Shell Pensioner Association News

ISSUE 161
WINTER 2012
PHOTO OF THE YEAR
SHELEGRAPH REVISITED • NATIONAL COMMITTEE VACANCIES
WINTER 2012
SHELLEY’S EDITORIAL
Dear SPA News Readers,
Welcome to this winter issue of SPA
News. My I take this opportunity to wish
you all, on behalf of the editorial team,
a very happy and healthy 2013!
Whether you’re one of those people who
suffer from post-Christmas blues, or
alternatively, one who is glad to see the
back of it all and relishes the start of a
fresh new year, we think you’ll find
something to suit your mood in your very
latest SPA News.
Perhaps some of you may have made a
resolution to start writing this year? If so,
take a look at Ardella’s tips on page 9,
where she talks us through the techniques
for writing a good ghost story – just what
you need in the middle of a cold, dark
winter. She also invites readers to share
their favourite poems, so get down those
dusty volumes from your shelves and
share some much-loved verse.
Or perhaps, like most of us, you have
decided to try a little harder to stay fit
and healthy; then look no further than
page 21 where our health expert,
Margaret Waddell, shares some basic
movements that most of us can do to
improve our flexibility and posture.
our plans for taking this to other parts
of the country this year, whilst Tina (p1112) has some useful benefits updates
and tells us how Financial Advisors are
having to change their practices to meet
new regulations.
Some of you may remember the old
Shelegraph – the Thornton/Stanlow staff
magazine; we take a loving look back at
some of the super stories from the magazine
during 1959 and the fantastic photographs
used to illustrate them (p14-15).
As well as all this, you can also read
about boiling fish-heads in the Languedoc,
the Queen’s visit to Jubilee Gardens, and
the Banker who turned to Voodoo! Read
‘em and weep, dear members.
We do hope you enjoy this issue. Please
continue to share your letters, thoughts,
and stories with us; and as usual, we
welcome any suggestions you might have
for the magazine; please email them
to our sub-editor, Linda Fernley:
[email protected]
Warm wishes,
Shelley
On p6-7, Helen reports on the recent
roadshow in Bristol and has news about
SPA, Room C2013, Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA
SPA BENEFITS
These are some of the regular benefits. You
may need to show your membership card
and/or quote Shell Pensioners Association.
Details on the SPA website: www.shell.
co.uk/spa Our message, however, is
always to ‘shop around’.
Insurance
•Home, motor travel and pet - Select
Insurance Services (Sutton Winson)
0800 116 4330
•50plus Insurance (Bluefin) 0800 195
8002
•Health - Bupa 0800 600 500 quote
9147
•HMCA 01423 866985 www.hmca.
shellpa.htm
•RAC breakdown - 0800 092 8609 quote
GE0538
•Dental insurance - Denplan 0800
838951
Finance
•Foreign exchange - www.international
payments.travelex.co.uk
•Financial advice - Affinity 0800 019 6076
ref. Shell/Mar/2012
Leisure
•Woodbank (Aberdeen) - 01224 884785
•Quest for Adventure cruises - 0800
056 5455
•Lensbury Breaks - 020 8614 6444
•Lensbury membership - 020 8614 6466
•Fitness First - corporatemarketing@fitness
first.com - 01202 845812
•David Lloyd Leisure - Visit your local club
or www.davidlloyd.co.uk/employeeoffer
Shell Sponsored Event
SPA Secretary
Helen Page
[email protected]
020 7934 5129
Assistant Secretary
Lynn Forsdyke
[email protected]
020 7934 5137
Editor
Shelley Hoppe
[email protected]
Editor Assistant
Linda Fernley
[email protected]
2 | SPA NEWS
•Hayward Gallery, paid exhibitions,
Fridays only, plus 1 guest
•Geological Society talks www.geolsoc.
org.uk/shelllondonlectures12 quote ‘Shell’
www.shell.co.uk/spa
www.facebook.com/shell.spa.news
SPA LETTERS
THANK YOU!
Thank you so much for your letters;
we would love to be able to publish
them all but we just don’t have the
space. However, we thoroughly
enjoy every single one of them, so
please keep sending them in! Ed
And in the beginning …
I came across the attached photo, taken in 1960 from a river boat, possibly en route
to Greenwich. I was working on my PhD at Imperial College at the time and left to
join Shell in Thornton a couple of years later.
Best wishes for Christmas and beyond,
Bill Affleck
P.S. if emailing, please remember
to tell us your location!
Top shot!
The article on the redevelopment of Shell
Centre that mentions the demise of the
rifle range as it no longer fits with modern
business needs, takes me back to the
early 1960s, when there was a thriving
Rifle club within Shell that competed with
other business clubs as part of the London
Business Houses League. I was in SMBP
and a member of the club, which
competed on various occasions at
different locations where businesses had
their own facilities in London.
One memorable evening there was
quite a commotion on the range as
Honor Blackman was there being
schooled on shooting for the filming of
the 1964 release of the 007 film, Pussy
Galore. I was positioned on the firing
point next to her – quite an experience!
I was fortunate to score a ‘possible’ (for
those not in the know, this means a
perfect 100) whilst firing next to her.
When the targets were brought to the
firing point, Ms Blackman autographed
my target, which I have carefully
preserved as a constant reminder of
the great Shell days of long ago.
Shell Centre
Trailer trash
At a recent Sunday Market at the old R.N.A.S. Airfield at Ford we found this old
Spirit trailer up on blocks. One can still make out the Formula Shell logo. The
rear number plate is still attached and to my surprise it spent its life at Wandsworth,
from where I retired in 1987. The driver was Ray Cope, now sadly deceased,
and on occasions I had driven it myself. A true blast from the past; Wandsworth
was a good place to work and the drivers were a great bunch. Keep up the good
work with the magazine.
Edwin Townsend, Littlehampton
Thanks Edwin – graffiti gets to strangest of places, doesn’t it?!
I was also a member of the Lensbury
and Brittanic House Players as a
backstage hand and Box Office
Manager for some time and remember
well the ‘bowels of the earth’ areas of
the old building.
These articles keep alive one's younger
days – keep them coming!
Ian Purches, Charleston, South
Carolina, USA
Well, thank you, Ian – it’s our readers
that enable us to keep them coming!
SPA NEWS | 3
SPA LETTERS
Christmas
lunches of
yesteryear
Once again Benzine & Bitumen Accounts
Dept. comes to the fore in your letters
column of Issue 160. I was particularly
touched by Michael Foster's letter
regarding his father, Len Foster. Len was
my boss when I joined the department
in 1947 and I remember him well as a
delightful charming man; he had a very
dignified presence and was always
immaculately dressed. He still stands out
in my mind and, in fact, is prominent in
the attached photo (3rd from the left,
back row and I’m 2nd from the right,
back row).
The occasion was the Christmas dinner
of 1948 or 1949 at the Talbot Inn in
London Wall. My wife Julienne joined
the department in 1949 as a comptometer
operator, one of two girls – the other
being the typist, Doreen Dowdell (nee
Stevens) – but Julienne cannot recall the
occasion. However, in those days girls
would not be invited anyway!
Surprisingly, we can still identify the
majority of the faces in the picture but
have lost touch with all except Andy Cole.
Geoff Pulzer
Great photo, Geoff: bottles of stout and not
a lady in sight – how times have changed!
4 | SPA NEWS
1/6d a gallon!
I spotted this old pump on a recent day out on Anglesey, North Wales. I’ve
never seen one like it before.
Charles Fay (retired from Stanlow after 37 years)
Anyone for
tennis?
Last issue’s letter from Peter Watts, about
the tennis teams, prompted a reply by
Brian Lister. He joined Shell in 1956, in
Refinery Operations at Heysham. This
photo, taken by The Heysham News,
shows the last game played against Shell
Haven, before the economy axe in 1962.
Brian is in the middle on the front row.
A great photo, Brian – thanks for sharing
it with us.
Tales of
derring do…
I really enjoyed the last SPA, just
received. Here’s a wee story of a man
who ended up in the final Shell Centre,
as a finance man – my Dad, Hugh
Archibald Kay. Like many Scots Finance
people in Shell, my father trained and
qualified in Glasgow in the 1920s. He
then joined Price Waterhouse in Paris;
his clients were in francophone North
Africa, but also Romania.
He joined Astra Romana, in Romania,
in the early 1930s – owners of the
Ploesti oil fields, which were
subsequently bought by Shell. These oil
fields were a strategic target for Hitler.
When the mother of the then King
Michael died in 1937 – her popularity
had held the country together since the
outcome of the First World War – all
the surrounding countries made their
own land grab of what they had had
to cede in 1918.
By 1939 there was anarchy. You never
knew whether the person beside you
on the tram was a communist, a Nazi
sympathiser, mere revolutionar y,
Royalist, or political agent. People were
shot in the street.
My father never talked about all this,
but a friend gave me a book entitled
Balkan Blue, written by Major General
Sir Roy Redgrave, which paints the
ghastly background to those days. By
1941, my father had to leave the
Bucharest Shell office (the Germans
were almost there), but had to go
eastwards. He took two years to get
home – Suez, and across the Pacific to
Panama and Venezuela – one steamship
after another, and survived on being
able to get funds from local Shell agents
from Turkey to Iraq, Ceylon and
onwards, all through the ‘current
account’ system, which Shell had
worldwide in those days.
When he finally got back to Stone
House, they said: “Jolly good, you’re
needed back in Bucharest”, which is
where he remained, until re-assigned
to Cairo in 1949. However, getting out
of Romania was, in itself a saga. By
1949, road blocks were manned, some
by Romanian soldiers, others by
Russians. We lived by buying what we
could on the black market. Our plight
was heard by a Wing Commander
Cadwallader, having spent a war time
in action, and by that time possibly a
little bored! He took a plane in from the
UK, and landed at Bucharest, to
evacuate us; no permissions from
anyone at the other end – he just did
it, although obviously the British
Ambassador had been told.
When my parents went down to the
runway with we three small boys,
soldiers crossed bayonets in front of us
all – the Ambassador threw them aside
and walked out onto the tarmac, to the
waiting plane, engines running – we
all followed (there were, by this time
other families, as well).
By the early 60s, my Dad used to lunch
with Douglas Bader, who was part of
Shell Aviation by then; among many, it
was a story well told.
Geoffrey Kay
The memories
flood back!
Peter Watts' letter in the last edition
reminded me of my days in Shell Haven,
where I started as a Trainee Technologist
in 1952. To add to his note on the flood
of Jan 31/Feb 1 1953 I was living in
the bachelors' hostel, luckily on the first
floor. Those on the ground floor woke
to find water up to the level of their beds.
It was ironic that on 1 February branded
petrol was to be reintroduced in place
of the Pool Petrol, which had been
supplied throughout the war. So cars
belonging to the staff had been bearing
stickers pronouncing "February 1 is Shell
Day"! The same night, Pernis Refinery
in Holland was also flooded.
Gordon Clark, Tunbridge Wells (ex
Shell U.K., S.I.P.M., Shell Indonesia and
Shell Eastern)
SPA NEWS | 5
HELEN’S PAGE
FROM THE
SPA SECRETARY
It was a busy autumn, mainly due to
organising the second SPA roadshow
in Bristol. We had another good turnout
at the beautiful golf club, and stallholders
were kept busy answering members’
queries about pensions, insurance,
financial planning, benefits and health
issues. Members had the opportunity to
chat with their PLRs. There was plenty
of tea drunk and cakes eaten while
Graham van’t Hoff updated members
on Shell developments via a video
presentation, and Ian Chisholm reported
on the pension fund, again on video.
