Bristol hobby show 1958

Dad trained as a machinist, and was good at it. So much so that he was promoted off the shop floor and into design and production planning. Although he had no formal degree, he was given the title Manufacturing Engineer, which he rather liked. 

But he missed machining itself. When he retired he bought himself a machinist's lathe and drill press for his basement workshop. He built a stationary steam engine model and puttered a bit, but friends drew him out of the house, and his solo hobby was trumped by line dancing, biking and skating.

Aeronautical engineering does not allow for creativity, but Dad clearly enjoyed metal-working. Evidence of his enjoyment of the craft can be found in a few projects he built over the years. The Bristol Open House on May 10, 1958 included a Hobbies Show that allowed employees to showcase their skills.

Call for entries

Organizers needed to know how many people to expect. Dad filled out the form for a total of 10, including 6 children. I'm not sure who the other couple and child might have been, perhaps Aunt Phyl and Uncle Edmund with one of their boys?

Dad entered three items into the Hobby Fair.

We all recognize this spitfire brooch, made from a half-crown while in England in 1945.

The second item Dad entered was a pair of speedskate blades he fabricated, and mounted on a pair of hockey skate boots.

These aluminum pieces form the stems between the boot and the blades.

Dad used these for recreational skating, but wore the St. James Speedskating club skates when racing.

We all recognize the third item Dad entered into the Hobby Fair. One look and we can hear that distinct metallic clink of the lid. You could not sneak a jelly bean without giving yourself away.

The aluminum candy dish that graced Dad's coffee table.

Dad made the candy dish while he was overseas in 1945 as a gift for his sweetheart, Hazel Stevens. We know this because Mom compliments him on it in her letter of September 15, 1945, below.

"Darling - it's a honey."

Another interesting piece Dad made that we all recognize is his steel watchband. I'm not sure when he made it. Perhaps it was a student project when he returned to Winnipeg to attend the Manitoba Institute of Technology (the old Ford Plant) from 1946 to 1948. Inside it is engraved, in his writing, M. Fraser 76 Pilgrim. That is the St. Vital address of Aunt Jessie Houlden, Dad's sister. She and Jack bought 76 Pilgrim in 1943, and that address is listed on Dad's MIT mark statement. 

Dad's watch

I replaced the corroded watch face with a new, similar black one. The fit of Dad's strap to the original watch was much more precise than shown here.

So - how did Dad do in the Bristol Aerospace Hobby Fair? A very respectable third place. Dad was content with that, explaining that the fellow who won the first-place ribbon had built a car!