Dossier 103 - Peter Yapp

1 audio tape, 1 cd, 1 file, 1 AIFF file (538.2 MB)

Interview with Peter Yapp, administration director for the Guardian. Conducted by Leslie Plommer on 29 September 1998. 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
00.00 Introduction
00.40 Recruitment into newspaper industry
01.07 Continues with talk about interviews with Express, Mirror and Manchester Evening News as a messenger
02.50 Offered messenger position by Norman Liptrott personnel
03.30 Offered publishing room position
04.40 Became union committee official at aged 21
05.37 Duties of a composing room messenger
08.10 Publishing room duties – sending out copies to readership areas

10.18 Dealing mostly with Manchester Evening News, and at times the Guardian
11.45 Creating copy bundles in publishing room
16.05 Undertaking official capacity with National Association of Printers and Assistants Union
17.50 Merge with Evening Chronicle and readership figures
19.25 Change of Manchester Guardian to the Guardian

20.30 Union meetings about the move to London and closure of Evening Chronicle
21.10 Availability of other positions if made redundant in 1960s
22.00 Subsiding of the Guardian through Manchester Evening News
22.30 Negotiating sessions between unions and management
23.40 Peter Yapp invited to join management based in London
28.20 Disagreements between management and labour – differences between Manchester and London
29.30 Bargaining power in 1960s due to increasing circulation figures

30.00 Move from Cross Street to Deans Gate
30.25 Financial difficulties in 1960s leading to negotiation of pay freeze
31.40 Move by Lord Thompson to take over part of the Guardian
32.00 Working with the Scott family and loans given by Charles Scott
34.50 Martin Scott's various positions with the Guardian
37.35 Move from Cross Street to Deans Gate, August 1970

40.25 Manchester Evening News - Munich air disaster death of Tom Jackson
42.10 Tom Henry as editor
43.30 Management relations comparing past to present day
44.20 Presence of Wapping changed union structures
45.40 View of the Guardian as the best office in Fleet Street due to working relations

Access to recording via GNM Digital Repository

Copyright: Guardian News & Media Ltd and Peter Yapp