News Footage of Horizon
Footage shot by Associated Television for a news piece about the opening of the Horizon factory at the start of 1972.<br /><br />The opening shot shows the new factory in the snow, whilst subsequent shots show workers and machinery in the primary and secondary departments.<br /><br /><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/173923825" frameborder="0" width="640" height="480"></iframe>
<p><a href="https://vimeo.com/173923825">[ATV Today. 31.01.1972. New John Player Cigarette Factory at Nottingham]</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/macearchive">MACE Archive</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
ATV
31 January 1972
No 1 Factory Air Raid Shelter
Brian Dominic
Late 1960s
Project Horizon Film
In 1969, John Player & Sons looked to have a film made about their new Horizon factory, which was then being built. As the company put it, the film would function 'to encourage employees to look objectively and favourably on the Horizon operation in total and to encourage a closer involvement of the immediate community in the whole project'. Player's commissioned Derek Stewart Productions to produce the film at a cost of just under £20,000.<br /><br />The main narrators in the film are Tony Garrett, who was then chairman and managing director of Player's, and Tony Davis, who was chairman of the special managerial committee Player's set up to oversee the planning of Horizon. They talk viewers through the development and building of the factory. <br /><br />Less senior employees are also featured and the film doesn't shy away from dealing with what was then a controversial issue amongst some of Player's employees: the switch to a double day shift pattern of work. Reservations about shift work are featured in the film, but Player's wanted to give the overall impression that 'many people find Double Day Shifts attractive'.<br /><br />Employees were shown the Project Horizon film at Nottingham's Savoy cinema as part of Player's large public relations effort in support of its new factory.<br /><br /><iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/174192173" frameborder="0" width="640" height="468"></iframe>
<p>Project Horizon 16468 from <a href="https://vimeo.com/macearchive">MACE Archive</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>
Derek Stewart Productions
1971
Horizon Factory Photograph
An aerial photography of the Horizon factory and its surrounds. Produced by Sealand Aerial Photography.
Graham Hall
1985
Leni Cooper remembers how Family Ties helped her get a Job at John Player & Sons
Leni Cooper writes:<br /><br />"My maternal grandfather John Thomas Thraves started work at John Player & Sons in 1900. Initially he was employed as a cigarette machine operator but by the time he retired he was an electrician. I can remember that he was incredibly proud of his long service certificate that was framed and used to hang in the hall of my grandparent’s home in Hazelwood Road. I can remember my grandfather saying that Mr Player used to walk round the factory most days and would often pass the time of day with his employees. I think it was fairly standard to receive a gold pocket watch in recognition of 50 years of loyal service to the company. Sadly, my grandfather only had 2/3 years of retirement before he passed away but I can remember him taking me with him when he went to collect his weekly pension – that was either from the Player Street entrance (where I eventually worked) or the original old entrance opposite No.2 Factory on Radford Boulevard. Whenever I was able to, I used to visit nearby ‘Rogues Gallery’ that contained the photographs of retired employees – just to see the one of my grandfather! <em>Incidentally, my mother used to tell me that before the photos went into the Rogues Gallery – the subjects wrinkles were smoothed out – so they all looked more youthful! First stages of ‘Photoshop’!<br /><br /></em>My mother Sonia Thraves also joined the company – I believe that she worked in cigarette making. It seems that she may have been something of an ‘activist’ in her younger days as she used to tell me that for some reason that I cannot now recall, there was some kind of protest in the factory that she was involved in. I know she was definitely working there up until her marriage when she had to resign because married women weren’t allowed to work in those days. When WW2 broke out and men were enlisting, married women were welcomed back into work to keep production going to help with the war effort.<br /><br />My parents met in Cleethorpes – my father worked there and my mother was on holiday with her parents. Apparently, it was love at first sight and my father ended up moving to Nottingham and, after much persistence, eventually managed to get a job in 1939 during the construction of (I think) No 3 Factory. He worked in the engineers section, finally transferring to the Stores department at Wilton Road. Shortly after receiving his 25 year service award – a silver ash tray – he resigned to follow a dream.<br /><br />I left school without any qualifications, working as a trainee cutter at Debenhams Manufacturing on Terrace Street, Hyson Green but only stuck at it for 6 months before moving to one of the Staddon & Son shops on Radford Road. Seeking an increase in both prospects and pay, I decided to apply to Players – by actually walking into the personnel department and asking if there were any vacancies. I was interviewed there and then, asked if any family members either worked or had worked for the company and given a ‘staff test’ to take. A date was made for my medical examination by the company doctor – subject to which I would be offered a position. I remember my father being amazed that I had had passed the staff test, although I suspect that my success may have had more to with the fact that I was continuing a family tradition working for the company."