Every attendee who completed the
feedback form agreed that the afternoon
was most worthwhile, and best of all,
it was free.
The National Committee, spurred on by
this success, is planning another two
roadshows in 2013: Scotland on 6 June
(venue to be confirmed – we would
welcome suggestions) and Woldingham
Golf Club, Surrey on 19 September, so
if you live within commuting distance
of the venue, make a note in your diary;
you will be most welcome. Talking of
dates, it may seem a little early, but you
might be interested to know that this
year’s AGM will be held in Shell Centre,
on 9 May. When the business of the
day is over, Catering Services never
fail to impress with their delicious
canapés, washed down, of course, with
a good glass of wine.
I was perhaps a little unfair in my last
column, when I baulked at the prices
in the Shell Centre crockery sale. As
Real Estate pointed out, the proceeds
raised over £20,000 for charity. The
lucky winner of my cup and saucer was
Maryanne Beare. In fact, it seems there
is already a considerable amount of
Shell crockery being used every day in
members’ homes: Gill Springett
remembers buying hers for 50p!
Most of the calls we receive in the office
are usually of a positive nature, but we
have had a number of disgruntled
6 | SPA NEWS
members phoning recently, with good
reason. Most members start at the back
of SPA News and work forward, so the
first thing they read is the obituary
listing. Due to a glitch in the new
pension database, a large proportion
of deceased are being listed as working
at Shell UK Oil Products. Pensions
Administration apologises and is
working to correct this, but it may take
until the next issue, so please bear with
us until the problem is solved. We are
HELEN’S PAGE
awaiting the outcome of the recent
pension liaison representative review,
with fingers crossed that there won’t be
too many changes to the excellent
service they provide.
My column this issue seems to have
been dominated by food. After an
indulgent Christmas I’m looking forward
to a fit and healthy new year, and I
hope you will join me.
44 CLUB
The 44 Club is for anyone who worked for Shell-Mex and BP (SMBP).
There is a quarterly magazine, and a busy social calendar with activities
and lunches throughout the country. Contact the Secretary: Charles
Madge, C2013, Shell Centre, London SE1 7NA (same address as SPA
office). Email: [email protected]
Roadshow Bristol golf club
Message from
Lynn Forsdyke,
SPA ASSISTANT
Secretary
Thank you to everybody who has given
me a warm welcome to the Shell
Pensioners Association. I am settling
into my new role very well and it is great
to do something different to the previous
jobs that I’ve held in the company. I
joined Shell in 1982 as a Secretary in
Personnel, and subsequently worked in
a number of other departments,
including Banking, Investor Relations
and Diversity; my last role was in
Commercial Fuels. Having spent over
28 years with the company I have made
many friends and I’m sure the contact I
previously had with many of my working
colleagues will continue in my new role
but in a different way. I’m sure I’ll come
across many familiar names of people
who are now retired.
SPA NEWS | 7
THE LIGHTER SIDE
Small portion of Mix problem, pease?
Yemeni menu
Aborigine anybody? Spotted in Rochester!
I'll have the soup please ... hic!
BOOK REVIEW
The Banker who turned to Voodoo by Paul Williams
“I owe a very considerable debt to Shell
who, 40 years ago, was the only
international company with South
American connections who responded
favourably to our begging letter, offered
to transport us to Brazil to undertake
fieldwork, and 12 months later delivered
us safely back to Britain. We were
students with very limited resources and
our whole project would have been
seriously jeopardised if someone in
Shell had not responded to our request
for help. The only condition was, quite
understandably, that we should mention
Shell as sponsors if any of our work was
published. We duly did this in 1978 on
the publication of Primitive Religion and
Healing: A Study of Folk Medicine in
Brazil and I am more than happy to do
so again now.”
Here is a passage from the chapter
describing the trip from Dublin to Curação
on SS Partula, a Shell bitumen carrier:
It dawned on us quite soon that, in the
interests of arriving in Brazil with as
large a pot of money as possible to last
a whole year, we would not be able to
afford a standard air fare. Even steerage
on a rusty cargo vessel with
accommodation for a few passengers
was beyond us. One of the many
begging letters we wrote at the time
was to Shell in London who, quite out
of the blue, wrote back with an offer.
None of their tankers went to Brazil,
but many went to Curação, so would
that do? My well-thumbed copy of The
South American Handbook assured us
that fares from Curação to Caracas in
Venezuela were reasonable and we
assumed that Caracas to Salvador
would be within our means. The cherry
on the cake was that Shell, despite our
not having asked for it, undertook to
transport us back to Europe when the
time came. No other organisation had
come up with an offer as generous as
this so we decided with some alacrity
to go ahead.
In order to satisfy Shell’s insurers, we
8 | SPA NEWS
would be employed whilst on the ship
as ‘supernumerary writers’ at the rate
of one shilling each per week. We
would be given ‘officer’ status which
meant that we would live with all the
officers on the ship. No hammock then
for us below decks with the men. We
would probably have the cabin normally
reserved for the pilot but because the
ship would follow a well-known route
from ‘somewhere in Europe’ direct to
Curação (they couldn’t yet be more
specific) a pilot would not be necessary
for longer than a few hours so his cabin
would be free for the entire duration of
the voyage. Food and accommodation
would be free; alcoholic drinks for our
account. The onus was on us to mention
Shell’s sponsorship in any future
published work. Could we confirm that
we were in agreement with all this? You
bet we could. No dreary British
Caledonian jet for us, but a gentle
transfer to South America lasting a
fortnight with all the onboard privileges
normally given to ‘officers’. We liked
the idea, and we liked thinking that we
were probably the only outsiders to
have been offered such generous terms
in the company’s history.'
“Forty years on, our memories of that
voyage are still as fresh as ever; and
our gratitude to Shell for their generosity
remains,” says Paul. You can read
reviews of his book, The Banker who
turned to Voodoo, on Amazon’s website.
WRITING TIPS
Write Rules 7: GHOSTLY GOINGS-ON
In the midst of the long dark winter, why not try turning off the telly, gathering the
family round a roaring fire and telling some ghost stories? Ardella Jones gives us
some tips on writing terrifying tales.
We are familiar with traditional ghost stories
in which the haunted human is in jeopardy
and we share their fear; the story revolves
around vanquishing the ghost or failing to
do so – the ghost is still out there waiting
for another victim. Another popular form
involves the main character having a
strange encounter and learning afterwards
that the person they met died years before;
usually this is confirmed by a reliable
witness – the local policeman, rather than
the town drunk. A similar story format
involves strange happenings, which make
supernatural sense once one realises that
they mirror a past tragedy.
4. Think about interesting ways in
which the ghost could scare people.
It might be a modern ghost and haunt your
character’s iPhone, sending nasty messages
to all their friends.
killers, war criminals and perverts. You
might play with your own fears – if you’re
claustrophobic, afraid of heights or scared
of snakes, what's the worse thing that could
happen to you? What's your ‘Room 101’?
5. Give your character a personal
reason for wanting to help the
ghost. Often the ghost haunts a former
partner, relative or friend. Ghosts may
also haunt strangers with whom they share
a connection.
9. Make full use of sub-text and
associations. Use all the five senses to
create your ghostly atmosphere with
extremes of temperature, unidentified
sounds, half-glimpsed images. Create a
peaceful, safe atmosphere so that you can
destroy it. Prefigure scary moments with
false alarms – the pet cat at the door, a
branch against the window.
10. Provide a twist in the ending:
the resolution of the ghost's problem might
also solve a problem for the character.
You might leave room for doubt as to
whether events were supernatural or have
a rational explanation.
Ghost stories may create menace by
subverting characters or things, which we
usually associate with innocence and fun,
such as sweet old ladies, clowns, children,
dolls and other toys. The juxtapositioning
of something threatening and wicked with
a nursery rhyme or childlike image can
be unsettling.
For the more sophisticated modern reader,
we could subvert the genre, parody the
conventions, and make it a comedy. Write
the story from the viewpoint of the ghost,
create a contemporary storyline – it could
be about a ghost with a Facebook page
who needs to collect 100 Facebook friends
by midnight on New Year's Eve or else it
will never rest.
1. Create a likeable character who
will meet the ghost. If we see the story
through this person’s eyes and relate to
them, we’ll be scared when they’re scared.
2. Create an interesting ghost. A
ghost could be anybody or anything, even
an animal.
3. Give the ghost a reason for
haunting a place or person. What
does it want: revenge, affection, a proper
burial? Why is the ghost not 'at peace'?
How can the human help the ghost? Try to
come up with something unusual. It could
be funny – maybe the person died in the
middle of watching a film and won’t be able
to rest until they find out how the story ends;
unfortunately, it’s not available on DVD …
The Good Ghost Guide
6. How is the ghost causing a
problem for your character? Make
sure that something terrible (or terrible in
a funny way if you’re writing it as a
comedy) will happen if your character
fails to help or get rid of the ghost. Include
a deadline – if the plan doesn’t succeed
by midnight ...
7. Come up with a clever solution
for your character to use, something
other than the usual hidden object in the
attic or ancient spell. Make sure the mission
is dangerous. The ghost doesn’t have to be
the only scary thing in your story.
8. Remember you don't need to
resort to blood and guts; save that for
the horror genre. A tense, sinister
atmosphere, the 'unknown', suggestions of
the supernatural or evil are more effective
than spelling things out; let your readers’
own imaginations frighten them. The
inexplicable still has the power to frighten
us even in our age of human evil, serial
We may love Dickens' Christmas Carol
and Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart
but how about some thoroughly modern
ghost stories?
Dolly: A Ghost Story - Susan Hill (2012)
Told through the eyes of a lonely child,
then his adult self, the novel traces the
fall-out of a fraught summer spent with
a peculiar cousin.
Women and Ghosts - Alison Lurie (1994)
A collection of short stories about
ordinary women who notice something
disturbing lurking in the peripheries of
their ordinary lives.
Dark Matter - Michelle Paver (2011) Set in
the 1930s, a group of scientists tries to
shine a light on the arctic darkness with
horrific results.
Poetry Please...
I love poetry, from Browning's The Pied
Piper of Hamlin to Dorothy Parker's short
witticisms, to T.S. Eliot's elegiac The
Wasteland; I'd love readers to send me
their favourites in 2013.
SPA NEWS | 9
BUSINESS NEWS
Customer
service,
by Facebook
Shell’s Facebook page went live on
February 15 this year and it’s proving to
be a great way to share information with
the general public about Shell’s global
activities. “We achieved two million ‘likes’
in just nine months,” says Tom Webster,
Global Community Manager. “That’s quite
an achievement.”
More people are using social media to
share their experiences, and it’s become
another way for Shell to keep in touch with
its customers. So when an unhappy
customer posts on Facebook, what does
Shell do about it?
Downstream has been taking a real interest
in the way customers are using the page,
and what they are posting about their
experiences. Jeff Green is Global Customer
Service Operational Excellence Manager,
and he’s Tom’s contact when there’s a
customer service-related comment.
“The vast majority of what we see posted
on Facebook is customer retail experience,
so we go to our Retail colleagues and
involve them,” he says. “We do try to get
back to the customer and let them know
we’ve seen their post and are trying to do
something in response.”
Jeff explains that people’s Facebook
profiles tend to provide limited information
about them.
“Tom provides us with as much detail as
possible about the person, which typically
would be name, country and, very rarely,
email address,” he says. “Where we can’t
get in touch with them outside of Facebook,
we’ll always respond with the relevant
customer service centre details and ask
them to telephone or email so we can
handle the complaint properly.”
