Message: Yesterday, I attended the funeral of a former colleague, Neville Laycock, who died on 25 August, aged 92 years (although I guess that only the oldies amongst us will remember him, as he retired from West Yorkshire Foundries some 27 years ago). Neville joined West Yorkshire Foundries as a draughtsman in 1948, when the Company had just 2 aluminiuum foundries and 250 employees. Following a number of promotions, as General Works Engineer, he was an integral part of the Company's rapid expansion programme, designing and building foundries on the Sayner Lane and Clarence Road sites, which, by 1959, comprised 3 aluminium and 6 grey iron foundries and employing over 1500 people. In later years, in recognition of his expertise, by then British Leyland's Divisional Foundry Engineer, Neville was seconded to design and build associated foundry developments in Spain and India in addition to the UK; indeed, following his retirement in 1982, he was subsequently 'head hunted' by the UK Government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office and became responsible for reviewing and providing development plans for foundry expansions in Malta and Jamacia. I trust that those who remember Neville will join me in expressing our deepest sympathies to his family'.

Philip