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- Bata Reminiscence and Resource Centre
Bassett Family – 26 June 1954
Told his sons and they joined Father at East Tilbury.
In 1910, a man who is today a senior Bata worker, ran a mile on the Cobler’s Meed track, at Corringham in four minutes, sixteen seconds – “and no one in Essex has ever done it any faster,” he said proudly. He is a sprightly 68, and cannot repeat the performance now, but, like his sons, he is still keenly interested in athletics.
The one-time foremost miler is Alf Bassett, (picture at right) a manipulator for the engineers department, both his sons are well-known stock-keepers – Steve, wholesale stock, and Dick, spare parts stock. His son-in-law, Tom Estrid, works in the leather factory.
It is Alf’s present job to see that every shop in the engineers’ department is properly supplied from iron stock. “It keeps my busy, but I enjoy it,” he told Bata Record.
“I have to make sure that there is a steady flow to the various shops of just the material that they want.
“During the time I have done this, I must have handled hundreds of tons of material, mainly cutting material, for which I am specially responsible. This in itself, needs particular care, in order that the lengths and quantities – top say nothing of the quality – are not only cut correctly, but sent to the workshop exactly according to order.
“Fourteen years ago Alf Bassett came to East Tilbury from one of the big oil refinies, where he had been a dipper. At first he worked in the boiler house, before his service as a fitter. Wiry, lively, and looking much younger that his age, he attribute4s his health and apparent youthfulness to the athletic activity in which he took part in this younger days.
“My favourite distance was the mile,” he said, “and I ran it scores – if not hundreds – of times, mainly at sports meeting in south-east Essex. I am naturally proud of that unbeaten four-sixteen mile – it was considered an outstanding time in those days, and don’t think it exactly slow now. When I ran, I was unattached.” Alf could also play in any position in a football team’s forward line. “And did Steve tell you what he did in the way of athletics? No? I thought not. Well, he was a champion Essex three-miler, as well as being champion of his Army district – he was a P.T. trainer in the Essex Regiment.”
It was in 1938 when Steve Bassett started with British Bata, in the retail department. They he worked in the stockrooms when the retail stock and the wholesale stock were in 1947, he said, they were separated – all stockrooms were making so much progress.
Steve (in above picture) and his workers are always well to the fore in stock-keepers’ competition, and he has won several of them. “I have a fine lot of chaps,” he remarked, “always keen on helping me to keep things clean and orderly.” Although no longer taking part in athletics, Steve still takes a keen interest in them, and regularly studies the achievements of performers, from international champions to village runners.
Dickie Bassett (picture to right) came to East Tilbury from Shell six years ago, and has been in the engineers’ department most of the time. His work as spare parts stock-keeper is exacting but interesting, and he can always be relied on to see that departments are smoothly supplied with the hundreds of different items they require every week. Until recently, Dick used, regularly to practice small-bore rifle shooting, at which he became an expert. He usually practice at West Thurrock range, where he was one of the best-known patrons. Another of his hobbies was the breeding of budgerigars, of all kinds and colours – “but not outstandingly valuable,” he believed. His aviary of them was one of the most interesting in the area. Although he could almost certainly at least hold his own at either, or both, these pursuits, he is no longer engaged actively in them. Chief reason in that he is saving to get married.
Two of the sisters and Dick are former Bata workers, and Tom Estrid (picture at left) married the younger of them – Doris. He met her while working in the same department of the leather factory and the friendship ripened rapidly. He has helped to make several types of men’s shoes, and is now in Dept 472, engaged on goodyear welted production. He is a laster, as he has been almost ever since he came to East Tilbury in 1940.
A native of Hull, Tom cam south in that year, and thought he would like to get a job. Hearing, like other people, of the good conditions associated with British Bata, he joined the East Tilbury team. During the war he served in the Royal Artillery.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1886 - 1965 (78 years)