But don’t negative comments affect other
people reading the Facebook page?
According to Tom, complaints don’t linger
on the page for long as there’s always a
lot happening, with new posts pushing older
ones down in the feed.
“All the same, someone making a comment
will be notified when we’ve responded to
them,” says Tom. “We really want to speak
and engage properly with the customer,
and because the Facebook platform doesn’t
have a ‘personal service’ element to it,
we’re avoiding having an open dialogue
about a complaint on Facebook itself.”
Richard Fairs, Social Media Manager for
Retail, adds that the robust processes
around social media customer service
feedback have been of great benefit.
“Social media invites customer comments.
We need to embrace that and benefit from
the real-time insight we get about what our
customers think about our products and
services, both good and bad.
“Having strong processes in place to enable
us to identify and respond quickly to
comments really shows we listen to what
our customers say, and can turn a potential
negative into a positive.”
Want to become a fan of Shell too? If you
have a Facebook account, you’re invited
to explore and ‘like’ Shell’s Facebook page
www.facebook.com/shell
You can also join SPA's Facebook page at
www.facebook.com/shell.spa.news
changing the way we work
Mike Sinclair has worked for Shell for over
30 years. He joined in New Zealand and
has worked around the world. During that
time, the way we work has changed
beyond recognition. When Mike started,
the most sophisticated means of
communication was the telex machine.
Today he is Vice President, Business Service
Centres, which employ over 9,000 staff in
six centres across the world. Most of us
retired before these centres existed. What
does it mean?
Originally, services such as IT, Finance
and HR were provided locally. With
today’s technology, centres in Manilla,
Krakow, Malaysia, Cape Town and
Chennai, provide global services, saving
over $1 billion a year. Mike, based in
London, has just one member of staff at
the same location.
Mike is passionate about ‘sustainable ways
10 | SPA NEWS
of working’, i.e. retaining the level of
productivity while being able to balance
all aspects of life. It is possible to develop
working relationships without having to
meet physically, reducing the need for
expensive, exhausting travel and spending
time away from one’s family. There is now
the technology to work from home, if that
is what staff want; the only reason to come
into the office is for the opportunity to
interact. Today’s open-plan offices are a
world away from the silent corridors of old,
with closed doors. There has also been a
change in management style, away from
the attitude of “If I can’t see you, you can’t
be working”. Policies are being introduced
to allow flexible working, and there is no
‘one size fits all’; some members of staff
find it too difficult to work at home without
interruption, or do not have a space where
they can work. It helps, according to Mike,
to have a planned schedule, which includes
home, work and family, and – more
importantly – to stick to it.
SPA welcomes your response to these
innovations. Do you think it is a good idea?
Are there drawbacks? How does it compare
with your working life? We will compile a
follow-up in a future issue of SPA News.
BENEVOLENCE
TINA’S NEWS
by Tina Gilchrist
State Benefits
Benefits rules change to help people with cancer:
More people suffering from cancer will get the unconditional
help they need under new proposals published by the DWP.
The changes will mean that hundreds more people a year
who are awaiting, receiving, or recovering from any form of
chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer will be placed in
the Support Group for Employment and Support Allowance
(ESA), where they will get the long-term support they need
while unable to work, whereas before they may have been
placed in the Work Related Activity Group (WRAG) where
they would be expected to make efforts to return to work.
The simpler process will mean all types of cancer treatment are
seen as having the potential to be equally as debilitating, rather
than the current rules which distinguish between different forms
of treatment.
Winter Fuel Payment: Forms are now available to claim
the 2012 Winter Fuel Payment. You must be born on or before
5 July 1951 to qualify. Those over 80 must have been born
on or before 23 September 1932. If you are claiming for the
first time, you must be living in Great Britain or Northern
Ireland in the week of 17-23 September 2012. Once you
have received your first payment you can continue to receive
it if you move anywhere in the European Economic Area or
Switzerland. If you are claiming for the first time and have
not received the forms by January 2013, call: the claim
line 0845 915 15 15; Textphone: 0845 601 5613; from
outside the UK: +44 191 218 7777. Lines are open Monday
to Friday 8.30 am to 4.30 pm. You should receive £200 per
household, or £300 if someone is over 80. If you have already
claimed and received the winter fuel payment, you needn’t
do anything, payment will be automatic.
Warm Home Discount: For winter 2012-13, pensioners
receiving the guarantee element of Pension Credit should
receive an automatic deduction from their fuel bills of £130.
Payments should be made by March 2013. You qualify for
the discount if on 21 July 2012 your supplier was part of
the scheme, your name (or your partner’s) was on the bill,
and you were either:
•80 or over and getting the Guarantee Credit element of
Pension Credit
•Under 80 and only getting the Guarantee Credit element of
Pension Credit –you won’t qualify if you also get Saving Credit.
The following suppliers are part of the scheme: Atlantic,
British Gas, EDF Energy, E.ON, Equipower (Ebico), Equigas
(Ebico), Manweb, M&S Energy, npower, Sainsbury’s Energy,
Scottish Gas, Scottish Hydro, Scottish Power, Southern Electric,
SSE, SWALEC, Utility Warehouse.
If you don’t qualify some suppliers offer the discount to
vulnerable people (e.g. those on a low income). Each supplier
has their own rules.
How to claim: If eligible, you’ll get a letter telling you one
of the following: either you don’t have to apply for the discount
– you’ll get it automatically; or you must apply for the discount
by 13 March 2013. The letter will tell you how.
If your letter doesn’t arrive by February 2013 contact The
Warm Home Discount Scheme Helpline: 0845 603 9439,
lines open: Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.
Directgov website: In October 2012, GOV.UK
replaced Directgov and Business Link websites. This website
should, in future, be the best place to find government
services and information. GOV.UK has been designed to
make it simpler, clearer, and faster for you to get what
you need from the government.
Taxation
Filing Tax Returns: A reminder for the 2011/2012
tax year – if you file an online return, HMRC must receive
it by 31 January 2013 or the taxpayer will be liable
for a penalty.
SPA NEWS | 11
BENEVOLENCE
finance
Financial advice: From 31 December major changes were
made to the way that financial advice is paid for. Advisers will
no longer be paid commission on products; they will have to
charge a fee. The main changes as laid out by the Financial
Services Authority (FSA) are:
1. The cost of advice – financial advice has never been free.
You may not have realised, but you have probably been paying
‘commission’ to your adviser. The company providing the
investment product would have paid your adviser a percentage
of the sum you invested. Now, instead of you paying commission
on new investments, your financial adviser will have to clearly
explain how much the advice will cost, and together you will
agree how you will pay for it. This could be a set fee paid upfront
or your adviser may take the fee from the sum you invest. You
will know exactly what you are paying and that the advice you
receive is not influenced by how much your adviser could earn
from the investment.
2. Products that you are paying for – financial advisers
can cover all products or focus only on certain areas, such as
pensions. Your adviser will have to make clear which products
they can advise on and whether they offer ‘independent’ or
‘restricted’ advice. Financial advisers that provide
‘independent’ advice will be able to consider all types of
investment products that might be suitable for you; they can also
consider products from all firms across the market. An adviser will
have chosen to offer ‘restricted’ advice where they can only
consider certain products, product providers, or both. Your adviser
will have to clearly explain this.
3. Improved professional standards – the FSA are
increasing the standards of qualification that financial advisers
have to meet to ensure their knowledge is up to date; they have
to sign an agreement to treat you fairly.
4. The FSA will monitor firms to make sure they meet these
new standards and have produced a useful guide, Financial
Advice Changes 1–2–3, which can be obtained from their website
at at www.fsa.gov.uk or telephone: 0845 606 1234.
Insurance changes to rules on pricing for men and
women: Following a ruling from the European Court of Justice,
insurance companies are no longer able to take account of gender
when deciding on the price to charge for new insurance policies
or benefits that might be paid. This includes premiums for motor
or life insurance, and the benefits you are paid if you buy an
annuity or claim against life, critical illness, income protection or
health insurance. Only new contracts from 21 December 2012
will be affected, not existing policies that do not need changes.
It is likely that, where men currently pay lower premiums or
get higher benefits (i.e. annuities, critical illness, medical
insurance or income protection) the cost of cover is likely to
rise or, in the case of annuities, the benefits payable are likely
to fall. Similarly, women may be asked to pay more, such as
motor and life insurance.
Tina Gilchrist of CBG Solutions Ltd has been
contracted by the SPBA to provide updates and a
helpline on state benefits.
When you contact Tina, please mention the SPA and
give her a phone number on which she can speak to
you if necessary.
For the helpline service, contact Tina:
CBG Solutions Ltd, 44 Rydal Road, Harrogate, North
Yorkshire, HG1 4SD, 01423 819452 or 07711 555931
[email protected]
Ian Landeryou
SPBA Secretary/Treasurer
020 7934 5131
[email protected]
Cold weather
advice from
Age UK
Age UK have put out a cold weather alert and offer some
very useful advice on precautions that we can all take to
keep safe in cold spells. You can download their practical
Winter wrapped up guide at http://www.ageuk.org.
uk/Documents/EN-GB/Information-guides/
AgeUKIG27_Winter_wrapped_up_inf.
pdf?dtrk=true to get some practical tips to keep warm,
or you can phone 0800 169 6565 for your free copy.
12 | SPA NEWS
BENEVOLENCE
Shell Pensions:
Bereavement Checklist By Kim North
When bereavement occurs, it can be overwhelming trying to
figure out the steps that you need to take to finalise a person’s
affairs. The Pensions Helpline receives many queries from members
who are planning their affairs in order to assist their loved ones
in the event of their death. We have highlighted some key steps
below with regards to your Shell pension, which may assist your
next-of-kin following your death.
1. Personal Details – As a pre-emptive measure, always ensure
that the information we hold on record is current. If your address
has changed, inform the team as soon as possible. If your marital
status has changed, we will also need to see copies of certifying
documents. Having current details on record at the date of death
reduces the time it can take for the team and your next-of-kin to
finalise the administration of your pension.
2. Shell Contact Details – It can help to share our contact
details with next-of-kin. Some members elect to keep this kind of
information in a clearly labelled file, which is then shared with
next-of-kin.
3. Contact us ASAP – Your next-of-kin will need to contact
the team either by calling: 0207 934 1190, or by contacting
your Pension Liaison Representative as soon as possible. Any
delay may result in overpayments being made to your bank
account after the date of death, which will need to be either
repaid by the Estate, or settled separately by your next-of-kin.
4. Death Certificate – The team needs to see a copy of
a death certificate. This doesn’t need to be an original
document; a photocopy or scanned email attachment will
suffice. However, if the individual managing your affairs
does decide to send in an original, the team will ensure that
it is returned securely by recorded delivery.
5. Qualifying Spouse/Dependent’s Pension – if you
have a current spouse, they will automatically be entitled to
receive a pension equalling 60% of the value of your precommuted pension (i.e. if you took a lump sum at retirement,
it is based on the larger value of your pension rather than the
residual amount after a reduction for a lump sum payment).
In order to set up the spouse’s pension, we will have to close down
your record and set up one for your spouse. It is important to make
your next-of-kin aware of this fact for the purposes of financial
planning. The process of calculating a spouse’s pension, preparing
the application forms and setting up the pension will take time.
The sooner we receive notification and subsequently have the
forms returned to us, the sooner we will be able to commence
paying the pension to your spouse.