Leni Cooper
Leni Cooper
Leni Cooper remembers her time working in the Sales Office
Leni writes:<br /><br />"In October 1960, I started work in the Sales Office that was accessed by the original stone built main entrance on Player Street. It took up the whole of the second floor and half of the first floor – the exact part that was destroyed by the fire in 2015. Back then, the Sales Office consisted of 9 Sections that were generally open plan, each one covering a specific geographical area of the country. I was based on Section 5 –serving London and the Home Counties, including some countrywide accounts when their H.O. fell within our area.<br /><br />In those days, it was usual for new S/O employees to start work on the Addressograph – of which each section had two – a large Addressograph Multilith for doing the main account work and a smaller one for dealing with queries. There was also an Addressograph Section where the embossed metal plates with the name and address of each customer were created and these were used to print all documentation – from invoices to labels. Once the documents had all been printed, including the invoice in (at least) triplicate, they had to be sorted out on each section and passed on to the appropriate departments in the factory and other offices so that the order could be executed.<br /><br />Still within the Sales Office I went on to invoice typing using a National Cash Register – a sort of large electric typewriter – ordered items were added to the invoices that had been printed on the addressograph. Being unable to touch type was not a problem at the time – the Sales Office had it’s own training school situated on the next floor up, where there were three very helpful ladies to guide us through the procedure. Since all the documentation was already addressed – all that was necessary for the invoice typist to do was learn to type brand names such Medium Navy Cut, Gold Leaf, Digger Flake, Digger RR <em>(Ready Rubbed)</em> etc. Once the quantities were added, the NCRs printed out the invoice extensions and even the total amount due, including any early payment discounts. The training school provided tuition on most types of office machinery, although not for addressographs.<br /><br />Following on from invoice typing, I became a statement clerk, then dealt first with taking telephone orders then dealing with telephone queries from customers. Due to an office reorganisation, still within the Sales Office, I moved to what was diplomatically called ‘C Department – we actually dealt with complaints but this was eventually re-named Customer Relations. Initially I was a records clerk before graduating to the job that I enjoyed most – resolving complaints from smokers by letter, telephone and – on some occasions – unhappy smokers that sometimes used to call into the Player Street entrance to complain. Initially there were four of us (I was the first female) and we first used to open the mail (referred to us from the Mail Room at the end of the long corridor off the Player Street entrance). The product under complaint was placed in a small plastic bag, the brand, packet and quantity written on the letter. Each was then securely attached along with a small record card and the day’s mail placed in a larger bag and taken across to the laboratory in No 3 Factory so the reason for the complaint could be ascertained. Each complaint was given a category from 1 to 50 – every type of complaint was logged and, when necessary, taken up with the relevant area in the factory or, in the case of ‘old stock’ the respective retailer was contacted. Once the reason for the complaint was confirmed, we had to either select standard paragraphs that a typist would use to write a letter of apology to each customer – or, using a Dictaphone, dictate a suitable letter to the customer. Appropriate replacement packets were usually enclosed with the letters as a matter of course. Eventually, the work carried out by the laboratory was done at Player Street – at least it was a faster turnover!<br /><br />During my first years with the company, I remember one occasion when one of the girls turned up for work in TROUSERS! They were smart looking ones but, nevertheless, she was sent home to change! Also, there was a degree of harmless ‘familiarity’ from some of the older men – we didn’t really find it offensive – it was par for the course and we just tended to laugh it off. I don’t think that today’s ‘libbers’ would accept it now! When I had our daughter in 1976, maternity leave had just been introduced. In fact, I think I was probably the first one that the Personnel Department had to deal with as I recall they weren’t really too sure just what they were doing. Typically though, any pregnant ladies attended weekly antenatal sessions provided by the company. What a firm – and other benefits (for everyone) included free treatment from a chiropodist!<br /><br />I really enjoyed working in the Sales Office at Radford – we worked hard but had lots of laughs and there was a great atmosphere – something that was sadly lacking at Horizon. I was never really happy there although I think it changed when the company was taken over by Hanson and I was really pleased when had the opportunity to take early retirement before I was 50 in 1988."
Leni Cooper
Leni Cooper
Minton Jar Produced for Horizon's Opening
A photograph of a Minton jar made for the opening of John Player & Sons' Horizon factory. Specially designed and made for the occasion by the Royal Doulton Tableware Group. Each employee received one on the opening of Horizon in November 1972.
The jar is white with the Horizon symbol repeated in gold around the rim of the jar.
Tony Lowe
1972
An Ash Tray made for John Player & Sons Centenary
To mark 100 years of the company existing and manufacturing tobacco, John Player & Sons had an ash tray made specially by Royal Worchester. It was given to employees and retired employees along with a special company history produced for the occasion and a commemorative packet of Medium Navy Cut cigarettes.
Tony Lowe
1977
Photograph of the Primary Control Room
A photograph of Colin Fossey and Tom in the Primary Control Room at the Horizon factory.
Tony Wardle
September 1985
Photograph of Primary Control Room
Two men at work in the primary control room at the Horizon factory.
Tony Wardle
September 1985