Interview with John Dowling, transport manager for the Guardian. Conducted by Leslie Plommer on 31 May 2002. Also includes a data sheet containing biographical details about the subject and information about the recording.
Summary contents of interview (with rough timings):
Disc 1:
Track 1
00.01 Brief introduction to John Dowling's role at the Guardian
Track 2
00.17 Started as an apprentice in the construction industry
00.53 Whilst working a late shift saw an job advert in the paper for a multi vehicle technician
01.24 Offered an interview at Deansgate
01.39 Got the job - doubled salary and halved working hours
02.03 Sense of excitement about joing the newspaper industry
02.10 Diversity of the role and unique people, made long term friends
02.37 Initially working as a mechaic at Broughton Lane
02.43 Four day working week, was used to doing 6-6.5 days
02.59 Because of shorter week was able to undertake further education
03.30 Offered the job as transport manager approx 3 years
Track 3
00.05 Description of the engineering faculty at Broughton Lane
01.11 Responsibility for keeping the vehicles in good condition
01.34 Initially it was hands on work, stripping engines, servicing and maintaining vehicles
02.26 Role of transport manager was a culture shock
02.49 Duties changed over night, scheduling work and repair, purchase and disposal
03.28 Description of the layout of the engineering building
04.21 Three floors of the building were unused - found bound volumes of newspapers amongst other items
05.27 When the Guardian moved to Cross Street anything they didn't know what to do with ended up in Broughton Lane
06.15 Water leak on the top floors - bound volumes floating in water
08.17 Contacted Harry Whewell to let them know what was stored in the building
10.58 Looked after the archive material on site
11.42 Found two bronze pofiles of the Scott sons
13.26 Stayed in the role of transport manager for 16 years
14.43 Project to run the service more effectively, moved into a logistics role
15.56 The new role covered purely the weeklies, all other Greater Manchester titles
16.39 Ready for the change in job
17.40 Discusses strong feelings towards the heritage of the paper - duty bound to maintain it
19.05 The bulk of archive material was Guardian related, some Manchester Evening News volumes
20.02 John Gibblin took over as transport manager
21.24 Said to be a ghost of an old driver up in the archive
21.37 The Guardian library was initially shipped from Deansgate to Broughton Lane as there was nowhere else for it
21.52 Moving 'piles and piles of books'
22.45 Daughter now works as a journalist for the Manchester Evening News
23.07 Explains the legend of the ghost of Broughton Lane - nicknamed Charlie
Track 4
00.08 Discusses in detail the finding the bronze profiles of the Scott sons
02.05 The bronzes are now at the top of the fourth floor stairs at Deansgate
03.00 Assumed the bronzes would be in the London archive
03.38 Elephant anecdote late 1950s/early 60s