The Perkins Long Service Club 60th Annual Dinner was held on Friday 13th May 2022 at Holiday Inn West. Those attending were all given a free drink on arrival. Stuart Morgan was again Master of Ceremonies for the evening.

At 7.00 pm Stuart called the diners to order and welcomed the guests and Club members to this special event celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of the Perkins Long Service Club. He explained it was originally to have taken place in 2020, but had to be postponed due to Covid, so it was extra special to be able to meet again in person. To celebrate the event everyone present was receiving a commemorative brochure and a special pin. The brochure would also be sent to all members, but the pin was only for those attending the dinner and Stuart urged members to wear it with pride.

After a few safety and housekeeping announcements the Company senior guests were welcomed:

·   David Goldspink, the Club Patron: General Manager, Industrial Power Systems Division Medium Engines and Caterpillar Country Director. 

·   Neil Britten-Austin, Small Engines Product Manager.

·   Fiona Hoyles, Facilities Engineering Manager.

·   Chris Blin, Human Resources Manager.

·   Jon Horn, Business Resource Manager.

·   Steve McLone, Product Support Manager.

·   Jenny Bedlow, Strategy & Business Development Manager

and representatives from the Team Gold Award Projects who would be introduced later.

Stuart explained that at the dinner we would again be raising money for the Company’s Charity Partners who are Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and the mental health charity, Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and South Lincolnshire Mind, otherwise known as CPSL Mind.

After grace, dinner was served, comprising tomato and basil soup, roast sirloin of beef with Yorkshire pudding, sea salt roasties and roast vegetables, followed by apple and cinnamon pie with vanilla custard. The wines were Rare Vineyards Pinot Noir and Cullinan View Chenin Blanc. Coffee and mints followed the meal.

During dinner a slideshow (created by Bob Gregory-Smith) was run containing images from the start of the Company and the founding of the Long Service Club, including some of some of the very early dinners. Images from the 2019 dinner were also included.

At the end of dinner the assembled company joined in the loyal toast to Her Majesty the Queen in her Platinum Jubilee year, before having a short break.

During the break, one of the old Perkins films that Simon Kelsall has digitised was shown on the screen. Films were also shown before and after the dinner. Links to these and other films may be found on our website here: https://www.sites.google.com/view/perkinslongserviceclub/heritage-films

During the short break, members engaged in animated conversations with those whom they had not seen for the past three years and the dinner was (with some difficulty!) called to order again for the evening’s presentations.

President’s Rosebowl presentation and President’s Address

First the outgoing President, Adrian Talbot, presented the Rose Bowl to the new President, Garth Perry.

Garth then addressed the dinner. He welcomed everyone again, and especially David Goldspink, our Patron, whom he thanked for his consistent and long-standing support to the Club.

After thanking Adrian Talbot for agreeing to remain as President for the past 3½ years through the pandemic, he acknowledged the efforts of the whole Executive Committee. He paid tribute to Jill Afford and Martin Thompson who have both recently retired from the Committee and presented them each with a gift from the Club.

Garth gave a short self-biography, explaining that he joined Perkins in 1962, intending to complete his Apprenticeship, get perhaps a couple of years of work experience, then move on. 43 years later he retired from Perkins having spent the whole of his working life in Engineering, initially as a Metallurgist, before managing the Engineering Project Office, followed by various Engineering Standards, Logistics, and Total Quality positions.

He felt particularly honoured to become President at the time of two very significant Anniversaries – the 60th Anniversary of the Perkins Long Service Club and the 90th Anniversary of the founding of Perkins Engines Company Limited.

Garth explained that Frank Perkins founded the Club in January 1961, and its first Annual Dinner was held in April 1961, so we had planned to celebrate the 60th year of our existence at the 60th Annual Dinner in April 2020. Those plans were overtaken by the pandemic, which is why we were celebrating the anniversary now.

Garth thanked the Marketing Communications Department for their extensive help and support particularly in the design and production of the Commemorative Brochure and pin.

The Brochure is also designed to be used in the recruitment of new members. The Club recognises that to ensure that to thrive, it must attract new Members, and in particular from the people who are still employed at Peterborough.  The pandemic had stalled our ability to engage directly with potential Members on site, but we intended to resume the effort when access to the site is restored.

Garth talked of the challenge of keeping the Club relevant to the whole its membership, and the need for feedback, from both existing and potential Members on what they want from the Club. He questioned why, out of our 440 current Members, do only 100 attend the dinner and only about 30 attend other events. It was important that the Committee did not expend a lot of time and effort providing something that most Members aren’t interested in.

Garth reminded members that they can now communicate with the Club through our new email address plsc.communications@gmail.com and that we would welcome any comments, observations, criticisms, or suggestions.  

In closing, he thanked everyone for coming and, in this year of celebrations, proposed two toasts. The first was to the Perkins Long Service Club to mark our 60th Anniversary. The second toast was to the Company and Guests to celebrate the Company’s 90th Anniversary.

