South Yorkshire Network History

South Yorkshire 1950 - 1959

South Yorkshire Network History 1950-1959

1950/51

Sub-Centre chairman Douglas Harrison, Senior Lecturer, Department of Electrical Engineering, Sheffield University. He received the Ph.D. degree of the University of Sheffield in 1952.

4th April, Faraday lecture presented by L J Davies at the City Hall was attended by 400 members and 2100 visitors.

1951/52

Sub-Centre chairman J E Pegg, Sales Engineer for Lancashire Dynamo Ltd & Geo Ellison Ltd & Brookhirst Igranic Ltd.

1952/53

Sub-Centre chairman Fred Seddon was the Deputy Area Engineer for the Sheffield Area of the Y.E.B.

Fred Seddon became Area Engineer when the load on the Sheffield system, which was the second largest electrically in the country, was doubling every ten years. He was a very staunch supporter of the IEE and strove for electrical Engineering professionalism in the true sense of the word. Applicants for engineering posts in Sheffield were required to be members of the IEE and those who wished to progress Fred Seddon were encouraged to attend lectures, indeed they had to keep up with advancing technology.

There had always been a large percentage of Sub-Centre membership from the electrical supply industry and this percentage probably reached its peak about this time. Fred was not only chairman of the Sub-Centre but also Honorary Treasurer from 1959 to 1962 and was the local representative of the Benevolent Fund from 1962 to 1977. He was very disappointed the first two applications for Centre status had been unsuccessful and was the elder statesman on the working party for the third application.

4th March, Faraday lecture presented by A R Cooper at the City Hall was titled "Light from the Dark Ages or the Evolution of Electricity Supply". Some 300 members and 2100 visitors attended.

1953/54

William Edward B. Nettleton was Sub-Centre chairman for the session. Bill Nettleton became Manager Wakefield Area YEB and then Manager Sheffield Area YEB.

12th April, Sub-Centre Committee meeting at the Grand Hotel, Chairman W Rewcastle. Centre status was put back on the agenda. Concern was expressed about the difficulty in obtaining sufficient members signatures.

1954/55

Sub-Centre chairman Frank Lesley Parkin, Chief Electrical Engineer at Steel Peach & Tozer Ltd (Templeborough).

The programme booklet for the session provides the following information on Average attendances at meetings

Date	Members	Visitors	Total	Average contributions to discussions
1953/54	57	20	77	6
1952/53	58	20	78	8
1951/52	62	19	81	6
1950/51	48	12	60	7
1949/50	49	9	58	6
1948/49	48	14	62	8
1947/48	55	13	68	8
1946/47	53	13	66	9
1945/46	50	16	66	8

The accounts for the 1954/55 session were £282-5-8d of which £107-5-8d was for the Faraday lecture. The student section budget was £49-9-0d. There were 227 active members listed in the programme book and seven meetings were held.

1955/56

W Rewcastle was Sub-Centre chairman for the session. Bill Rewcastle was deputy Area Engineer for the Sheffield Area of the Y.E.B. He latter became Manager Tees Area N.E.E.B. He maintained a keen interest in the IEE and attended the Chairman's address in Sheffield in 1992.

14th November, joint meeting at the Grand Hotel with the North Midland Centre. North Midland Centre gave unanimous support to the application for Centre status. A working party was set up to prepare the application consisting of:-

W. Rewcastle
F. A. Benson
G. G. Nicholson
J. A. Walker
William Rewcastle

26th April, 225 people attended the Dinner Dance at a cost of £1-5-0d per ticket. The event resulted in a loss of £1-15-0d. The raffle raised £108-10-6d for the Benevolent fund but concern was expressed about the length of time taken by the raffle. Forty years of progress and we still think the raffle takes too long!

Fred Seddon appointed Honorary Treasurer after eighteen years in the role by William Burnand. Fred was to serve for the next eight years

1956/57

Sub-Centre chairman George G Nicholson, Production Electrical Engineer at Davy United Ltd.

Sheffield Sub-Centre, made its second application for Centre status to the Council of the IEE, this will eventually be rejected again following some heated exchanges with Savoy Place. It was to be a further 21 years until the next and final application is made. Membership of the Sub-Centre at this time was in the order of 650.

13th September, Minutes of Council Meeting contain the following reference to the Sheffield application for Centre status.

"Sheffield Sub-Centre

The Committee have received a Petition signed by 141 Corporate members in the area of the Sheffield Sub-Centre asking that separate status as a Centre be accorded to the present Sheffield Sub-Centre.
The Committee have reviewed the case presented but before making a report on the matter they wish to consult with the Committee of the North Midland Centre, the present parent Centre.
The Council Supported this proposal".

23rd May, Minutes of Council Meeting contain the following reference to the Sheffield application for Centre status.

th June, Sub-Centre committee meeting. The rejection of the application for Centre status was hotly discussed at this meeting. The Hon Secretary was instructed to ask, for the Council's further guidance, the reason for this application being turned down. There was a feeling that the rules had been changed to prevent Sheffield gaining Centre status.

1957/58

Sub-Centre chairman Dr Oliver I Butler, Senior Lecturer in the Electrical Engineering Department at Sheffield University.

J Sykes appointed as Honorary Secretary and served for the next two years.

20th November, Sub-Centre committee meeting minutes state the following on the subject of Centre status. Membership figures for Centre status meant that 3 or 4 Centres would soon be required. The rate of growth of members in Sheffield was less than other parts of the country. The smallest existing Centre has a membership of 642. There was clearly some animosity with Council and the general thought was that their object was to block the application.

18th December, Sub-Centre committee meeting minutes indicated that 4,200 applications had been received for the Faraday Lecture and some method of rationing was required.

Application made to Council of the IEE for the inclusion of part of North Lincolnshire into the Sheffield Sub-Centre. This was approved and in April 1958 at a meeting of members at Grimsby. The North Lincolnshire District had been formed. The meeting was attended by North Midlands Chairman A.J. Coveney and the Sheffield Sub-Centre Chairman Dr. O.I. Butler to welcome the new members. At a further meeting held at Brigg in June 1958, Mr H Peace was elected Convenor of the North Lincolnshire District and held this office for the next seven years. (See Appendix 6)

1958/59

Sub-Centre chairman Dr Frank A Benson, Senior Lecturer (subsequently Professor) in the Electrical Engineering Department at Sheffield University.

1959/60

Sub-Centre chairman Frank G Tyack, Industrial Magnet Sales Manager, James Neill (Sheffield) Ltd. John E Caldwell appointed Honorary Secretary for the session.

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