Teesside Iron and Steel Memories Interview: Eric Robinson

Background & Early Work:
Born 08/10/1944 in Braunton, Devon - one of 4 brothers
Parents lived in Queen Street, Thornaby but Mam went to stay with her sister in Devon during WW2 to have her baby, then returned home to Thornaby
Has lived all his life in Thornaby
Left school at 16yr in 1960 and started in October as Apprentice Fitter at Thomas Allan & Sons, Bonlea Foundry in Thornaby where his Dad worked as a furnace tapper
After only 2 months, had a very serious accident when he was crushed between a charging skip loaded with hot iron, and the furnace
5 months in hospital with fractured pelvis, both legs broken and serious burns & lacerations. Later found to have fractured his spine which healed itself but left long-term legacy of serious pain
Some compensation, but little compared with today
After 7 months absence, returned to the same apprenticeship
Looked after machine shop equipment - lathes, drills, shapers etc
20 or 30 machines used to finish cast iron pipes & flanges
Also worked with the chargehand fitter in other shops in the foundry - Dressing Shop etc
At 19yr, sent to a sister foundry, Crosthwaite's in Thornaby
Bonlea was in a consortium, Federated Foundries, which was taken over by Allied Iron Founders, which included Crosthwaite's Foundry (near Head Wrightson)
Crosthwaite's fitter left and was replaced by a fitter from Bonlea. ER was sent to help him, but he returned soon afterwards and ER was left at Crosthwaite's by himself
Crosthwaite's was much older & less developed than Bonlea
Less money spent on investment
Made small castings for gas cookers etc
Returned to Bonlea at 20yr when Crosthwaite's was closed. When he was 21yr, times were getting difficult (shortage of orders) and he was made redundant after completing his apprenticeship.
Moved to Cleveland Coke Ovens at Clay lane, Grangetown in the Fitting Shop
Travelled each day from Thornaby by train
Rumours about closing the coke ovens & Mills at Cleveland. He was engaged by then and moved back to Bonlea to work in the Machine Shop
Orders were soon short there, and overtime was stopped
Married by then, so in 1968 returned to Grangetown and a job in No.3 Grinding Mill
Extensive Works at Cleveland then
3 electric arc furnaces at the North Plant
Rail Mill, No.3, No.6 & No.7 Mills
Coke Ovens
ER worked as a fitter in the Mills until they closed down in 1980
Lost his big toe in another accident on a crane serving the soaking pits
A large steel pin was jammed in one of the gear boxes high up on the crane
He tried to release it and the gear box dropped and cut through his foot
Wearing safety boots but the gearbox flange cut behind the steel toe-cap
Taken to hospital but eventually lost his big toe
Received some compensation from his insurance but not from British Steel, who considered he should have waited for assistance
Returned to work at Cleveland until 1980 when the Mills closed, then moved to Lackenby Plate Mill two weeks before the start of the steel strike in 1980
Returned and stayed at the Plate Mill until 2000
Travelled from Thornaby to Lackenby by train or bus (United No 268) depending on shift pattern
Worked shifts at Cleveland & for 6 or 7 years at Lackenby
3 - shift pattern 6/2, 2/10, 10/6 nights
Ended with a day job in the Inspectors Shop looking after compressors & conveyors

Health & Safety Issues:
ER recalled H&S awareness at the foundries as being just common-sense, with few regulations
No safety headgear, for example
In the steelworks, several fatal accidents occurred, but the workforce was very large then
Apart from his own two serious accidents, he had other lesser injuries - broken fingers etc - that he regarded as "run of the mill" issues

Social Life:
In the early years at Bonlea, there was a good social life at weekends organised by the girl moulders who worked there
He missed that when he moved to Crosthwaite's
At Cleveland, social life was limited by his living at a distance in Thornaby
Went out for a drink now & then
Continued more frequently after retirement
Used the canteens at Cleveland sometimes but mainly ate in the Fitting Shop
Queues were too big for shift break times

Other issues:
Enjoyed his job overall, especially the satisfaction from a good job well done, eg getting the mill back operating after a breakdown
Main lasting memory is of the progressive plant closures
Understood & accepted technical progress, eg concast replacing the primary mills
Resented the closing of plants & moving work away to cheaper labour areas
Resented also the old mills installed at Cleveland from Germany after WW2 when the German works were supplied with new, modern plant