A to Z Anthology

As the Society no longer produces newsletters, we will post occasional items of interest here.
Topics will be chosen at random.
Your contributions are welcome.

B is for Boardwalk

You can put away your Bobby Sox and Brylcreem (even though they begin with B). This is nothing to do with that 1964 hit record by the Drifters. It relates to the many boards of ware that were once carried on the sturdy shoulders of the female workers at C. T. Maling & Sons Ltd. Maling's last manager, Les Dixon (1913 - 2008) would often refer to this as "board walking".

Each department had its own set of boards which were all colour coded (with painted ends) and represented the following areas:
  Red - Dipping House     Blue - Biscuit Warehouse
  Green - Glost Warehouse     Yellow - Decorating Shops
  Black - Printing Shops     Plain boards (unpainted ends) - all clay departments

All boards had to be frequently washed by none other than a board washer. A male worker was generally used and, as the job was considered to be quite light work, a disabled man from either the Army or Navy rehabilitation centres would be engaged. The firm provided him with all necessary protective clothing, comprising rubber apron, gloves and shoes.

Each board would stand in a sink below water sprays and he would use a firm brush to scrub away any surplus glaze, sand or clay marks on either side. OK, perhaps it wasn't rocket science, but it was a very necessary job within the pottery industry!

After many processes the finished pots were proudly displayed in the factory showroom (right).
Photos: The Trademark of Excellence (TMOE) by Steven Moore.
See Links page for availability.

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