Response by the Patron

After Garth’s address, the Patron, David Goldspink responded.

He said how proud he was as the Company celebrates 90 years and the Club reaches its 60th Birthday which are two really great achievements not at all common in the modern world.

He said that the pandemic has touched us all with new ways of working, having to be off site and no travel.  Demand for IPSD products has continued, with many of the diesel engines the Company produces now being powered by renewable and low carbon intensity fuels.

Before concluding he read out an employee notice from the Group President Steve Ferguson about the 90th Birthday celebrations. In it Steve Ferguson highlighted that this year also marks 25 years since Caterpillar acquired Perkins, and he paid tribute to the strong reputation of the Perkins brand in all sectors where it is sold. He celebrated that over 22 million engines have been produced over the years on four continents and looked forward to the Company continuing to satisfy customers for years to come.

Presentations

The evening continued with presentation starting with the Team Gold Award presented to a Team in recognition of their support and enhancement of the Industrial Power Systems Division business at Peterborough and associated facilities, through growing the people, products and reputation of the business whilst demonstrating Teamwork, personal Commitment, Excellence and Sustainability.  

Stuart said to the teams that, as long serving employees, it is always interesting to see some of the great projects that teams are undertaking to grow the Company’s global leadership position and to ensure the Company’s long-term momentum.

In Third place was the Customer Machine Engine Integration Team.

Formed in 2017, CMET is an engine installation service offering, giving customers the ability to have CMET design, install and preliminary test new engine installations into their machines. This is used as a differentiator against the competition, as a vehicle to drive incremental sales with existing customers, and as a tool to win new business.

The team have completed a number of engine installation projects including an agricultural tractor fitted with a Perkins 3.6 litre engine, and a dumper and track loader fitted with a 2.8 litre Perkins engine.

One of Caterpillar’s Values is commitment, with the entire team going beyond their job roles to deliver the projects on time and to a high quality, which was commended.

David Allart representing the Customer Machine Engine Integration Team project came forward to receive his certificate from David Goldspink.

Runner Up was the 904 Series cylinder head machining team.

The 904 Series cylinder head machining team delivered a new in-house machining capability of cylinder heads, a strategically critical component for the 2.8 and 3.6 litre engines produced in Peterborough.

Key deliverables of the team included:

·     Demonstrating thorough a robust make versus buy sourcing analysis that the business can provide in-house                    machining of the cylinder heads while delivering lower cost, higher quality, and greater flexibility.

·     The programme scope involved the re-development of Bays 1 and 2, providing a state-of-the-art machining facility.

·     Providing the means to have direct control over production and quality on a strategic component.

·     New technology that creates a safer, cleaner, and therefore more productive working environment.

·     Delivering the programme from approval to start of production on time and to budget in less than 9 months.

This team also excelled with their demonstration of Teamwork, Commitment and Excellence.

Kev Stallion, Bart Olszewski and Jim Parsonage from the 904 Series cylinder head machining team came forward to receive their runners up certificate from David Goldspink.

The Winning Project Team for this year’s Team Gold Award was responsible for developing electrified power system capability within Global Engine Development for a Cat® machine.

With stringent emissions standards and a global focus on alternative power, this team set out to provide the capability to install a large capacity lithium-ion battery and test a battery powered electric machine.

Implementation of an industry recognised Safety Management System was achieved providing a comprehensive framework on which processes and procedures could be developed to ensure compliance with the Electricity at Work Act.

In parallel to developing the team’s competency, comprehensive upgrades to the facility have been introduced.

The project began in late 2019 running through to the first Caterpillar developed battery pack being installed in a Cat® machine in Q3 2021. A significant achievement in itself.

This is a tremendous example of delivering ground-breaking technology through teamwork across multiple teams and will have long-term deliverables for Cat® machines.

This team scored highly in all categories from employee development to project management, teamwork, commitment and excellence.

Gavin Bailey and Christopher Ward representing the GED-UK team received the trophy and their certificate from David Goldspink.

Honorary Membership Certificates

The next presentation was the Honorary Membership Certificates for members who have reached the age of 80 since the last dinner up to the end of May.

40 people had turned 80 since the 2019 dinner, of whom 10 were present at the dinner and received certificates from David Goldspink:

·   John Barrs

·   David Boulton

·   Alan Bushnell

·   Derek Button

·   Trevor Chapman

·   Jack Fennelow

·   Peter Nicholas

·   Brian Payne

·   Ron Townsend

·   Phil Upchurch

The others who had turned 80 since the last dinner will have received their certificates in the post:-

·   Bryan Boyden

·   Vic Bradley

·   John Burgess

·   Andrew Burroughs

·   Charles Cameron

·   Frank Cassidy

·   Godfrey Gumbrell

·   David Hart

·   Rod Harvey

·   P B Herbert

·   A Hunt

·   George Kitchen

·   Chris Knight

·   Barry Knights

·   Colin Lines

·   Ted Mackman

·   Rod Maplethorpe

·   David Nicholas

·   R Overson

·   J R Parrott

·   Fred Pell

·   Brian Rowlatt

·   B A Sanders

·   Derek Scotney

·   Ian Seconde

·   David Shepherd

·   Joe Smith

·   Peter Steel

·   Mick Stevenson

·   Mick Stratton

And someone we missed previously – Walter Bunney, who actually joined the Club after he turned 80!

