ICI considered training apprentices very important, so much so that they opened their own Training School for boys. They gave training on no less than 15 trades. After a lengthy period at the training school the apprentices were then moved into the works under the close supervision of their tutor. The apprentice-training scheme was a great success on Teesside and was essential for such an area with a high demand for skilled labour. ICI were believers of helping to make the craftsman of tomorrow and it was said that, Those who are skilled in this way are a great asset to the community, great satisfaction is to be had from making things with your hands’. 
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
Picture Stockton Archive 
Hi its Colin Foy, I was in the 1974 Electrical intake at Billingham, I remember the Name’s but left I.C.I. to work overseas in 1981, and lost touch with the guys, as when I cam back to the UK in 1984, I worked on Hartlepool power station for GEC, then transferred to Hinkly Point in Somerset and have lived in Somerset ever since, not on the Power Station but working for a soft Drinks Beverage company ever since.
As stated before a great place to be trained and we had such a laugh at the same time, some of the things we did we would all be sacked for now, just harmless pranks to us in 1974, gross misconduct now!!! shame the work place has got so serious. Some of the best days, 1974 to 1978 as an I.C.I. apprentice.
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Hi Colin Foy, bit of a long shot but I noticed where you said you worked and the years, I wondered if you grew up in Hartlepool as I think you might have gone to school with my partners Dad, Gibbon David Williams? Please email pictures@stockton.gov.uk and the team will forward on my email address if this is correct.
Kind Regards.
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Can I get a copy of my apprenticeship indentures as I have lost the ICI originals
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Not so much a comment as a request! Does anybody have any information on an apprentice electrician David Edward (David) Thompson, began at apprentice school in 1974, stayed with ICI until winding up, stayed with other companies on old Cassel Works site. Thank you.
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Arthur Dixon is the supervisor, still alive and living in Norton, well in his nineties and still goes to the boro matches. I remember the named apprentices with David and Neil both keen golfers with a four handicap!! Nice to hear about Neil, I wonder how Dave and Dougie are doing. I am retired now but I still pass the building of the ‘new’ apprentice school. It is a private company now repairing valves I believe. The machine shop is raised to the ground now. Happy days with plenty of work for everyone. I worked for ICI from 1955 to 1994 in engineering except for four years in purchasing and supply. Sadly all gone now.
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My wife’s grandfather was Frederick Martin Ray who was ultimately Personnel Director at Billingham. Any memories would be interesting to hear. He was a pretty formidable man so they may not be fond ones! He lived in a number of ICI houses including Mallyan House, Stockton-on-Tees from 1929-1941. He was keen gardener so no doubt took advantage of the ICI shop for his garden requisites.
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I served my apprenticeship at the ICI Training school as a Centre Lathe Turner from 1979 until 1983 along with David Murphy and Dougie Allen. At the time the intake for apprentices in 1979 was the last significant group (110 apprentices)for all trades.
The instructors we had were Vic Carr and Gordon Emerson, but what was surprising about the apprenticeship at ICI was that you got to learn about all the other trades before you were allowed to train for your own discipline. In the first six months you were expected to do practical and written work including exams in all other disciplines and also make some of the tools you were to use as an apprentice during this time. As part of your apprenticeship, you were expected to attend a local Technical college on a day release basis whic also included night school. After your 1st year, if you successfully passed your in-house phase test (practical & theory) you were then transferred to the ‘Central Machine shop’ on the Billingham site to continue your training.
Little did I know that I was to be one of the lucky ones who was awarded an ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award at the end of my apprenticeship, which included a 2week trip to Germany. All I can say is it was probably some of the best years of my working career and the training and coaching never did me any harm, in fact I can honestly say it set me up for life!
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I was exactly that intake Neil but in the Inst. Tech grouping. Totally agree, fantastic training and preparation for life in general. Likewise, some of the happiest memories of my working life.
