All smiles for children but a power struggle for parents
IT may have been all smiles for the children at these Christmas parties, but for their parents, there were bigger issues at stake.
Pictured in late December 1970 and early January 1971 are children enjoying Christmas parties at the East Midlands Electric Board (EMEB) and Eatough’s shoe factory.
However, the parties were held in the midst of great power shortages created by a power workers go-slow and overtime ban.
Speaking just the week before Christmas, a spokesman for the EMEB said it was unlikely there would be any more power cuts in the run-up to Christmas Day but voltage reductions were likely depending on the weather.
One firm described the voltage reductions as “catastrophic” as production was seriously hampered.
Among the Burton firms worst hit were BTR Industries, Lloyds Foundry and Eatough’s shoe factory.
While workers’ children still enjoyed the thrills and spills of a festive party, a spokesman for Eatough’s said they had lost seven working hours and staff had been sent home early.
Lloyds Foundry, which were dependent on high levels of electricity to fire their furnaces, said staff had been sent home at 2.30pm and night shifts had been cancelled.
Beer production at Bass and Allied continued as normal but brewery officials said the situation had “been difficult”.
Production had to stop completely at Pirelli while rubber factory BTR Industries said it had lost a total of 27 working hours but staff had not been sent home.
The only people celebrating other than the children in these pictures were the gas salesmen.
A spokesman for East Midlands Gas Board (EMGB) said there had been a huge increase in the sale of gas appliances and fires.
The gas board had been praised for allowing the use of the cookers in their 97 showrooms, including the one in Burton, for use by the elderly.