Marcus - In the 1950s the north east glass industry was quite close-knit, largely due to the North East Section of the Society of Glass Technology. Many of us as individuals and almost all of the companies were members and the regular meetings were well attended. That is how I first met JK Inwald, probably in 1950, when I was at Sowerbys. All I knew about him then was that he was one of the senior Davidson people who turned up at meetings. He was a memorable figure, very affable, tall and thin and spoke loudly in what I always assumed to be a mid- European accent. This was always out of the side of his mouth; whether this was a very strong mannerism or whether it was due to some facial scarring I don't know. One local humourist suggested that he had a duelling scar but I am sure that wasn't true!
I left Sowerbys in 1956. A year or two before that, Inwald began visiting us as the technical representative (exact title not known) of British Gas, so clearly by then he was no longer with Davidson. As an aside, both Sowerbys and Davidson were huge users of town's gas (aka coal gas - this was years before the advent of North Sea gas, aka natural gas) - I would guess that we were each in the top few of British Gas's customers in the North East. At Sowerbys, for example, we had two mains feeds, each, I think, 6" in diameter. We certainly earned technical support!
I moved to Davidsons in 1956. All I picked up there in casual conversation re Inwald was that he was usually referred to as "JK", or "Jaykee". If he visited there as BG representative I never saw him, although I would not necessarily have done so. Relations with Davidson may perhaps have been strained - I do not know the circumstances in which he left.
I'm afraid, Marcus, that is all I can recall. However, if any specific questions occur to you please ask, they might jog my memory.
Adam D.
Topic: Bright Green Vase: NOT Jacobean or Balmoral. (Read 4226 times)
