Extract from the Association's publication "The Lads of Enfield Lock"
by
G Birchmore & R Burges

The first recorded reference to an Apprentices Association is to a Royal Ordnance Apprentice Association that was started in 1919 at Woolwich Arsenal. Membership was open to serving Engineering Apprentices only. As only Enfield and Woolwich were training engineering apprentices at this time the membership was drawn from these two establishments, each operating its own local branch. It is known that this Association was active in the 1920s and that the Enfield branch continued to operate up to the start of World War II. Its audited accounts for 1937-8 show an income and expenditure of £44 / 2s / 8½d (equivalent to £44-13½p approx). They also give an insight into its activity at this time; four social events were held together with an annual dance. Expenditure on rambles and visits is also included. It is understood by hearsay, though no documented evidence has been uncovered to confirm it, that Ex Apprentices also formed an Association before World War II.

With the onset of war the activity of both groups reduced somewhat although the serving apprentices did strive to maintain some social activity during the hostilities. Quite soon after the war, the Association for serving Engineering Apprentices was reactivated as an independent organisation at Enfield. Also about this time the separate sister Association for Ex-Engineering Apprentices became active again. Mr C W Cock was its President and Mr R.C.A (Charlie) Haynes, whose major contribution to apprentice training at Enfield and the Association was recalled in Chapter 3, was one of the leading lights. He had been active in apprentice affairs since the 1920s and continued to play a leading role in the Association, in its successive forms, right up to his death in 1982. Very quickly after the war had ended, Charlie organised an informal dinner at the Trocadero restaurant in London, attended by some seven or eight ex-apprentices, with a view to re-launching activities. From that beginning sprang the many social events organised by the Association(s), which, with some variations in format, have continued to the present day. The two Associations, whose membership was open to Engineering Apprentices only, functioned as individual organisations (separate committees and presumably finances) collaborating on social events during 1946 and early 1947.

The first joint Annual Dinner was held on March 9^th 1946 at the Unity Buildings at the top of Ordnance Road. Tickets were 10 shillings and 6 pence (52½p) with a concession for the under 18's at 5 shillings and 6 pence (27½p). An interesting decision was recorded in the letter to members about the event - ladies were to be invited for the better acquaintance of all! The Dinner and Dance seems to have been a success as it was repeated on March 1^st 1947. As well as this event a Supper/Dinner Social and dance was jointly held in October or November.

Eventually, although the exact date has not been uncovered, the two Associations amalgamated to form the Association of Engineering and Ex-Engineering Apprentices, Royal Small Arms Factory. This rather cumbersome title was shortened to A.E.A and Ex E. A, R.S.A.F. (Enfield)! A new committee was formed and the Superintendent, Mr T. Denness O.B.E, was the first President. The amalgamation occurred before a social event that was held in October 1947 as one Hon Secretary signed the invitations. The membership limitation to Engineering Apprentices was continued in the new organisation. This eventually changed with the Association opening its membership to all serving and ex-apprentices. When this occurred is not known but by November 1949 social events were being held in the name of The Association of Apprentices and Ex-Apprentices of the Royal Small Arms Factory. This became the forerunner of the current Association and had, by this time, a tie design incorporating the colours black, red and gold, based on one used by the earlier organisation. The tie and its colours still survive as part of todays Apprentice Association along with a motto that is credited to Charlie Haynes who, on looking at the colours, suggested they represented from the darkness through fire into the light. Others involved in the Association at the time decided to go slightly up market and turn this into a Latin inscription that could then be used as a motto. Peter Stopford, a committee member at the time, consulted his sister, who was doing her BA at London University, and the resulting translation Ex Tenebris per Ignem ad Lumen has been the motto of the Association ever since. In the mid 1950s it appeared commencing with E, rather than Ex but it is not clear whether that was due to an error in the original translation or subsequent typing. However the mistake had been spotted and corrected by the 1960s. Amateur typists have subsequently introduced one or two other temporary aberrations over the years!

The opening of the hostel in Ordnance Road in 1947 increased interest in the Apprentices Association and for some years the hostel was the focus of its activity. In its hey day the Association organised motoring events including treasure hunts, various outings, social events and as already mentioned, an annual dinner and dance and less formal supper dances. During the early 1960s support for the Association appears to have waned significantly. By 1968 however it had been revitalised thanks largely to the efforts of the then Apprentice Supervisor, John Hone. In that year the factory was concentrated to reduce operating costs and an annual visit for ex-apprentices was introduced that proved to be very popular. Over the next fourteen or so years, although interest and activity in the Association had its ups and down, John Hone ably supported by other members of the Association, gave valuable support to it until his retirement in 1982.

The next watershed in the history of the Apprentices Association was the closure of the factory in 1988. Interest had been in decline in the years immediately before this sad event with activities restricted to the annual factory visit on a Friday afternoon at the end of March and the annual dinner/supper dance in the Enfield Social Club hall the next day. The visit ended in the Directors mess with a glass of sherry whilst he talked to members about how things were going. Waning support had resulted in the supper dance being combined with the Admin staff of the factorys similar event to make both more viable. When closure of Enfield was announced it was not clear how the Association would survive without the factory. The committee organised a postal ballot among the members that resulted in an overwhelming vote in favour of winding up, although many members commented that they did not really want this to happen but could not see how it could be kept going.

After the last factory visit on 18 April 1988 a final general meeting was held to say goodbye and wind up the Association. Over 50 people were present (more than had been assembled together for years) who, on hearing the result of the ballot and the misgivings expressed by members, engaged in an hour or so of energetic discussion out of which came a new formula for the continuation of the Association. This would be based on an annual reunion, occasional newsletters and circulation of lists of members to enable contacts to be maintained.