If you are living with an adult who can be provably shown to be
financially interdependent on your pension income, you may wish
to undertake the Dependant’s Assurance process. By sending in
proof of shared financial responsibilities, it may be possible for
your partner to receive a dependent’s pension in the event of your
death. You should contact the team as soon as possible, so that
we can send out the form to begin the process.
SHELL PENSIONERS BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION
Lloyds TSB Bank future transfer
The SBPA exists principally on donations made by Shell
pensioners, for fellow pensioners who are in distress and
require benevolence to assist with items such as stairlifts,
bathroom refurbishments, mobility aids and urgent
housing repairs.
will be allocated, as banking procedures require all standing
order payees to issue a new standing order instruction to
the new account. Once we have a date for the transfer, I
will contact the current donors with a letter of explanation
and a new standing order instruction for completion.
Donors, who had contributed through a payroll deduction
from their pension (GAYE) until Shell withdrew this facility
in June, were asked if they would continue to contribute by
making a monthly Gift Aid donation through a standing
order instruction with their bank. This was inconvenient but,
due to the efforts of the SPBA secretariat and the goodwill
of many donors, the level of contributions was not severely
impacted.
If, like many ex-Shell Centre employees, you have an account
with Lloyds at South Bank, I understand that you will be
contacted by the bank about any arrangements they may
propose.
Now another problem is in the offing: Lloyds TSB will be
closing their South Bank branch in York Road and SPBA
accounts will be transferred to the branch in the Strand.
Consequently, new sort code and bank account numbers
If you are interested in knowing more about the SPBA, or
would like to contribute, please contact me on 020 7934
5131 or visit the website: http://www.shell.co.uk/home/
content/gbr/aboutshell/pensioners_association/member_
benefits/pensions_advice/benevolence/
Ian Landeryou
SPA NEWS | 13
FEATURE ARTICLE
That was the year that was ...1959
Ardella Jones flicks through back copies of Shelegraph, the Thornton/Stanlow
staff magazine, taking us on a nostalgic journey back to the fifties.
Martini Rally
Cows June 59
Shelegraph cover Dec 5
The slim A5 magazines, with their small
type and monochrome photos, are a far-cry
from today's glossy, full-colour Shell
publications but the energy and enthusiasm
of the men and women whose lives and
interests fill the yellowing pages transcend
the decades. Shell employees were a
sociable, sporty bunch and Shelegraph's
1959 issues testify to thriving clubs in every
activity, from 'Old Tyme' dance to cricket.
Motoring was, of course, a favourite
hobby. A Shell team entered the Martini
Rally in which 120 cars set out at 11pm
one April night from Queensferry. This
was "not a pub crawl", we are told firmly,
but "a route most would have shunned in
daylight, roads with grassy centres and
muddy sides, sheep-tracks”, and
mountainous sections where "brake-fade"
was a hazard. The teams faced tests,
including reverse "wiggles" through pylons,
and "a round-about lane route" before
ending at the Westminster Hotel, Chester,
14 | SPA NEWS
for "a wash and a hearty breakfast". Shell's
Stan Turner and Ted Patterson finished 46th
and 51st, receiving plaques, "but poor old
Norman Walker's navigator succumbed
to car-sickness ... and had to be taken
home to bed."
The sports pages reflect an international
flavour, with the 4th Shell World-Wide Golf
Tournament offering ladies a chance to win
"a silver replica of the Royal Ashanti stool"
from Shell Company Ghana, while the men
vied for a salver engraved with a
kookaburra from Shell Company Australia.
In the boxing section, Tommy Edge is
pictured receiving his prize at the Dunlop
Factory, Speke, from Hogan "Kid" Bassey
MBE (1932-1998), Nigeria's first world
boxing champion.
It seems the summers really were better
back then, with months of hot dry weather
followed by an Indian summer. T.J. Allen's
gardening column tells us that just 14.76"
rainfall was recorded at Stanlow during
the first nine months of 1959 as opposed
to 23 inches the previous year. Banbury
gardening club organised a liquid seed
dressing demonstration on "bunt and smut",
wheat bulb fly and wireworm prevention,
all prevalent in drought.
Low water levels meant the canal had to be
dredged for "old bedsteads, mattresses and
bicycles" before the annual Boat Rally could
take place in Chester. The "perfect dry
weather" did encourage entrants, however,
and dinghies, canoes and converted
narrow-boats thronged the waterway. Shell's
B.S. Lidington took second place in his selfbuilt cabin-cruiser, Shelagh.
Shelegraph recalls bygone times in a
feature about farmer Barry Bailey taking
180 cattle on a ferry across the Manchester
Ship Canal to marshland on the Mersey
FEATURE ARTICLE
by Ardella Jones
Boxing and netball
Estuary. One bullock slipped but scrambled
ashore – "cows are very good swimmers".
A persistent problem is highlighted in one
article: despite suspending a stuffed
sparrow hawk on a bunch of balloons over
South Refinery, starlings were a nuisance.
A decoy golden eagle similarly failed, as
did "flashing lights, steam jets, rattles,
windmills, girder-banging and flapping
rags" and paint claiming to be "the perfect
bird repellent", which the starlings ate.
The November issue's item for the
"modern-minded homemaker no longer
content with coal fires that roast you on
one side, while the other freezes" reminds
us how uncomfortable homes could be.
Fortunately, "winter warmth and yearround hot water supply" were on hand
with a complete central-heating installation
for just twelve monthly-payments of 30/-.
Pre-decimalisation prices look quaint as
well as absurdly cheap, with Stanlow
Apprentices' Association off on a tour of
Belgium and Holland for £14.14s.0d,
including hotels. Shelegraph readers
collected 92 1/2 lbs of silver paper for
guide dogs and raised £1/13/1. I wonder
how much the "valuable Parker pen" in
September's Lost and Found cost?
The Photography Club evidences
technological change in their tips on
suspending a "bounce-flash" from the lightfitting for that must-have shot of the whole
family at Christmas dinner and using a
"bare-bulb flash" to capture the Christmas
tree with a long-exposure for the fairy
lights. No texting digital snaps from your
mobile phone then!
The photo competition points to social
change with its "Bathing Beauty" category;
a woman's place in Shell 1959 was
definitely in swimwear and pearls or at the
Tennis Section Dance, where "happy
members of the Canteen Staff", all female,
celebrated a Miss Eileen Smith's 21st.
Norma Slater, 16, from Stanlow Office
Services, smiles from the page in glorious
black and white; she won Miss Golden
Sands, Rhyl, then Miss Wings 1959.
Meanwhile, at Butlin's Holiday Camp,
Pwllheli, Operations South's Mr. Norman
Brewer's wife and daughter won the
Bounce flash
Mother and Child Competition for their
"appearance, grooming and personality".
The little ladies feature in an item on multipurpose oil, which service station staff in
Ohio, USA, noticed women were buying
in huge quantities – because it made
"excellent suntan lotion". The Netball
Association appeared to get its sporting
priorities right by finally choosing their
uniforms, and Ince hockey team were
beaten 5 - 4 by Acton Ladies.
However, the opening of the new clubhouse
at Whitby heralded modernity, with its
fashionable glass walls, "Picasso-like daubs
in purple and black" and a colour scheme
"only an architect could dream up, and
have the nerve to apply". Mod-cons
included: "air-changing system and underfloor heating", a TV room, sports hall, film
projectors, rifle range, and sun terrace
over-looking 21 acres of playing fields.
Swinging Sixties here we come!
SPA NEWS | 15
GOING GLOBAL
National Committee vacancies:
would you like to get behind the steering wheel?
SPA National Committee has five elected
pensioner members, plus a treasurer,
who each serve five years. In May, three
members will come to the end of their
term of office – Eleanor Brennan,
Malcolm Mitchell and Norman Jarvis
– and we are looking for replacements.
The position is voluntary, though you
SPA Committee
will be reimbursed for travelling and
expenses. Commitment is not too
demanding; there are four meetings a
year, always held in the middle of the
day to allow for travel, plus an AGM
and an annual conference. They are
stimulating and enjoyable. If you are
interested in travel, you will be welcome
as speaker at branch lunches. To give
you a flavour, I asked two members to
say a little about their role.
Malcolm Mitchell: “My five years have
been interesting and rewarding. To see
first-hand how much care and effort is
put into securing various advantages
for SPA members (discount offers, health
and benefit advice, SPA News,
facilitating communications with the
company) was, I must admit, surprising.
I have found it a useful and enjoyable
experience which I recommend to
anybody with an interest in the future
wellbeing of the SPA, who can afford
the time to attend meetings four or five
times a year.”
Eleanor Brennan: “Like Malcolm, I really
enjoy being on the National Committee.
The years have flown by and in that
time we have seen the development of
SPA News into a snazzy magazine and
been involved in the introduction of
Facebook as a quick means for the team
to communicate with members, as well
as for members to contact each other.
Other recent changes include the
restructuring of the Chairmen’s
conference and the introduction of
roadshows. It is only when you take
the time to look back that you realise
how much progress has been made. I
also enjoyed being involved in the
setting up of the N. Ireland branch and
going out to branch meetings in other
parts of the country to keep them in
touch with what is going on at the
national level.
“Without being sexist or racist, I was
pleased to be able to introduce a
woman’s viewpoint and to increase
representation from ‘the north’.”
More information and an application
form are available from the Secretariat.
The form can also be downloaded from
the SPA website – contact details on
page 2. We particularly welcome
interest from the north-west, where we
have large numbers of members. If there
are more applications than positions
available, an election will be held in
the spring.
Closing date is 28 February 2013.
[Photo L-R: Richard Springett, Jill West,
Colin Morsley, Malcolm Mitchell,
Eleanor Brennan, David Watters]
Re-opening of Jubilee Gardens
Her Majesty the Queen visited Jubilee Gardens on 25 October 2012 to officially
open the new gardens and to mark the completion of the £5m transformation
into a new green landmark for London.
She unveiled a new plaque to commemorate her visit. The Gardens were first
created in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee and the plaque she unveiled
then was also on display. It is particularly fitting that, 35 years on, the Queen
returned to open the new Jubilee Gardens in this year of her Diamond Jubilee.
Having been on the Southbank for 50 years, Shell has been one of the major
contributors to the transformation of Jubilee Gardens.
Graham van’t Hoff, Chairman of Shell UK Ltd, is a proud supporter of the Jubilee
Gardens and other projects across the South Bank: “Over the years Shell has
played its part in transforming the South Bank. This is our home and it is important
to us to work with and support our neighbours. Our contribution has helped
transform a patch of land which, not that long ago, was used as a storage area
for equipment during the construction of the underground Jubilee Line. As a
formal member of the Jubilee Gardens Trust, Shell is committed to maintaining
an attractive and vibrant open space for many people to enjoy.”
16 | SPA NEWS
HM arriving at Jubilee Gardens. Copyright SBEG
GOING GLOBAL
Ken 66 and
all that
by Ardella Jones
Shell Pensioner Ken Gray's
working life began as
a forecourt attendant in
Cheshire and ended with
retirement in France, where
he's cooked up a few tips
for SPA readers ...
Ken Gray left school in 1954 and
became a 'Gofer' at Naylor's Garage,
Timperley, Cheshire where he was kept
pretty busy filling customers' tanks and
repairing punctures. His first job was to
push out a cart loaded with pints and
half-pints of lubricant oils – winter and
summer grade oils for prestige cars and
commercial grade for old bangers.
He had just learned the ropes when the
garage changed hands and the new
owner decided he should do it 'the
American Way' offering each customer
oil and tyre checks and a windscreen
wash, as well as petrol.
