Biography of Harold Norman SWINNERTON
[Ref. R.18]
| Biography |  |
Qualifications | |
Appointments | |
Contracts |
Biography of Harold Norman SWINNERTON
[Ref. R.18]
| Biography | |
Qualifications | |
Appointments | |
Contracts |
Employment
After leaving Granby Street school in 1931, his first job he had was as a Carpenter and Maintenance Assistant at the premises of R Sumner & Co Ltd of 40 Hanover Street in Liverpool where he started in February 1931 and remained for four years. At the same time he continued with night school at Granby Street taking Technical Studies and, after two years, being awarded a Lancashire and Cheshire Evening School Certificate.
In January 1935 Norman found work as an Apprentice Carpenter with Woolworth's Northern District Construction Department where his eldest brother Bill was the architect. During the next 4½ years Norman worked at a number of locations, firstly at Prescott then Hoylake and others such as Wrexham and Warrington but especially on the new Blackpool store which was to be their flagship store. By the time he left the company in 1939 he had risen to be a Foreman Carpenter.
He was next employed by the London firm of George Humphrey Ltd in September 1939 and worked for six months on the Ministry of Aircraft Production contract on the Burtonwood RAF base near Warrington. It was opened on 1 January 1940 as a servicing and storage centre for modifying British aircraft and was operated initially by No.37 Maintenance Unit RAF. In March 1940 Norman joined W C French Co.Ltd. as a Carpenter working on the shadow factory for Vickers Armstrong aircraft construction plant at Squires Gate in Blackpool where Wellington bombers were to be built.
In June 1940 he moved to work as a Carpenter for George Wimpey & Co. Ltd. on the Trimpell refinery site at Heysham where petrol was being made from coal. During that contract he stayed in digs in Blackpool. In December the same year Norman went into the RAF despite his carpentry being a reserved occupation.
After the war, Norman worked at Vickers Armstrong in Stanley Road, Blackpool manufacturing prefabricated housing whilst continuing his studies at Blackpool Technical College. At some stage he worked for a company from Stockport which specialised in slipform shuttering for containing concrete when building. He worked for a time in Speke during which time he lodged with his sister Sally and cycled to work.
In 1947 Norman left the country to settle in South Africa where he found work in September of that year as a Carpenter with the Office and Shopfitting company of Bramble & Briggs in Cape Town. In January 1948 he joined Progress Building Co in Cape Town as a Foreman Carpenter on a residential development and remained there until July the same year.
By September 1948, Norman and Mollie had moved to Southern Rhodesia and he was employed for the next four years by the National Building and Housing Board of Salisbury as a Foreman Carpenter and General Superintendent building residential and commercial properties. In 1952 the couple moved to Canada and Norman started with George Hardy Ltd. of Toronto as a Carpenter working on the building of a school and convent. The following year he worked as a carpenter for the National Steel Car Corporation in Hamilton fabricating railway carriages, then for the Provincial Engineering Co. of Hamilton on commercial property and finally as a Foreman Carpenter for Frid Construction Co., again on commercial property.
At the beginning of 1954 they were back in Southern Rhodesia and Norman started working as a General Field Superintendent for Cain & Anderson of Salisbury on commercial and public works construction. He remained with that company for three years. During 1957 he worked as a Carpenter for the office and shopfitting firm of Edwood & Co., then moved to be a General Superintendent on the construction of a hospital by A J Hunt & Sons. Lastly he was employed by James Thompson (Rhodesia Ltd) as a General Superintendent on commercial and residential properties.
In 1958 the couple moved to Santa Barbara in California and Norman started to work for Peter Davidson & Sons as both a Carpenter and Estimator on commercial property. Then in 1960 he had a quick succession of jobs either as a Carpenter or Superintendent on commercial or school construction, working for Kenneth C Urton, J A Bailey and Don Greene. In 1961 he worked for Barret Construction of San Fransisco as a Carpenter on Public Works construction, then as a Carpenter on a house build for Paul A Greene after which for J B Allen & Co on a public works development. Next a house build for J A Johnson then from December 1961 to March 1962 an hotel for J A Dudder.
In 1962, Norman and Mollie went to Australia during which time Norman worked as a Carpenter on a commercial development for W J Bryant Pty.Ltd. and J W Sallows & Son. in Sydney. By July that year, Norman and Mollie moved back to Santa Barbara where they settled and Norman took a job with Edgar W Morris building a school in Carpinteria. In the latter part of 1962 he worked for Kenneth C Urton. For the next six months from December 1962 he worked for Hanks Connard & Co. building some apartments. From June 1963 to January 1966 Norman was General Superintendent on a residential project for John R Cox & Associates and John Russell Corporation. Letterly in 1966 he was a Carpenter on a public works construction for J B Allen & Co. then on a house for Floyd F Parkin.
Thereafter, information on the work he undertook is missing but it is probable that Norman was able to live from the proceeds of his investments. However, after his wife Mollie died in 1992, he took up a second career as a Dance Host on cruise liners. He wrote letters of application to a number of companies
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