Talk in Lincoln 13 March 2023

This talk has now happened and it was very enjoyable with a great audience and interesting questions. The Historical Association recorded the talk and this can be found by following this link.

I am really looking forward to talking about How Britain Shaped the Manufacturing World to the City of Lincoln branch of the Historical Association. I will be looking in particular at the Lincoln and Lincolnshire connections. Here is the link for booking your place.

The peoples of the British Isles gave to the world the foundations on which modern manufacturing economies are built. This is quite an assertion, but history shows that, in the late eighteenth century, a remarkable combination of factors and circumstances combined to give birth to Britain as the first manufacturing nation. Further factors allowed it to remain top manufacturing dog well into the twentieth century whilst other countries were busy playing catch- up. Through two world wars and the surrounding years, British manufacturing remained strong, albeit whilst ceding the lead to the United States.

This book seeks to tell the remarkable story of British manufacturing, using the Great Exhibition of 1851 as a prism. Prince Albert and Sir Henry Cole had conceived an idea of bringing together exhibits from manufacturers across the world to show to its many millions of visitors the pre-eminence of the British. 1851 was not the start, but rather a pause for a bask in glory.

The book traces back from the exhibits in Hyde Park’s Crystal Palace to identify the factors that gave rise to this pre-eminence, just as the factory system at Cromford Mill. It then follows developments up until the Festival of Britain exactly one century later. Steam power and communication by electric telegraph, both British inventions, predated the Exhibition. After it came the sewing machine and bicycle, motor car and aeroplane, but also electrical power, radio and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

Phil Hamlyn Williams, who has previously spoken on his books on army supply, will talk about the book with particular reference to Lincolnshire where a good deal of the story took place. 

The British Motor Industry and Semiconductors

Exploring the story of the motor industry since WW2, its forthcoming demise was never far from the conversation. Equally, digging into the history of semiconductor manufacturers, the possibility of the UK not being relatively self sufficient is an ever present agony.

In the sixties, the Ryder report had this to say: '‘vehicle production is the kind of industry which ought to remain an essential part of the UK's economic base. We believe, therefore, that BL should remain a major vehicle producer, although this means that urgent action must be taken to remedy the weaknesses which at present prevent it from competing effectively in world markets.’ The subsequent story is a catalogue of errors. 

In the seventies, the British government backed the formation of Inmos to manufacture semiconductors. It had already tried but failed to encourage collaboration amongst British manufacturers. Inmos failed but was bailed out by Thorn EMI which was in effect destroyed by the liabilities which Inmos brought with it. Semiconductors are now everywhere. The image is of sim cards being sold at the refugee camp on Lesvos where we volunteered in early 2016. There is a helpful review of the British semiconductor industry in Electronics Weekly from 2010.

The British motor industry is currently successful and a major employer. Concerns over semiconductor supply and the absence of a battery manufacturer could spell its end. So, what is the answer?

The motor industry is based here but owned elsewhere. Semiconductor manufacture could follow suit. Companies like ARM do the intellectual work that goes inside the chip, but the mechanics of placing that on a chip of silicone is done in Taiwan. This is right viewed as too risky a supply chain. Britain has not the financial resource to go it alone. The USA is politically too risky to be a partner. The answer surely is European collaboration. 

But have we burnt that boat?

The joys of research

 One of the joys of researching in a conventional library is the unexpected. Today in Leicester University Library I came across A History of North Thames Gas - Mr Therm for those of us of a certain age. The book, and company, go back to its formation in 1810, through the massive switch over from town to natural gas and on until British Gas privatisation.

There is more. The production of town gas from coal is echoed in the story of steel production and organic chemicals, with the capture and use of byproducts. 

Many of us will remember gas showrooms on the High Street with appliances manufactured in North Thames factories. The same was true of gas meters, with millions of pennies collected each week. 

North Thames was also an early user of ICL computers. The book was candid about the inefficiency of billing administration a lack of planning of the computer installation. A telling comment was the switch over to IBM in the late 80s.