Innovations in Gloucester

Come for the day and bring a picnic to enjoy in the Hub’s community garden, or just pick one or two talks.

10.00 Fielding and Platt: Engineering the world

Throughout its 162-year history Fielding and Platt has been at the forefront of innovative design. Innovations include the first ever vacuum cleaner, the ‘Tweddell’ hydraulic and pneumatic rivetters revolutionising civil engineering, shipbuilding and railway workshops throughout the world, and concrete paving and kerb stones still found in Gloucester and throughout the UK. John Bancroft will introduce a 1950s company film, followed by the “Centenary Film”, put together recently by former employees from previously unseen 1960s footage.

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11.20 Dowty innovators: the people of the Dowty group

Ally McConnell’s presentation on the Dowty Group will focus on oral reminiscences that have been collected since the start of the Dowty project, whilst also taking time to look at the innovative work of Sir George Dowty and his teams of engineers. Want to get involved? An opportunity for those with memories of working at Dowty to sign up to share their unique memories.

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13.30 – Gloucester Corporation: innovation in the city in the mid-20th century

Karen Davidson has recently begun a project to catalogue the 20th century records of the Corporation of Gloucester, which cover a crucial period for the development of the city up to 1974. This talk looks at how new technologies such as the motor car and telephones affected the city from the 1920s onwards, how the Corporation promoted Gloucester as a suitable site for industry, and how an early aviation pioneer inspired the creation of what is now Gloucestershire Airport. Want to get involved? We’re looking for volunteers to help us identify Gloucester buildings and street scenes. Examples will be on display…

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14.50 An improving picture: 200 years of mental health provision in Gloucestershire

Join Jemma Fowkes to learn about Gloucestershire’s place in developing greater understanding of – and a more humane approach to – mental illness. She will cover the first county asylum in Horton Road and the private asylum at Barnwood House Hospital which introduced psychotherapy for its patients – well ahead of national trends.

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