Page 104 - ‘A Blaker Family History’ The family history of Joseph Blaker (1916-2007; ‘Joe’)

© The Blaker Society
© The Blaker Society

‘Joe’ and Juliet Wedding: 25 March 1972, Worthing

6.27.1.2 Graham Joseph Blaker and Juliet Elizabeth Hammond
‘Joe’ and Juliet had 3 children:
• Jonathan James: b. 15 February 1976, Cumbria
• Paul Andrew: b. 2 January 1979, Cumbria
• James Joseph: b. 15 July 1983, Essex
Further information on their children is given in section 6.33.

James, Paul and Jonathan (left to right)

They began their married life in a rented bungalow at Westby, Great
Urswick, Cumbria – a little village some 4 km from the market town of
Ulverston. Juliet had obtained a post as a teacher in the small Urswick
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Grammar School, Little Urswick, Cumbria. This village school was the 2
oldest grammar school in England, having been granted a royal charter
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from Queen Elizabeth 1 in 1584. ‘Joe’ worked in the Glaxo Laboratories
Ltd. plant in Ulverston.

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In 197X, ‘Joe’ and Juliet bought their 1 property at 58 Glenridding Drive,
Hawcoat, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria. Juliet initially continued teaching
in Urswick, before moving to Dane Ghyll County Primary School, Skelwith
Drive, Hawcoat, Barrow-in-Furness.

In 1979, ‘Joe’ was promoted to the post of ‘Deputy Factory Manager’, Glaxo
Laboratories Ltd., Barnard Castle County Durham, as a result of which, the
family moved to 4 High Garth, Richmond, North Yorkshire. After 2.5 years,
the family moved again to 4 Patmore Fields, Ugley, near Bishops
Stortford, Essex, as ‘Joe’ had been appointed ‘Factory Manager’ of Glaxo’s
site at Ware, Hertfordshire. Although ‘Joe’ subsequently moved to Glaxo’s
site in Greenford, Middlesex, the family continued to live in Ugley. In X,
the family finally moved to Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire.

‘Joe’ had a long career – spanning some 27.5 years - within the
Glaxo/Glaxo Wellcome Group of companies and, prior to his early
retirement, was ‘Group Technical Director’, responsible for worldwide
operations, procurement, engineering, quality assurance and product
development, involving some 18,000 staff working in 52 factories across
32 countries. He retired from Glaxo at the end of 1998, and then
developed a portfolio of Non-Executive Board and Consulting roles in the
pharmaceutical, biotechnology, fine chemical and healthcare sectors in
UK, France, Germany and North America.

He also served on the Council of the UK Chemical Industry Association for
12 years, and was its President in 1997/1999. ‘Joe’ chaired the UK
Government’s Foresight Panel on Chemicals between X and Y – a
thankless task!