"I didn't mind," says Ken, "I earned more
in tips than wages but don't tell the tax
man." In addition to forecourt duties,
Ken also had to run up to The Hare and
Hounds in the evenings if the owner was
entertaining friends and come back
carefully carrying their beer order.
Ken doesn't say whether alcohol played
any part in the mishap which befell some
brand-new luxury Jaguars. "We parked
the new Jags criss-cross in the garage; I'd
opened the lower valves for the Tecalemit
lift we used to move them. I went home
leaving the boss to close the lower valve.
When we opened up the next day there
was one Mark IX Jag on its roof and the
others on their sides. Ouch!"
National Service meant Ken was posted
to the Christmas Islands in 1958 and,
like many other soldiers who were there
around the time of the atomic tests, his
health suffered. Eventually his concerned
GP told him to take it easy, relax and
Amelie-Les- Bains
eat a healthy diet. Ken took her advice
and in 1992 moved to France, midway
between Bordeaux and Brive-laGaillarde. Ken advises any SPA readers
thinking of relocating to France to rent
somewhere and spend six months there
before entering into the complicated
business of buying a property. "Take
your time. See what the winter is like."
Ken found his first residence
disappointingly wet and cold in the
winter and moved nearer to the
Mediterranean, to Amelie-Les-Bains near
Perpignan, where the climate is milder.
Though the cost of living is higher in
this lovely Roman spa town, Ken can
nip over the border into Spain where
shopping is much cheaper.
One French tradition Ken has taken to
heart is food. When he reached 66, he
wrote a book of economical, nutritious
recipes entitled "Ken 66". One staple
is a simple fish broth made by boiling
fish heads – cod and haddock are ideal
– with herbs. The liquid is strained and
vegetables added, typically in
Languedoc Roussillon cuisine lots of
tomatoes, onions and garlic. Ken has
even revived the art of cooking pig's
trotters which, after much boiling,
produce savoury jellied meat. "Years
ago," says Ken, "this was part of a
life-supporting diet for the poor farmers
who didn't have money for more
expensive meats. They needed nutritious
food to work long, hard hours outside."
Ken advises house-hunting Francophiles
to "talk to local Brits. Check that it's not
a flood area". A good notaire is
essential and he suggests trying to find
a Brit who speaks fluent French.
Unfortunately, Ken can't help as after
20 years he just 'gets by' in French!
Despite having a stroke on his 73rd
birthday – "some present!" – Ken is
happy at ‘Chez Ken’, with its lovely
views of the Pyrenees, living by simple
rules: "Eat little and often, drink in
moderation and enjoy life!"
SPA NEWS | 17
1st place Brenda Holliday’s Maypole Dancers
SPA 2012
PHOTOGRAPHY
COMPETITION
2nd place Ann Fotheringham Kayaking, South Island
18 | SPA NEWS
We had a good response to this year’s competition, entitled
“Active Life in Retirement”. The committee and Adam Saunders
from Select Insurance Services, the sponsor, had a difficult
job whittling the entries down to just three. We focused on
the word “active”, and had to use a points system to arrive
at an agreed winner and runners-up.
The front cover of this issue shows Brenda Holliday’s Maypole
Dancers. This won top of the pops as it depicted older people
of both sexes enjoying themselves while keeping active. Not
only is it a colourful photo, but it shows a good team spirit.
Brenda wins a voucher for £250.
Runner-up was even harder fought, but the committee agreed
on Ann Fotheringham’s photo of herself and her husband,
Michael, on holiday in New Zealand. They were sea kayaking
off the Abel Tasman National Park, South Island. This is such
a colourful photograph and shows that enjoyment of the
water doesn’t have to be experienced sitting on the deck of
a boat. Ann wins £150 voucher.
Third prize was the most difficult to agree on, but goes to
Carolyn Deane, for her photo of walkers on the Bisse de
Torrent-Neuf in Valais, Switzerland. Carolyn explained that
the motto of the Bisse is ‘Pa Capona!’, which is patois for
“Never give up”: a good motto for the retired, she thinks.
The Bisse (water irrigation channel) is being restored,
originally built in 1430 to the cost of many lives. This bit is
on the side of the mountain with only the fence to prevent a
1,200 metre fall. A lot of Bisses do not have the fence! On
the walk there are four wobbly suspension bridges of about
90 metres long over the drop. A voucher for £50 is on its
way to Carolyn, who lives in France. Carolyn, incidentally,
was a runner-up in our last competition.
Fishing at Potarch, Wilma Nicol
Jenny Radcliffe, A Walk in the Park
There were so many other good entries that we thought we
would have a members’ choice. The four photographs to the
right were also shortlisted. If you would like to vote for the
one you think best meets the criterion, please email, vote on
SPANews Facebook page, or phone the Secretariat (contact
details on page 2) before the end of January, and if there
is an outright winner, SPA will find a token reward.
Many thanks to all the members who entered this year’s
competition. If you sent in a hard copy and would like it
returned, please contact the Secretariat.
We are grateful to Select Insurance Services for their generous
sponsorship of the SPA News photographic competition.
3rd place Carolyn Deane, Never Give Up
Allan Hesse, Self portrait
Alan Weeks, Way of the Roses
SPA NEWS | 19
FINANCE
Prices
Indices
You may be aware that the Office for
National Statistics (ONS) has been
consulting on options for improving the
Retail Prices Index (RPI). Since its inception
in 1947, the statistical methodology used
to calculate the RPI has been adjusted,
periodically. A purpose for the current
review is to seek improved alignment
between the outcomes from the RPI and
those of the Consumer Prices Index (CPI).
The CPI was introduced in 1996, in
response to EU regulation.
Since 1996, the RPI has been 0.9
percentage points above the CPI, on a
monthly average basis. But there have been
considerable variations – from as much as
2.3 percentage points, down to 0.4
percentage points in August 2012.
In 2011, the government switched to using
the CPI for the indexation of State benefits,
tax credits and public sector pensions. The
RPI continues to be used for the indexation
of, for example, pay bargaining, some
price regulation (for certain public utilities),
train fares and National Savings Indexlinked Bonds – and, of course, the annual
indexation of the SCPF and the SOCPF
pensions. It may be important to the outcome
of the ONS consultation that Index-linked
Government Bonds use the RPI.
The content of the ONS consultation is
detailed and statistical (the primary focus
is the different formulae used to combine
price data at the first stage of the construction
of the indices). The SPA National Committee
has been maintaining an active watch on
developments, as the consultation draws to
a close at the end of 2012, and keeping
in touch with Shell Pensions.
Implementation of any change could be as
early as March 2013. The annual
indexation of Shell pensions, due from 1
April 2013, will be based on the RPI
published for December 2012.
It has also been announced that a new
index – the CPIH – will be introduced in
March 2013. The addition of housing costs
to the CPI will position the coverage of the
CPIH closer to the RPI.
Additionally, we are reviewing two recent
reports. Firstly, an ONS study of changes
in incomes of retired households over recent
years and, secondly, a survey by SAGA of
the impact of recent fiscal and monetary
policy changes on pensioner households.
We plan to summarise developments in the
next SPA News.
SPA National Committee
Sources: National Statistician’s consultation
on options for improving the Retail Prices
Index – October 2012, Daily Telegraph
– 13 October 2012 and Saga Final Fiscal
and Monetary Report
Oral health – prevention better than cure
Going to the dentist can be expensive – not
going to the dentist can be even more
expensive and could compromise your oral
health. Having a dental benefit means you
can budget for these costs.
Why should I see a dentist?
•Dentists concentrate on prevention – stopping problems before they get worse
•Looking after your teeth and gums can
help keep you generally healthy and
you are less likely to need costly
dental treatment.
Why choose a dental benefit?
•A dental benefit is one that can be
used on a regular basis, not just in
an emergency
•Dental payment plans are a way of
spreading the cost of your routine
(check-ups, hygiene visits and x-rays)
and restorative (crowns, bridges or
fillings) dental care
•For some people the expense of going
to the dentist can be off-putting – the
dental plans help cover these costs.
Denplan offers corporate rates for
SPA members. Key features include:
•No initial oral health check needed and
pre-existing conditions covered (except
treatment for mouth cancer, pre-planned
treatment or treatment that takes place
before the cover starts)
20 | SPA NEWS
•Choice of dentist whether private, NHS
or Denplan
•24-hour worldwide dental emergency
helpline available in the event of a dental
injury or dental emergency
•Mouth cancer cover (not immediately
available)
•Dependants can be included; their dental
plan must be the same as yours
•Includes cover abroad.
There are four levels of policy, depending
on the services required. If you need help
finding a dentist, Denplan have a Find a
Dentist service. You can choose from one
of approximately 6,500 member dentists
in the UK.
For more information, email: corporate@
denplan.co.uk or phone 01962 828000
HEALTH
Flexibility and posture By Margaret Waddell
The key to good posture, whatever you
are doing – sitting, standing or walking
– is to think tall. Imagine a piece of string
coming from the top of your head and
being pulled towards the ceiling giving
a feel of gentle lengthening. Good
posture requires not only the flexibility
to allow the shoulders and hips to assume
the proper alignment but also the strength
to hold that alignment. As we get older
there is a tendency for the shoulders to
slump and the chin to stick out, making
moving, balancing and breathing more
difficult. Poor posture and inflexibility
also limit the speed and distance that
we can move our bodies. Good posture
on the other hand not only makes you
feel better and look younger, but also
puts less strain on the muscles and
internal organs.
One of the main causes of poor posture
is muscle imbalance, often brought about
by faulty movements (e.g. when the tissue
in the chest shrinks). This pulls the
shoulders forward, causing round
shoulders. When the tissue connecting
the hips to thighs is allowed to shorten,
it pulls the hips forward and a ‘pot belly’
can develop.
Here are some simple exercises you could
try to prevent poor posture:
Trunk rotation – seated with arms
crossed slowly rotate to right then left
Abdominal curl – lie on back with knees
bent, hands on thighs and slowly slide
hands towards knees lifting head and
shoulders keeping hips on the floor
Lower back stretch – sit with straight
legs and reach forwards towards your toes
Back raise – lie face down arms bent to
sides and hands next to shoulders. Keeping
hips on the floor extend your arms and lift
your chest and shoulders upwards
Calf stretch – place hands on the wall,
feet flat on the floor and lean forwards
from the ankles
Chest stretch – pulling arms and shoulders
back as far as they can go
A person with ideal posture should be
almost symmetrical from one side to the
other, with a balance in muscle mass and
joint position. Ideal posture rarely exists;
most people, as they get older, have some
postural deviations.
Good posture is the key to looking and
feeling younger!
Here are some things to look out for when
checking your posture:
•Are your ears, shoulders, hips and hands
hanging down, level with each other?
•Do you have more muscle mass on one
side compared to the other?
•Is one or both of your feet turned in or
turned out?
Lower hip stretch – take stride
forward, tighten abdominals and push
hips forward until stretch is felt in the
front of the lower hip
The major muscle groups which hold one
in a good posture are the gluteus muscles
of the buttocks, which pull down on the
back of the hips raising the front of the
hips; the abdominal muscles, which pull
on the front of the hips; the lower back
muscles, which pull down on the rib cage
raising the chest; and the upper back
muscles, which hold the shoulders back.
