The Factory that Became a Village: The History of the Royal Small Arms Factory

Description: When Jim Lewis met the directors of the RSA Trust, the charity responsible for the concept and the running of Enfield Island Village, in January 2015, it was to discuss the commissioning of a book that would tell the story of the former government controlled Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) after privatisation and closure in 1987. However, during discussions it soon became clear, with the impending two-hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Enfield Lock armoury, that a unique opportunity existed to link the story of the RSAF site with the founding of the RSA Trust. And as one Trust director put it, this is the classic story of "from swords into ploughshares". Surprising as it may seem, the story of the birth of the Enfield Lock armoury in 1816 and the methods of manufacture that then existed within the British small arms industry has never been completely told. At the time of writing this book the author wanted, in the two-hundredth anniversary year of the founding of the RSAF, to commemorate the contribution made to our armed forces by the former workforce which, by their skills and dedication, helped keep Britain safe during times of world instability. Also I wanted to acknowledge the contribution made to our community by the four founding fathers of the RSA Trust that has benefited so many worthwhile good causes. In a world full of increasingly depressing news it is uplifting to have the opportunity to write about a group of four local businessmen who had the vision, courage and tenacity to take on the mammoth task of rescuing a Grade II listed building that no sane entrepreneur would have contemplated taking on and turn it into a vibrant sustainable business for the benefit of the local community. The model created pays a service charge into a limited liability company, RSA IV, which in turn transfers the surplus to the not-for-profit RSA Trust which is then able to fund many community good causes. Jim Lewis grew to adulthood in Cape Charles, spending his formative years on the second floor of an apartment house in the 200 block of Mason Avenue. From his second-story observation point, Jim watched the comings and goings of barges, ferries in the harbor and the arrivals and departures at the railroad station. Growing up in Cape Charles, Jim participated in all the activities that made Cape Charles the enchanting town that it was. He attended the local school for twelve years, played football for four years, was a member of the Boy Scout Troop, and did all the things that boys from Cape Charles did. He explored the Bloodfield Woods, sledded down the side of the hump, hunted ducks on Big Allegood Pond, and jumped off the white tower. To earn money during the summer, Jim worked at various jobs. He picked tomatoes on Tinkham's farm, cut grass for neighbors, stocked shelves at the local Colonial Store, and worked at Wendell's Bottling Plant. Jim drew mentors from the Cape Charles community. His school teachers: James May, the school custodian, Miss Gladys Nottingham, the local librarian, and Marshield Hunt, local scoutmaster, were people who provided life examples. Just as Mr. Lewis began the research for this Cape Charles book, he contracted Parkinson's Disease. The course of Jim's illness grew as the research for his book progressed. It took Jim 10 years to complete Cape Charles: A Railroad Town.

Price: 44.09 AUD

Location: Hillsdale, NSW

End Time: 2024-12-07T20:15:32.000Z

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