Quarter Centurion Rosebowl

The final presentation was the Quarter Centurion of the Year Rose Bowl given to the member who has made an outstanding, special contribution over the years to the Community (locally or nationally), the Club or the Company. The Executive Committee considers all nominations before deciding on the winner.

The citation read by Stuart said:

It is usually possible to do a “slow reveal” of the identity of our Quarter Centurion, by dropping a few clues in the introduction, but the recipient of this year’s award is so well known and respected, both within the Long Service Club and the Company, that such a subterfuge will not work for long!

The Nomination, of an Executive Committee Member, was received from a member prior to the planned 2020 Annual Dinner, and although we prefer not to give such awards to a Committee Member, the Committee wholeheartedly agreed that it was so well deserved in this case, and appropriate to our 60th Anniversary celebrations.

Appropriate because this Lady has been a member of the Executive Committee of the Club for over 20 years, was President in 2008, and served 45 years at Perkins, before retiring at the end of 2019.

The Perkins Long Service Club Quarter Centurion of the Year 2022 is

BEVERLEY SPRIDGEON

Beverley joined Perkins in October 1974, and her abilities and dedication were soon recognised, leading to her being secretary to many Finance Managers. Then she became the PA to a number of Sales Directors, and to senior Caterpillar executives who came to Peterborough from the USA in the latter years of her career. One of her senior bosses said:

“Beverley is always modest: modest about her organisational capabilities, modest about her cool head in a crisis, modest about her attention to detail. But what she does and what she is capable of is considerable, and of huge value to those who she supports. Beverley is a quiet, modest star and her doing what she does best keeps the whole place, or her corner of it, ticking over and functioning as it should”

It is these secretarial and administrative skills, and her dedication, that Beverley has applied to her work for the Long Service Club, ably supported by her husband Peter.  Beverley has held numerous positions on the Committee during her 20+ years of service – General Secretary, Minutes Secretary, Membership Secretary, Trips & Events Administrator, and on some occasions in the past, all at once!  Her position in Perkins enabled her to keep PLSC visible to senior people, and her network of contacts was invaluable.  She has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the names of Members, and their work histories.

Beverley along with Anna Errico helps with the running of the Company Factory Tours, which have proved very popular and successful.  She has also been instrumental over the years in organising the Annual Dinner, working with the Marketing Team at Perkins in helping to design the tickets etc., and establishing a good working relationship with the Holiday Inn staff.  Organising the AGM’s has been another of her tasks - booking the venue, printing the AGM minutes and Finance Balance Sheets, and helping with the catering.

This might not be a full list of the tasks that Beverley has covered, but it can be seen that Beverley has been, and still is, a massive driving force on the Committee of the Club.

Beverley retired from Perkins in December 2019, and as her husband, Peter, had already retired a year earlier, one of their many plans was to travel more.  Thankfully, she stayed on the Committee and is now our General Secretary and Minutes Secretary. Unfortunately, their plans to travel were put on hold due to COVID, but typically Beverley, when the vaccination programme started, became a volunteer at the Peterborough City Hospital, and continues to help out from time to time.

Beverley has worked tirelessly for the Club for many years, and without her administration experience, drive, and knowledge of the Company, the Club would not be in the good condition that it now is.  The Committee is confident that the Members will agree that Beverley is a very worthy Quarter Centurion of the Year.

Beverley thanked the Committee for the unexpected privilege of being chosen for the award.

Charity Collection Competition

This year we did not have a raffle, but instead a competition between tables and then a draw by the members of the table which donated the most.

The generosity of members resulted in a total of £1,111 being donated, which will be split equally between the two charities, Sue Ryder Thorpe Hall Hospice and the mental health charity CPSL Mind, and matched by the Company.

The winning table is pictured below.

And the draw was won by Roy Chowings, who received the star prize of dinner, bed and breakfast for two at the Holiday Inn, very kindly donated by the hotel, while the other members from the table received a bottle of wine each.

Thanks and Closing words

In closing the formalities for the evening, Stuart again thanked David Goldspink for his presence and especially for his unstinting patronage of, and support for, our Club which made the evening not only possible, but extra special this year, and the highlight of the Club’s year.

Thanks were extended to Neil Kitson and Annette Ward for arranging the artwork and printing of the brochure, tickets, menus and certificates and for the engines you see to be brought here. Also to Toby Mears, whose photographs appear in this report.

Stuart hoped that we would meet again at various club events and announced that the date for next year’s dinner is Friday 19th May 2023.

Report by Bob Gregory-Smith

Below are some pictures of the evening selected by Anna Errico and Beverley Spridgeon, out of well over 300 taken!