glaxo

DURING LAST term some of the juniors were invited to a tour of Glaxo Laboratories, Greenford, Middlesex, by the Glaxo Charity
and Welfare Committee.
The boys, accompanied by the Headmaster and Mr. Sheppard, travelled by coach and on arriving were warmly greeted by the Glaxo
Committee who took the party into the reception room where they had a short break before the tour.
In the reception room the layout and design were very modern, and on one of the walls were some chart maps of the world on which
were indicated by pins the branches of Glaxo all over the world. Everybody took a great interest in these charts, also the cleanliness
of the room amazed them all.
After a short rest the party was split into two groups and two of the staff committee took charge of a group each and our tour began.
The first stop was at the Farex Baby Food Department, here we saw how the liquid Farex was converted into powder.
First of all the liquid Farex passed through large steaming hot rollers and it came out in large thin sheets, these sheets were then cut
into tiny ribbons by razor-sharp-like scissors which were mechanically driven. Eventually these strips were changed into powder.

Moving on a belt they came to the packing department where mechanical arms and hands sealed and packed the powdered Farex into
cartons and boxes. The hygienic standard was very high, considering there was a number of machines working all at once.
In another part of the laboratories there was a fairly large room which was soundproof and the only way they could see what was
going on inside was through a large glass window. In this room, very small ampoules were injected with antibiotics to fight diseases;
these antibiotics are not only for human use, but for animal use also. In this room the air temperature is changed about every twenty
minutes, this is done to kill germs inside the room.
The workers inside this room wore long white coats and face masks, also rubber gloves, this the party agreed was a very high standard
of hygiene. Opposite this room was another compartment where little boxes were made for packing the ampoules.
These antibiotics are not only used in Britain but are exported all over the world.
In the tablet and pills department there were machines which looked like potato machines, but instead of cleaning potatoes they made
tiny white tablets. In another room of the same department some of the pills were going through a colouring process. The pills were
placed in large copper bowls and spun round and while they were spinning they had sugar and a colouring coating poured on them,
then they were sorted out through sieves and packed.

After the tour of the laboratories the party was taken back to the reception room where tables were laid up for a party which was to be
held for the boys. Before the boys sat down to the large tea which was set before them they had a large group photograph taken of
them; this photograph was entered in Glaxo's own magazine and all the boys received a copy by post.
Sitting down to the tables the party were all presented with a plastic brief-case which had their own name on, these were one of the
products which Glaxo produces.
During the party the manager of Glaxo and Mr. Wheatley both gave a short speech which was well applauded by the boys. After a
glorious tea the boys all received a Christmas present from the firm, most of the boys wanted to open them straight away, but written-
distinctly on the Christmas paper was 'Do not open until Christmas morning".
Goldonian Spring 1963

After the party was over we all bade farewell to the staff of Glaxo, and thanked them for the wonderful way they had conducted our
tour around the laboratories and congratulated them on the high standard of hygiene throughout the buildings and laboratories, and
also the co-operation between workers and the speed of production.
After a short talk the party travelled back to the School by coach.
RAYMOND BOWDEN

Picture 7
Back row- L-R John Allen, ? , ?,Keith McSweeney, David Fall, ?, Billy Campbell, ?, ? , ?, Trevor Davison.
Middle Row- L-R ?, Ray Bowden , David Tate, ? , ?,Daniel Coffey, ?, Barry Davison.
Front Row- L-R ? , ?, Mr Sheppard, ? , Pinhead, ? , ?.
Help us old boys out "Pop" as some of us ? were not allowed to these P,R, visits in case we "pinched anything" Have a rusk on me?