Catherine Wain

Cath introduces herself and talks about her role at Dowty Rotol as a "computer"!

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

Cath talks about her training and qualifications and then her struggle for equal pay

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

Cath talks about the departments she worked in and the development of the early composite propeller blades for the SRN Hovercraft

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

Cath talks about her time as a Trade Union Representative and when TI Group took over Dowty

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

Cath talks about her involvement with sports and social activities

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

Catherine relates some of the memorable events she had been invited to, including Buckingham Palace and meeting the Queen.

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

Cath talks about the people she used to work with and later became friends in their working relationships

Original Audio File with Dowty archive at the Gloucestershire Heritage Hub

John Herring, Catherine Wain and Graham James during oral history interview 28-11-2017

Catherine Wain introduces herself having worked for Dowty Rotol from 1960 to 2001 and was the first female in the company to qualify as an Engineer!

Aside from other memories she recalls of her 40 years at Dowty, she talks about her early training at college and qualifications and then her lengthy struggle to achieve equal pay.

SRN 6 Hovercraft Propeller Blades

She talks of her cutting edge involvement with the manufacture of the first composite propeller blades for the Hovercraft SRN 6 and then later aircraft blades.

Catherine recalls her role as an ASTMS Trade Union Representative and the time when the membership went on strike over pensions and also the period of time when TI Group took over the Dowty Group.

She talks of her involvement with the sports and social, including lunchtime swims at the Lido!

Catherine relates some of the memorable events she had been invited to, including Buckingham Palace and meeting the Queen, visit to Castle Bromwich (Spitfire Factory) and Lancaster House.

Catherine talks about the people that she used to work with and later became friends with through their working relationships

Interviewers: Graham James & John Herring