Teesside Iron and Steel Memories Interview: Michael Kenworthy

Background & early work:
Born 10/7/1946, came from South Bank & then Grangetown
An only child, brought up by mother as father often absent until eventual break-up
happy childhood - had nothing, but nobody else did either
started work @ Warrenby as 16yr old in 1962 at the pit side, sent from the 'dole' office
frightened at first especially at the pit side when the furnaces tapped, but there was something about it he liked
didn't like the Mills - too dark & noisy!
No real training, just picked up as he went along
Employed as a 'ladle grout' and 'cabin lad'.
'ladle grout' finished when slag ladles were no longer used
'cabin lad' ran errands for foreman & team eg to the Stripper Bay to tell which furnace had tapped & what was coming to be stripped; or carry items to the rolling mills so they could prepare for rolling
Earned 18/6d per shift (92p) at the start, but if he could get a shift in eg the Stopper House or on pan filling, that could be much more - a shift slagging paid 2 guineas (£2.10)
It wasn't really an apprenticeship, but a way of being able to take on a better job at 18yr old
At 18 it was usual to be moved from shifts to a day job, at lower rates, but MK was lucky and soon moved back to shifts on the mixer ladles
This was warm work, but not difficult
Next job was much harder - pan filling
There were 10 open hearth (OH) furnaces at Warrenby in line, 'A' to 'E' then a mixer then 'F' to 'K' (no 'I'), each 110tons fully charged giving about 95tons of liquid steel from each
The stock bays were behind the furnaces where all raw materials came in - scrap, ore, lime, black & white basic for fettling etc
They had to fill 8 or 10 pans of stone (ore) out of a wagon manually using a shovel
Pans were about 8' long x 3' wide x 3' deep
8 pans per mixer, 10 per furnace
This was much harder in Winter when the wagons might be frozen
This was very hard work, but MK enjoyed it
At 19yr, MK had a serious motorcycle accident on the way to work, and lost a leg
The steel-plant manager was very supportive and offered him a job in the office @ Warrenby as liaison between the planning office @ Lackenby and the steel-plant
He then got a job in the planning office just after he was married at 21yr old
Planned the rolling programmes for all 3 cogging mills
Cleveland No 3 Mill
Lackenby No 2 Primary Mill
Beam Mill
learned a lot from very good people that he worked with
Re-located to the Soaking Pits when computer VDU links were installed
Preferred this as it was back close to the plant
Evolved from there to be controller of ingot engines for all of the mills
Then to Concast as a full-blown controller for the rest of his time

Relationships etc:
MK had lots of respect for almost all of the men he worked with at Warrenby & Lackenby
There was always someone to help & advise, both on the plant & in planning
Generally got on well with Management also, esp. Arthur Hill, the steel-plant manager who helped him back to work after the crash.
Little annoyed him, except day staff who left for Christmas holidays, then wanted to know what happened while they were away!
Regretted the loss of a culture where people would readily help and look after those who were less capable
There was no real Safety equipment
Issued with a hard hat, but most didn't wear them as they were impractical (occasionally told off, but generally wore peaked flat caps instead)
Wore grey flannel shirts & sweat towels on the furnaces, but had to buy those
Wore old canvas leg guards when charging the furnace
Some had 'Redcar Council' markings - old deckchairs!
One shift wore old United bus uniforms as one man worked for a rag & bone firm!
Very cheap & effective
Social Activities
Played cricket at Warrenby
Played football before his accident
Strong supporter of the Union - at 6d a week!
Joined Dormanstown club @ 18yr old
Married @ 23yr old, with 2 children
Wanted to join the Navy but he was rejected @ 15 for a 'lazy eye' and went into the steel-works instead
Studied separately & was awarded a Navy apprenticeship as an engineer, but only received notification a week after he lost his leg!
Loved his time at Warrenby
Once asked, while a senior planner, to write a training manual, but felt this was not possible
If H&S legislation had been in place at the time, the steel-works would have been shut down
Several serious accidents - men badly burned, and some killed
Many more minor accidents - burns etc
There was a First-Aid room, and a First-Aider, but of limited help
Very little safety gear, even had to buy their own boots
Did get good mitts on the mixers

After British steel:
MK left in 1983. He never felt the same after the strike
Relations seemed worse with managers (he'd always been a Union man)
Went to college @ Exeter and hired boats, but with no success
Ended back at Cowies @ Redcar
worked days & hated it, preferring shifts