I have been responsible for quite a few patents, for which my employers have generously rewarded me! I am lucky to have a close family and my immediate family and myself have worked at Plessey's for a total of 85 years.

I'm proud of my roses which are all grown from my own stock. People are kind enough to admire my garden as they walk past. I am too busy to write more today, but there are lots more stories I could tell you.

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