SPA NEWS | 21
MEET THE BRANCHES
Sussex branch
Isle of Wight branch
Although one of the smallest, the Isle of Wight Branch is also
one of the oldest. Set up in 1970, it has been running for
42 years. It started with 17 members and, considering there
are no Shell offices on the island, it is surprising that numbers
have actually increased to about 30, with a dozen or so
regularly attending events. SPANews that year advertised
an autumn luncheon, with the tantalising precaution: “…in
view of the recent widely publicised ‘happening’ in the
island, a carefully chosen menu will be provided. Members
will not be invited to take pot luck!” One can only assume
it was referring to the “pot”
consumed at the Isle of Wight
Festival, the last of three wild
events held there.
I joined Chairman Chris
Pryce, membership Secretary
Elaine Gourlay, and a jolly
group at their autumn lunch
in Ryde. Although the
Isle of Wight festival
weather was not kind, the
food was delicious. The
island’s reputation for fresh fish is well deserved. The branch
meets regularly for lunch every month or so, has occasional
visits to places such as Beaulieu, and has an annual outing
to the theatre at Chichester. Members are a well-travelled
bunch, quite a few of them having worked around the world
and choosing to settle on the scenic island.
Chris would welcome new members moving to the Isle of Wight.
Isle of Wight Chris Pryce, Linda Gourlay
At its first meeting in 1979, over 200 members turned up. The
following year, a victim of its own success, the branch had to turn
away members wanting to attend a lunch, as they could only
accommodate 140! I joined Sussex branch for their AGM at the
Windsor Hotel, Worthing, and although the numbers had declined,
there was still a lively turnout, despite the unavailability of some
of the committee. I doubt the quality of food was as good in 1979
as it was at The Windsor in October. The well-stocked raffle raised
£200 for SPBA.
Sussex
Today, members enjoy a varied calendar of social events, such
as a trip on the River Rother, with cream tea. The branch is going
to the dogs, literally, with a trip to the races and lunch, in Hove.
Clive Woollaston, Treasurer and general dog’s body (his words),
tries to keep costs down by emailing members where possible. A
mathematician, he started playing with computers in 1966 and
persuaded SIPC to pay him for his hobby. He and his wife, Jackie,
who also happens to be Chairman, enjoyed their years working
in Africa, while growing their family. Clive helped to introduce
Shell Centre to the ‘new’ desktop ‘thingy’. Jackie still needed a
hobby so played shops – first the ‘village store’ and then a sea
side ‘kiss me quick’ and had lots of fun, too. Now, both retired,
they overlook the beach at Hastings.
Norman Sherry stood in for Chair, Jackie Woollaston, at the AGM.
Norman used to work on in-house communications; his name will
be familiar to many pensioners who read London Shell. Member
Geoffrey Burn was interested in the SPANews article about the
innovative move to open-plan offices. In 1949 the Accounts
department moved from St Helen’s Court to a Houndsditch
warehouse, with 350 people in one room, followed by 250 from
Export on the next floor, then Refining & Marketing. The wheel
has come full-circle; the difference then was that department heads
had their own offices.
Stereo committee members Pauline Messum and Pauline Sharpe
agree that committee meetings are fun. As a first, they will jointly
represent Sussex at the Chairmen’s meeting in 2013.
22 | SPA NEWS
We are sorry if your photo has not
been published but we have
limited space and can only include
a few of the wonderful pictures
that we receive.
CONGRATULATIONS
Members’ Anniversaries
Blue Sapphire (65 years)
Clements Maldwyn and Evelyn of
Newport, South Wales – 2 Aug. Maldwyn
was a Superintendant at Newport
Terminal and former PLR.
Eva & Jim Dickson
Eric & Jean Ellis
Diamond (60 years)
Dickson Eva and Jim of Irby – 2 Aug.
Prior to retirement Jim worked in central
workshops, Stanlow.
Clamp Mary and Allen of Skelton – 22
Aug. Both Mary and Allen worked at
various locations, including Heysham and
overseas. Mary taught at Panaga School
in the mid 50s.
Pulzer Julienne and Geoff of
Hertfordshire – 4 Oct. They met whilst
working in Benzine & Bitumen Accounts.
Emerald (55 years)
Ellis Eric and Jean of Spain – 21 Sept.
Eric worked at Teesport Refinery prior
to retirement.
Golden (50 years)
100th Birthday
for Eric Stubbs on 10 Sept. Eric
worked at Shell Stanlow as a
Sample Driver and Wax Plant
Operator. In his youth he was a
professional footballer and made
many appearances for local teams
until WWII intervened. Officials
from Chester and Wrexham
football clubs attended his party
and Geraint Parry, Wrexham Club
Secretary, said that he was on
record as a tall, speedy left winger
who scored quite a few goals. Eric
kept fit by cycling from Chester to
Stanlow on his push bike for many
years, often in deep snow!
Richard & Ann Marlow
Connor May & Jim of Cumbernauld – 22
Oct. Jim was a Tanker Driver at
Bishopbriggs Depot prior to retirement.
Merson Helen and Peter of Tenterden
– 22 Sept. Peter worked in Group
Finance prior to retirement.
Lochhead Jean and Ron of Lenzie,
Glasgow – 22 Sept. Ron worked at
Glasgow Airport as an Airfield Supervisor
prior to retirement.
Graham & Ann Wallis
100th Birthday
for Albert Gorman on 19 Sept. He
received a card from the Queen, a
letter from Prince Charles, a card
from Lady Mountbatten, and a
lovely bouquet from the SPA, for
which he sends his thanks.
107th Birthday
for Mrs Mandy Unsworth on 22
Sept. She lives by herself, is very
independent, and has promised
Graham she will come for a ride on
the back of his motorbike on her
108th birthday, weather permitting!
Wallis Ann and Graham of Bebington
– 22 Sept. Graham worked at Stanlow
in Operations prior to retirement.
Marlow Ann and Richard of Sevenoaks,
Kent – 12 Sept. Richard and Ann met in
1960 when they were both working at
Thornton Research Centre.
Chandler Ann and Alan of Solihull – 29
Sept. Alan spent most of his 41 years in
Shell Chemicals where he and Ann met.
Albert with son and daughter
Mandy with her PLR, Graham Mercer
SPA NEWS | 23
SHELL CENTRE
Old Shell
artifacts
help recreate
Thomas
Hardy’s world
By clearing old furniture and artifacts
from Shell offices and donating them to
the National Trust, Real Estate has helped
create the historic atmosphere in Max
Gate, an old house which once belonged
to Thomas Hardy and is now open to
the public.
2012 has been a transitional year in Shell
Centre London. After 50 years of occupancy,
the wings and large areas of basements
have been closed. A huge 36,000 square
metres of office space has been cleared of
workstations, ancillary furniture, IT
equipment and arts and artifacts. Real
Estate has been able either to reuse items
at other Shell locations, donate them to
charitable organisations, or offer to staff
for a donation to charity.
During the building’s history, there have
been several refurbishments, including to
executive offices and dining areas, resulting
in a large number of antique items being
stored in the basement. “We wanted to
Max Gate - once home of Thomas Hardy
ensure these went to a good home, and
started researching different charities that
might be interested in them”, says Amanda
Prater, Service Manager, London. “The
National Trust was contacted, and the
timing was perfect.”
Good use for old furniture
Indeed, the National Trust had an empty
house which needed furnishing – Max
Gate, in Dorchester, which belonged to
Thomas Hardy. Max Gate was given in
trust in 1940, but was let to tenants, who
recently moved out, allowing the building
to be opened to visitors for the first time.
The furniture gifted to the National Trust
included bookcases, a selection of chairs,
several writing desks and lamps, and
ceramics. This enabled them to recreate the
world where Thomas Hardy wrote some of
his best-loved works, including Tess of the
d’Urbervilles.
James Grasby, the National Trust curator,
Recreated with the help of Shell Real Estate
commented: “We are fortunate to have
photographs of the house when Hardy was
here so we have used that evidence to
recreate the rooms. Hardy didn’t buy all
new furniture; he furnished his home with
a mixture of items, much as most people
do today. The Shell furniture helps us to tell
the story of what Max Gate was like.”
Historic links with Shell
Later, more historic links with Shell were
revealed. Hardy was acquaintances with
John Betjeman who helped develop the
Shell Guides to Britain books (see p18-19),
aimed at giving Britain’s growing number
of motorists a guide around the counties
and their historical sites; these were financed
by Shell. Betjeman also wrote a poem about
Thomas Hardy “The Heart of Thomas
Hardy” in which he imagines Hardy’s heart
flying out of his grave, along with some of
the characters from his novels – some of
which were written at Max Gate.
John Betjeman was also a friend of, and
worked with, Osbert Lancaster, painter,
writer, cartoonist, theatre designer and
humorist. Lancaster was responsible for the
large mural scene of London that took pride
of place in the Shell Centre Theatre until it
was removed and subsequently destroyed
in a warehouse fire in 2004.
Real Estate were thrilled the furniture
donated could be put to such good use and
be part of the Max Gate story.
For more information on Max Gate and
the National Trust, please visit their website:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk/hardy-country/
24 | SPA NEWS
REUNIONS
Forthcoming Reunions
Woodstock Agricultural Research
Station: 1 April 2013 is the 50th
anniversary of the opening of the
Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology
(Milsted Laboratory). All who contributed
to the success of the laboratories are
invited to join in a reunion, to be held
April/May 2013, in the Sittingbourne
area. A luncheon buffet will roll over
into the afternoon. Contact Brian
Beechey ([email protected]).
All will be revealed as and when
arrangements are finalised.
Shell Venezuela Reunion, 9 May
2013 in London, is open to all personnel
and their families who served anywhere
in the Caracas region, i.e. the whole
of the Western Hemisphere, except
North America, Argentina and Brazil.
Contact: Andy Cole, 2 Drayton Close,
Fetcham, Surrey KT22 9EZ andylcole@
talktalk.net
The Oman Golfers Association:
OGA has around 120 members, of whom
generally 40 to 60 attend. 2013 meeting
will be 9 and 11 July at Wychwood Park
Hotel and Golf Club, near Crewe. Contact
Fred Gray [email protected] Tel: 01624
837247
Ferranti Computers: David PowellEvans worked for Shell in the late 1950s
on the company's first computers, notably
the Ferranti Mark1 in Holland and the
Ferranti Mercury in Trent House, St. Mary
Axe, and would like to hold a reunion
with ex-colleagues. 0208 946 1539
[email protected]
Thornton: An annual Spring meeting is
arranged with a visit to Thornton.
Numbers are restricted. Contact Jane
Davis: [email protected]
SCUK/SICC Chemicals Reunion Lunch
will take place on Thursday 18 April
2013 at Lensbury. Contact Jon Warnke
on [email protected] and 01483
417387
Shell Lubricants UK/Shell Oils UK,
Industrial Markets: The third one will
be on 15 April 2013, again, probably
in the Worcester area. Contact Neil
Bown: [email protected] 01630
647129
Marine: To be on ‘the list’ for the 2013
event, contact Eamonn McGettrick:
[email protected] 01227
740586
Borneo Reunion Curry Lunch: Held
annually on the last Saturday in April at
the Royal Overseas League, Edinburgh.
The group is an eclectic mix of ex-planters,
teachers, medical, trading, oil company
workers etc. Contact: John Stewart, 6
Baberton Mains, Edinburgh EH14 2SR,
email: [email protected]
Shell Chemicals Seniors' Golf Day
will be 8 May 2013 in Sunningdale,
Surrey. Contact Martin Edsall, mgedsall@
waitrose.com
Far East: April 2013 at the Lensbury
Club. Organiser, Don Cheshire 01732
454454
Spotted at Ryedale Folk Museum by Mr P Bootland of Bottesford
SPA NEWS | 25
TIME OUT
A Shell Eye on England:
The Shell County Guides 1934-1984 by
David Heathcote
SPA first offered this book to members
two years ago. A Shell Eye tells the story
of an iconic series which began in the
1930s under the young John Betjeman.
