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ST MARTINS 1909

and coke. The retorts at the St Martin
site were refurbished and fitted with
automated charging and, a few years
later, discharging equipment fitted
to make them more efficient. A coal
elevator was installed, allowing coal
to be brought in by boat and unloaded
directly into the coal store. The CWG
plant was remodelled, increasing its
production capacity. The sole remaining
gasholder at the St Martin site was then
used as a relief holder for storing the
gas produced by the CWG plant.
Under the tenure of Glover and
Young before him, the fortunes of the
Norwich station of the British Gas Light
Company improved. A celebratory
dinner was held in February 1907
for all outdoor staff. Commenting
on his 30 years with the company,
Chief Collector Mr F Balls spoke of
the progress that had been achieved,
moving from poor street lighting and
lamplighters having to carry ladders
and matches, to using incandescent
mantles with timers. “The public
lighting of Norwich was second to that
of no other town”, he said. Over the
same period, the company had gone
from less than five to 60 gas fitters
employed by the company. Much of the
new trade had been generated through
the sale and rental of gas cookers
and gas heating stoves, which were
introduced throughout the city and
suburbs in 1882. It was estimated that
18,000 were in use in Norwich in 1907.
The company boasted it was the only
gas company to ever be thanked by a
corporation for the way it lighted the
streets. As an employer, the company
was regarded very favourably, looking
after the welfare of its employees and
encouraging them to take an interest in
the business (Anon, 1907). Such an
approach to employee welfare was
commonplace in the gas industry, one
of the early adopters of co-partnership
(a profit-sharing scheme), paid holiday
and sick pay.
In the next instalment, Professor
Thomas describes the further innovations
of Thomas Glover and effects the two
world wars had on the local gas industry

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