Second World War Railway Workers
From: Pete Vance (pete.vance@testimonyfilms.com)
To: asleframsgate@hotmail.co.uk
Hello, please excuse me for writing unannounced! I'm writing from Testimony Films in Bristol, an Independent production company that specialises in social and historical documentary and the preservation of memories (I've included a bit about us below). I'm currently researching a new documentary series which looks at the fantastic work accomplished on the home front by civillians which was just as vital to the Nation's success as the bravery on the front line. I was just wondering whether ASLEF Ramagate was in contact with anyone who may have been around working on the railways during the war or even any ex-employees or historians who might have any leads in this direction (I realise it was many years ago now and is increasingly becoming a long shot, but I thought I'd ask just on the off chance!) Their work was so important to the nation and to the war effort it would be fantastic to be able to represent it in this project. If you felt this was something you could help me with I would really appreciate it, either send me a message or give me a ring on the number below. Thankyou!
TESTIMONY FILMS is one of Britain’s leading independent producers of social history programmes. It has established a reputation for consistently delivering programmes which achieve high ratings and critical acclaim. Many Testimony series like The 50s and 60s in Living Colour (ITV1), A Secret World of Sex (BBC2) and Veterans: Last Survivors of the Great War (BBC1) have won major national and international awards including the Royal Television Society Best Documentary, The BFI Archive Film Award, The Chicago Film Festival Gold Hugo and the San Francisco Film Festival.
Bristol based Testimony Films was formed in 1992 by producer, director celebrated oral historian Dr. Steve Humphries. Steve – described by Broadcast as “the king of oral history” is vice-president of the Oral History Society - the national and international organisation dedicated to the collection and preservation of people’s memories. He has interviewed thousands of men and women across the UK on all aspects of British life.
Testimony has made more than one hundred network programmes for BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4. The programmes are distinguished by groundbreaking research and emotional power. They are based on the intimate experiences of men and women, often talking for the first time about difficult, sensitive and taboo subjects. Some of Testimony Film's outstanding series include, A Labour of Love a six-part BBC2 series on the history of parenting and family life in Britain, Married Love (Channel 4), looking at love and sex in married life, Sex Love and War (UKTV History), reveals the love and sex revolution of the 1940s, and Love Child (ITV1) which focused on the social history of adoption. Broadcast in 2005, Love Child received one of ITVs largest helpline responses.
We have also produced award winning one-offs for all national and international channels including Little Kinsey (BBC 4) uncovering Britain's first ever sex survey, 9/11: The Man Who Predicted 9/11/The Miracle of Stairwell B/Ground Zero (Channel 4) - three amazing stories of courage and bravery from people involved in the 9/11 disaster, and Sex in a Cold Climate (Channel 4) Witness strand. It was an expose of nun’s abuse of young unmarried mothers. It led to a huge helpline response and directly inspired the Peter Mullen’s feature film THE MAGDALENE SISTERS, which was met with international acclaim.
Testimony is currently working on a special Remembrance Day documentary for BBC 4 called What Did You Do In The War Daddy? (9pm, Nov 11th, Remembrance Day) with poignant testimony from the children of WWI, now in their nineties, many of whom lost their fathers in the Great War. Additionally for the History Channel, having interviewed so many World War One veterans over the last 15 years; Testimony Films will be combining these incredible interviews into an epic six part oral history of World War One (TBA, 2008).
FOR MORE INFO ON THIS PLEASE SEE THE BRANCH HISTORY PAGE .
WHAT HAVE THE UNIONS EVER DONE FOR US?
Subject: on line petition
Petition Downing Street on Longer Lorries
Keith Norman is asking members to sign an on-line petition on the Downing Street website calling on the government not to allow longer and heavier lorries onto our roads. The initiative was begun by Alan Edwards, an ASLEF member at Ipswich (Freightliner).
The link for the petition is http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Ban60tonlorries/
‘I’m grateful to Alan for setting up the petition,’ Keith says, ‘and I hope a good number of drivers will support the idea.’
Alan points out on the No 10 site that, ‘These lorries are up to 30 metres long, and weigh between 60 to 84 tonnes, the 60 tonner is 50% longer and over a third heavier than existing 44 tonne lorries,that already use our roads.They are totally unsuited to our roads on economic, environmental and especially saftey grounds. We have enough lorries on our already congested roads, so use the alternative,put the traffic on the railways.’
The union is lobbying on the issue, but signing the petition is another useful way of getting our views across. It has been used successfully in the past – notably on the issue of road pricing.