They were original, innovative and
catered for the motorist, a growing
market. The book benefits from
unprecedented access to the Shell Archive
and is beautifully illustrated with over 200
original images from the Guides.
David Heathcote, a historian, presented
the BBC4 series Art Deco Icons. We
have been contacted by the publishers
again, as they have discounted the
price, to make the publication more
affordable. The full price of £24.95 is
reduced to £13 inc. postage & packing,
for SPA members.
Visit www.libripublishing.co.uk and
insert the code DWD5 to obtain the
discount. The offer is valid until 30
March 2013. If you do not have internet
access, contact the Secretariat, who
can place the order for you.
Lensbury Reciprocal Arrangements
Simon Plummer, Club Manager
You could be anywhere in the world:
relaxing in beautiful private surroundings;
overlooking a dramatic vista; a leisurely
swim in a beautifully heated pool; or
having afternoon tea in a plush lounge.
These experiences are at your fingertips
with membership at The Lensbury, with
its reciprocal club arrangements with 31
prestigious private clubs worldwide,
including:
•The Harvard Club, Boston
•The Vancouver Club, Canada
•The Union Club, Philadelphia
•Naga Club, Beijing
•Oporto Cricket and Lawn Tennis
Club, Portugal
Our unique network means that by being
a member of The Lensbury, when you
travel worldwide you can stay at amazing
private destinations.
You can become a member of The
Lensbury for as little as £9.76 per month
as an Occasional Member. This special
category of membership is exclusive to
Shell Employees and Pensioners and
allows you to visit The Lensbury up to 12
times per calendar year. A visit can be
a few hours or up to two weeks, if staying
in the hotel.
26 | SPA NEWS
Even if you do not wish to travel the
world, this membership allows you to
enjoy the extensive facilities at The
Lensbury and to access reduced member
rates for stays in the hotel. The hotel
rooms at The Lensbury have been rated
four stars by the British Travel Association
and we have recently added a new
category of room – the Executive
Bedroom, with more space and more
luxurious appointments.
There are several Royal Palaces within
a 20-mile radius, as well as a plethora
of Historic Houses, and Kew Gardens is
moments away. Close to London
Waterloo and with easy access to London
Heathrow, we are in a prime location
for getting around and enjoying London.
If you have any questions about
membership, please call us on 0208
6146420 or visit www.lensbury.com
The Museum
of Brands
Notting Hill,
London
The Museum of Brands, Packaging and
Advertising is located just off Portobello
Road in Notting Hill. It showcases over
12,000 objects from the Robert Opie
Collection. Its ‘time tunnel’ reveals
decade by decade how our favourite
products evolved and how society
evolved with them. Aquamanda perfume,
Omo washing powder, Spangles sweets
and Dansette record players form just a
sample of what is on display.
Classic television commercials play in
the Museum cafe too – Sammy Davis Jr’s
“You can be sure of Shell” advert from
the 1960s being one of them. The
Museum of Brands, won the Little
Treasures of Britain Award at the 2012
Group Travel Awards. To celebrate, it
offers SPA members a special group
deal: one admission ticket, tea/coffee
and a biscuit for £5 plus a 10% discount
in the Museum gift shop. Please present
your SPA membership card when
purchasing. The offer is available until
26 May 2013.
Payments
abroad:
reduced fees
offered to
members by
Travelex
Last year, SPANews featured an article
about the fees associated with sending
money abroad via a bank. As a result,
some members contacted and used
Travelex, a foreign exchange specialist.
The company was pleased to welcome
this type of business and is offering
discounted fees to all SPA members.
With around 20 million Brits making
overseas payments for property
purchase, moving abroad, paying tuition
fees or sending money home,
approximately £153 million is paid in
fees each year and being sent at inferior
rates to those achievable via a specialist.
According to a report published by
Travelex*, one in 10 of those that have
transferred money in the last year sent
£10,000 or more and the amount of
money being transferred is increasing
each year. Fifteen percent of those
questioned are now spending over
£5,000 more than they were last year.
The average fee for money transfers was
£17. Over one-third of people regularly
pay £20 or more, whilst one in 20 are
used to paying over £40. Attitudes to
fees are mixed: one-fifth said they thought
fees are generally expensive, yet more
than half admitted to not actually
checking the fees before they transferred
their money. One in 10 views the fees
as a ‘necessary evil’.
Travelex International Payments offers
customers a secure way to transfer
money. Transactions over £2,500 are
fee-free or £7 for smaller payments,
almost 60% cheaper than the £17
average fee.
SPA has taken this one step further, and
negotiated free transfers for all members
on amounts over £500. The service is
available online or over the phone.
Follow this link to find out more: http://
internationalpayments.travelex.co.
uk/?pid=2038
Or you can register over the phone on
+44 (0) 207 614 4185 and mention the
SPA to obtain the offer of free transfers.
*please contact Travelex should you
require any confirmation on any of the
article sources.
SPA NEWS | 27
BRANCH CONTACTS
Cheshire
Alan Steele | Tel: 01928 731246| Email: [email protected]
1st Tuesday of the month, Talks/presentations, Whitby Social Club
15 Jan New Year buffet and prize draw, Whitby Social Club
Chilterns & Thames Valley
JudithTurner | Tel: 01895 637188 | Email: [email protected]
15 May Lunch & AGM, Sonning Golf Club
Cumbria & Lancashire
East Surrey
Ken Lovell | Tel: 01900 823414 | Email: [email protected]
4 Mar AGM and lunch, Longlands Hotel Tewitfield, Carnforth
Devon & Cornwall
David Watters | Tel: 01803 856648 | Email: [email protected]
East Anglia
Sally Brown | Tel: 01502 585023 | Email: [email protected]
18 Apr Lunch, Park Farm Hotel, Hethersett
Essex
Iris Shaw | Tel: 01375 679908 | Email: [email protected]
Guest speaker each month
Gtr Manchester walking group
Greater Manchester
(details on branch website)
Bryan Clarke | Tel: 0161 456 5083 | Email: [email protected]
Branch website www.spa-manchester.org.uk
Regular events: flat walking every 3rd Thurs, hill walking every 2nd Weds
14 Feb York Chocolate Story and visit York
25 Feb Warners Self Drive holiday
4 Mar AGM and Spring Lunch at Sale Conservative Club
14 Mar National Coal Mine and Nortel Priory
23 Apr Smithills Hall & Lunch
Isle of Man
East Anglia - Blinking
David Wilson | Tel: 01624 833510 | Email: [email protected]
Isle of Wight
Elaine Gourlay | Tel: 01983 209617 | Email: [email protected]
Kent
Elaine Egalton | Tel: 01795 520117 | Email: [email protected]
16 May AGM & afternoon tea, Boughton Golf Club, near Faversham
The Marches
Gill Stovold | Tel: 01568 760241 | Email: [email protected]
18 Apr Spring Meeting, Cadmore Lodge
Sussex
Northumberland & Durham
28 | SPA NEWS
Midshires
Alan Chandler | Tel: 0121 705 1648 | Email: [email protected]
Feb tba Pub lunch near Stratford
Apr tba JCB factory tour & lunch
BRANCH CONTACTS
North London & Herts
Robert Hillyard | Tel: 01707 654165 | Email: [email protected]
20 Mar Lunch & AGM, Brookman’s Park
30 Apr Visit and guided tour of Kensington Palace
22 May Guided Walk "Old Palace Quarter”, Green Park to Shepherds Market
North & Mid Hants
Malcolm Wells | Tel: 01256 346743 | Email: [email protected]
Northern Ireland
Alma Atkins | Tel: 02890 839003 | Email: [email protected]
14 Mar Visit to Crumlin Road Jail
North London and Herts
Northumberland & Durham
Doug Renton | Tel: 0191 252 5331 | Email: [email protected]
Scotland
June Wilson | Email: [email protected]
Branch website: www.sspasite.co.uk, webmaster: Colin Ferrier
13 Jan Sunday lunch, Woodbank
8 Feb Wine tasting, Woodbank
18 May AGM (prov), Woodbank
Selkent
Sylvia Sellers | Tel: 01732 455523 | Email: [email protected]
19 Mar AGM, Bromley Court hotel
North and Mid Hants committee AGM
Severn & Avon
Gerry Mapson | Tel: 01452 712084 | Email: [email protected]
South Hants & Dorset
Colin Lambert | Tel: 01202 749676 | Email: [email protected]
South Wales
Mavis Morgan | Tel: 01792 201276 | Email: mavis-morgan@o2 co.uk
East Surrey
Denis Reed | Tel: 020 8942 2388 | Email: [email protected]
Calendar agreed after going to press. Contact branch for details
West Surrey Poppy Factory
West Surrey
Margaret Parsons | Tel: 01483 811103 | Email: mike_margaretparsons@
btinternet.com
12 Mar Pub Lunch, The Bell Inn, Hampton
12 Apr Spring Lunch, Lensbury Club
Sussex
Clive Woollaston | Tel: 01424 437572 | Email: [email protected]
Yorkshire
Hanneke Wood | Tel: Contact SPA | Email: [email protected]
Mar tbc Visit to Richmond, and Georgian theatre tour
Apr tbc AGM
Yorkshire lunch
South
Hants
& Dorset
Yorkshire
lunch
At the time of going to press, most branches had
not finalised their 2013 calendar
SPA NEWS | 29
OBITUARIES
We will include in this column the death
of spouses of members; however, we are
totally reliant on you advising us of such
details. We have recently been unable
to publish the last place at which the
deceased pensioner worked. However,
the issue is being resolved and we should
be able to include this information in the
spring issue.