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I left school and became a messenger in Jan 1960 for a year mainly around North site but had to do trips to CCF, Bamletts Wharf, Tanker filling, Cassel etc. After that year I entered the “New” apprentice school. My elder brother went to the previous tin huts. I left school at 15 without any exams, in fact I had to go to night school during my messenger service because I would not have been able to start the City & Guilds courses which were a requirement for an apprenticeship. The 2nd. question after do you have a relative at ICI was what trade do you want to follow, I had to enter 3 choices. My 1st was a Wagon wright, 2nd. A joiner I can”t remember the 3rd. I was desperate by now. So they made me a Tiffy?, that”s a fitter with his brains bashed out or so I was told many times. 1st. bay was were I learnt to use basic hand tools. First a hammer and cold chisels used to cut out a large letter “F” from a piece of metal 1″ x 3″ x 6″ approx, it”s 47yrs. ago”ish. Later seeing people trained to use a chisel pointing away from them instead of how we were shown, strangling it, I think someone had shares in sticking plasters! this led to constant visits to the Grange by many of the lads for medical attention. Following on was a Set square, Straight edge. Odd leg? dividers and then plastic, I can”t remember the pen but I still have my Set square, Dividers and picture frame with the group photo in it. This was followed by periods out on site and returning to school for further training. The Tiffy bay was moved a number of times to increase space around the school at one time we were in what had been the foyer this meant we were directly below Sterret and Stephenson offices! I recognise many of the names mentioned Jim Fishburn, Tommy Creek the senior Instrument instructor was a Mr. King who I think was ex RAF, moustache and all, which at this time is were most trained Tiffys came from the rest had been converted from other trades. Remember at this time people left school at any term in a year there were 6 Tiffys each of the 4 terms plus all the other trades this meant the through put of the school was considerable.
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The pen was bad enough but the perspex frame was a nightmare!
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I was in the first intake to use the New Apprentice School from start to finish in 1956. Jim Fishburn was still there, the only other instructor I can recall was Frank Sterett, Stephenson was still in charge. My indentures were signed by him, I still have them.
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Did Jim still chew his cocoa?
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I served “my time”as an apprentice Turner in the New Apprentice School from 1962 till 1967. The machine shop trades spent longer in the school than any other trade (approx 18 to 24 months). Wilf Roberts and Bob Lawson were the instructors during that time. Bob ran a scheme which made it possible to purchase a basic tool kit (Micrometer, gauges etc). He collected half a crown from us each and every week and purchased one kit every week from Kayes Tools. If you were lucky then you got your tool kit in the first couple of weeks, unlucky ones had to wait for many weeks. Finally the big day arrived and you were in the big wide world of Central Work Shops (Light Machine Shop)under the watchful eyes of Ralph Skelton and Nat Wrightson. My dad, Dick Laverick, was the storeman in the school in later years. I think the guy on the left of the photo was called ? Dixon.
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I was interviewed for an apprenticeship as a plumber in 1963. The interview was preceded by an aptitude test. We did the usual IQ type test over an hour or so, throughout which the Cascades” recording of “Rythm Of The Rain” was played and replayed continuously – I guess it was to test our concentration. In any case, some candidates gave up and left! Those who got through the test were invited for interview. The first question was the most important – “Does anyone from your family work for ICI?” “My grandfather, father and three uncles.” I replied. It was a good answer. I turned down the subsequent apprenticeship offer though, and joined the RAF as an apprentice electrician instead.
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This photo was taken in the “New” Apprentice School. I started ICI straight from school in 1954 and started my apprenticeship-training as a Fitter in the “Old” Apprentice School. The School consisted of a Fitting Bay and a Machine Bay housed in two long huts clad in corrugated sheet metal. All apprentices served four months in the Fitting Bay where they learned to fit and shape metal using hand-tools only. Before graduating to metal the apprentices worked with Plastic and two of the test-exercises involved making a pen, which was later used to sign the Apprenticeship Indentures and a photo-frame for housing the Group photo taken at the Apprentice School. (I still have the pen). Test pieces involving metal were the making of a set-square which had to be filed accurate to within 1000th of an inch and a vee-gauge which had to be a perfect fit before being passed as satisfactory by the Fitting Bay Supervisor Jim Fishburn. The next four months were spent in the Machine Bay where all apprentices were taught the rudimentary operational functions of machines used for Drilling, Sawing, Turning, Shaping and Milling. The Machine Bay Supervisor was Tommy Creek. After the Apprentice School training, apprentices were sent to serve 8 months in the Engineering Workshops and then 6 month assignments to various plants within the Billingham complex. I served on the Commercial Works, JT Boilers, Oil Works, Plastics Works, Nitric Acid Plant and finally the Ammonia Works where I was taken onto the company pay-roll in 1959 at the end of my apprenticeship aged 21. Just after I left the apprentice school work was started on the “New” school located outside the main complex on the opposite side of Belasis Lane to the ICI North Gate. I made fequent visits to the “New” school to receive reports of my work on the various plants and an overall assessment of my progress. These visits were usually pleasant affairs and always provided an opportunity to chat-up Elsie Peters the Apprentice School Secretary. In my day the School was run by Bill Stephenson and aged 17, I earned £3.55 per week.
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Hi Ged – do you remember me, barnet beeston I was an apprentise with you. I rememember you had an austin 7 you cut the roof off for sombodys wedding then fastened a flatened out locker on the roof. Knocked about with Dave Millburn and Dave Leek.
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