Alexander, Mrs C M (85) widow of A
Johnston – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
21 Sept
Ali, Zainool (73) – Shell Research LtdSittingbourne died 25 Oct
Angel, Mrs Euphemia Lucy (90) widow of
Norman – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
17 Aug
Annett, Capt R E (91) – Shell Tankers (UK)
Ltd died 31 Oct
Armstrong, Mrs B A (78) widow of R
Armstrong – Shell Chemicals UK Ltd died
14 Oct
Aston, Francis Derek (80) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 20 Sept
Avery, Mrs Mona Margarita Avery (98)
widow of Frank Edward – SPDC of Nigeria
died 13 Oct
Ball, Arthur (89) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 14 Sept
Barnes, Alfred (91) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 3 Sept
Barnes, John Thomas (78) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd – Marine Afloat died 4 Oct
Bartlett, R E (92) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 13 Jul
Bee, Thomas (83) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 7 Oct
Beesley, George (53) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd-Aberdeen died 17 Oct
Bettinson, Mrs Joyce Florence (79)
widow of Lawrence Edward – Shell UK LtdShell Haven died 16 Aug
Birbeck, Mrs Ivy Florence (99) widow of
W H Birbeck – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 16 Sept
Blake, Miss P M (89) – Shell International
Limited died 23 Sept
Brewin, Robert Peter (79) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 13 Sept
Briggs, Joseph Arthur (66) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd – Strand-London died 28 Oct
Broadey, Mrs Marjorie E (84) widow of
A Broadey – Shell Chemicals UK Ltd died
19 Oct
Broadwood, Mrs H A C (87) widow of
W F Broadwood – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 11 May
Brooks, Mrs B M (97) widow of S H
Brooks – Shell Research-Egham died 22
Aug
Brown, Mrs A L (62) widow of B A Brown
– Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 16 Oct
Burns, R (82) – Shell Chemicals UK Ltd
died 30 Oct
Burton, K (83) – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 11 Sept
30 | SPA NEWS
Bush, Mrs Freda Mary (94) widow of
Edward Stanley – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 6 Sept
Calveley, Thomas Neville (85) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 22 Oct
Carey, A (81) – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 1 Jul
Chester, Mrs W M (88) widow of A D
Chester – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 6
Oct
Cooke, A H (69) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd Aberdeen died 1 Oct
Cousens, D M (77) – Shell International
Petroleum Company Ltd died 21 Oct
Davis, A J (84) – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 26 Oct
Davis, Mrs Jean (90) widow of B A Davis
– SMBP/POWER/NAT.BENZOLE died 10
Sept
Davies, R F (80) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 27 Aug
Deane, Mrs Naomi Patricia (80) widow
of Donald Edward – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 1 Aug
Devlin, Miss Patricia (84) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 14 Sept
Ede, Ernest Arthur (91) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 23 May
Edwards, Sidney George (91) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 6 Sept
Ellis, Raymond Milton (88) – SMBP/
POWER/NAT.BENZOLE died 3 Oct
Emmerson, Edgar (88) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 12 Oct
Etheridge, Cyril Kenneth (91) – Shell UK
Oil Products died 23 Sept
Fairholme, Mrs Patricia Marion (77) –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 26 Jul
Fairhurst, Miss S (89) – Shell Research
Ltd died 14 Aug
Fitch, I B P (83) – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 24 Sept
Ford, Mrs J C D (82) widow of W H Ford
– Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 10 Jun
Foster, Mrs Anne (77) widow of John –
SUKO, Teesport Refinery died 21 Sept
Fraser, William Jack (80) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd Aberdeen died 11 Jul
Fursey, Roy Albert Evan (85) – Shell
Research Ltd-Thornton died 3 Oct
Geach, Eric Julian (92) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 3 Sept
Geach, Michael (81) – Shell International
Petroleum Company Ltd died 15 Oct
George, H R (91) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 13 Sept
Germany, Derek George (79) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd-Shell Haven Refinery died
14 Oct
Glendinning, Mrs Anne Ruth (76) widow
of James Garland – Shell Chemicals Japan
Ltd died 1 Oct
Goodchild, Mrs Margaret Joy (86)
widow of William Authur – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 29 May
Grant, Andrew Thompson Pitalla (88) –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 26 Oct
Gray, Terence Henry George (69) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd died 29 Sept
Gregory, R E (90) – Shell Chemiclas UK
Ltd died 7 Sept
Gresswell, Mrs Pauline Valerie (66)
widow of Brian William – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 17 Oct
Grimshaw, T B (87) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 29 Aug
Gumbleton, Mrs Ann MacDonald (101)
widow of Albert Edward – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 27 Sept
Haddon-Harding, Mrs V M (83) –
Shell/BP Funds died 9 Jul
Hall, Mrs M J (81) widow of H Hall – Shell
Chemicals UK Ltd died 15 Oct
Hall, Mrs Rosamond Christine (92) widow
of J D Hall – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
4 Jul
Hargreaves, Mrs J (82) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 23 Sept
Harris, Michael (69) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd-Aberdeen died 8 Sept
Harvey, Mrs Joan Marian (69) widow of
Barry – Shell Research Thornton died 31
May
Herbert, E W (87) – Colas Products died
28 Sept
Hopkins, J J (91) – SIPM died 4 Aug
Houraghan, Francis James (86) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd died 1 Aug
Howard, Mrs N (88) widow of S C
Howard – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
30 Oct
Howson, A (85) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 2 Oct
Hughes, Mrs P C (83) widow of L H C
Hughes – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
13 Oct
Humbert, R E (92) widower of Mrs Y
Humbert – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
24 Sept
Isaacs, Mrs Kathleen Rose (91) – Shell
Research Ltd died 28 Oct
James, David Leonard (85) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 11 Jul
James, Stanley Kenneth (82) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 25 Aug
Jeffery, Bernard Porter (73) – Shell
Tankers (UK) Ltd died 30 Oct
Johansen, William Henry (78) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd – Stanlow Refinery died 8
Oct
John, Vivian (75) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 30 Jun
Jones, Mrs Irene (88) widow of Kenneth
Jones – SMBP/POWER/NAT.BENZOLE
died 1 Sept
Jones, Mrs J A (96) widow of K Jones –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 4 Jun
Jones, Wallace (85) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd-Cheadle Hulme died 16 Sept
Kelly, William Gordon (85) – Shell
Chemicals UK Ltd died 17 Oct
OBITUARIES
Kilshaw, Mrs G L (91) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 16 Jul
Kimberley, John Ernest (86) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 10 Oct
King, Mrs Monica Low (79) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd – Aberdeen died 6 Oct
Klein, Mrs Ruth Erica (80) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 27 Jul
Knott, Mrs Cecilia Elizabeth (98) widow
of George Arthur Henry – Shell Tankers
(UK) Ltd died 15 Sept
Lewis, E H (94) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 20 Sept
Lindley, Charles Michael (79) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd-East Midlands Airport died
2 Oct
Lindsay, Archibald Bartleman (65) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd-Aberdeen died 31 Jul
Loveridge, Ronald Joshua (92) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd-Carrington died 4 Sept
Lunt, Edward Vernon William (91) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd died 16 Sept
Marcus, Mrs Dorothea Mercedes (90)
widow of D C Marcus – Shell Malaysia
Trading Sendirian Berhad died 8 Oct
Marr, Felix Tea Li (65) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 10 Aug
Marshall, Mrs Hazel May (86) widow
of F C Marshall – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 17 Aug
Matthews, Mrs Constance Vera (92)
widow of E H Matthews – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 30 Jul
Mckay, Raymond (81) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 5 Aug
Mckirgan, Mrs W (90) widow of F
Mckirgan – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
15 Jul
Mehta, Miss Nilakumari Jagjivan (63) –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 18 Aug
Mellowship, Mrs B M (97) widow
of H A Mellowship – Shell International
Petroleum Company Ltd died 3 Oct
Michaels, Christian (89) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 20 Aug
Miles, Mrs S (97) widow of F J A Miles –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 2 Aug
Mills, Mrs Helen Margaret (89) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 23 Jul
Moffat, Francis Leopold (84) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 28 Aug
Moloney, Mrs Helen Elizabeth (87) –
Shell Chemicals UK Ltd died 3 Oct
Morgan, Mrs S (94) widow of T Morgan
– Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 28 Jun
Morrissey, Mrs Annie Josephine (78)
widow of Joseph – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 16 Sept
Moutrie, Miss J C (92) – Shell
International Petroldum Company Ltd died
28 Aug
Murgatroyd, J A T (73) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 13 Sept
Murnaghan, V P (86) – Colas Products
died 8 Nov
Nacson, Mrs Joyce (90) widow of
George – Shell Research Ltd died 14 Nov
Naylor, Harold (70) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd-Marine Afloat died 5 Aug
Neil, William Michael Thomas (99) – Shell
Tankers (UK) Ltd died 22 Sept
Norman, Capt Derek P W (82) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd died 3 Jul
Norris, Mrs L M (91) widow of A Norris –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 12 Oct
North, R E (91) – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 1 Oct
Payne, Mrs J (84) widow of A Payne –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 9 Jun
Pemberton, Mrs Gwendoline Peggy
(wife of Kenneth Alfred) died Jun
Pemberton, Kenneth Alfred (89) widower
of Gwendoline Peggy – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 19 Aug
Pentecost, Ronald William (88) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd died 22 Sept
Poppleton, Mrs V (95) widow of F
Poppleton – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
24 Sept
Potts, John Ronksley (85) – Shell
International Petroleum Company Ltd died
17 Oct
Price, Mrs B M (83) widow of R F Price –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 23 Sept
Price, Mrs D V L (82) widow of G T Price –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 11 Oct
Price, Mrs M M (97) widow of E J Price –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 22 Aug
Pullen, Mrs N C (77) widow of T A W
Pullen – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 4
Aug
Richford, Mrs Jean (86) widow of K
Richford – Shell Eastern Petroleum (PTE) Ltd
died 19 Oct
Roberts, Mrs Barbara (82) widow of Reg
– Shell Expro Braefoot Bay died 14 Sept
Robinson, Derek Horton (69) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd – Carrington died 9 Aug
Robinson, Guy Vivian Fennell (82) – Shell
International Petroleum Company Ltd died
3 Oct
Robson, Mrs O (91) widow of J S Robson
– Shell International Petroleum Company Ltd
died 26 Sept
Roditi, Mrs S H (82) widow of J H Roditi –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 18 Sept
Rossi, Mrs M E (82) widow of A Rossi –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 21 Jun
Rowden, Miss Susan (77) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 7 May
Ruddock, Colin (77) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 1 Aug
Shearn, Roger Alan (68) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 16 Sept
Shone, G (71) – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd
died 30 Sept
Simlet, C M (65) – Shell UK Exploration &
Production Ltd died 25 Oct
Singleton, Mrs E M (83) widow of R
Singleton – Shell Chemicals UK Ltd died 14
Oct
Skilling, Mrs M (92) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 22 Sept
Smith, Emlyn (92) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 20 Sept
Smith, Mrs W (94) widow of J Smith –
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 11 Sept
Smitham, Mrs M (90) widow of A
Smitham – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
12 Jun
Snare, Mrs Jennifer (76) widow of Mr F G
Snare – Shell Research Ltd died 11 Oct
Snell, Thomas Graham (72) – Shell
Tankers (UK) Ltd died 7 Sept
Snelling, Mrs C J (85) widow of J W
Snelling – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 7
Oct
Stephens, M (82) – Shell UK Oil Products
Ltd died 28 Sept
Stuart, Mrs S M (76) widow of D C Stuart
– Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 1 Aug
Sutehall, Roger (89) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 31 Jul
Taylor, Mrs Alice (91) widow of T A
Taylor – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 8
Aug
Tremlett, Brian Ronald (76) – Shell
International Limited-Shell Centre died 5
Oct
Tyler, Mrs Maureen (79) – Shell
International Petroleum Company Limited
died 3 Sept
Vernon, Mrs Kathleen Margaret (84) –
Colas Ltd died 28 Jul
Walker, Colin (86) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 3 Aug
Walker, George (87) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd – Stanlow Refinery died 9 Oct
Walker, Graham Basil (86) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 18 Aug
Walls, Leonard John (84) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd - Stanlow Refinery died 27 Oct
Ward, P B (61) – Private Oil Holdings
Oman Ltd died 2 Oct
Watkiss, John James Leonard (80) – Shell
UK Oil Products Ltd-Teesport Refinery died
30 Sept
Westmacott, Michael H (87) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 20 Jun
Whitham, Barclay Thorpe (89) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 16 Sept
Wilkinson, Mrs L R (94) widow of J
Wilkinson – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died
3 Sept
Williams, Ronald (85) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd died 30 Aug
Wines, Gilbert Godfrey (88) – Shell UK
Oil Products Ltd died 27 Jul
Wiseman, Mrs M (87) widow of A
Hulme – Shell UK Oil Products Ltd died 18
Sept
Wrench, Mr D (77) – Shell Chemicals UK
Ltd died 17 Sept
Wright, Leslie R (84) – Shell UK Oil
Products Ltd Shellhaven Terminal died 15
Jul
SPA NEWS | 31
SH EL L .CO.U K/ SPA