Beryl Catherine Platt, Baroness Platt of Writtle
HonFIMechE (née Myatt; 18 April 1923 – 1 February 2015) was a
British Conservative politician and member of the
House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
. Her background was in engineering, and she worked in aeronautics and aviation safety. She retained a strong interest in science and technology, particularly the role and advancement of women in these fields.
Early life
Beryl Catherine Myatt was born at
Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea (), commonly referred to simply as Leigh, is a town and civil parish in the City of Southend-on-Sea, in the ceremonial county of Essex, England. In 2011, it had a population of 22,509.
Geography
Leigh-on-Sea is on the northern ...
on 18 April 1923. She was the daughter of Ernest Myatt and Dorothy Wood.
Platt was educated at
Westcliff High School for Girls
Westcliff High School for Girls, also known by its initialism WHSG, is a selective grammar school and academy for girls in Southend-on-Sea, Essex and surrounding areas. It teaches students from the age of 11 through to 18 years old, and admission ...
in
Southend-On-Sea
Southend-on-Sea (), commonly referred to as Southend (), is a coastal city and unitary authority area with borough status in southeastern Essex, England. It lies on the north side of the Thames Estuary, east of central London. It is bordered ...
, Essex where her favourite subject was mathematics.
The headmistress of Westcliff predicted that this "outstanding pupil" had a university future ahead of her at Cambridge but, despite excellent exam results, the outbreak of the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
led to a hiatus in Platt's education.
[ With the fear of German invasion, Platt and her family moved away from the coast and she spent a year at ]Slough High School for Girls
Slough () is a town and unparished area in the unitary authority of the same name in Berkshire, England, bordering west London. It lies in the Thames Valley, west of central London and north-east of Reading, at the intersection of the M4 ...
(nowadays Upton Court Grammar School
Upton Court Grammar School is a fully selective academy school in Lascelles Road, Slough, Berkshire.
The school has specialisms in languages and science. It is also a Leading Edge School, an ICT-Focus School, a Training School, an Intern ...
), where she initially gained entrance to read Mathematics at Cambridge.[
]
Education
In July 1941, the government announced a state bursary – including £25 per week pocket money – for engineering undergraduates to help the war effort, and in the hope that more engineers would be needed to re-build Britain after the war. Platt is quoted as describing this sum as "a fortune to me at the time", and chose to switch her studies to Aeronautical Engineering.[
When Platt arrived at ]Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status ...
, she was one of five women amongst 250 men studying Mechanical Sciences (now Engineering); she was only the ninth woman to be accepted since her original predecessor in the First World War.[ Wartime necessity meant the course was reduced to an intensive two years, including for Platt three weeks' experience on the shop floor of the Hawker Aircraft Company.][ When Platt completed her engineering studies in 1943 women did not receive the same honours as their male counterparts: she was not awarded a degree, only a 'Title of degree'.][ It was not until five years later, in 1948, that women were admitted to degrees at Cambridge.][
]
Aeronautical career
Upon graduation in 1943, Platt was advised by C. P. Snow
Charles Percy Snow, Baron Snow, (15 October 1905 – 1 July 1980) was an English novelist and physical chemist who also served in several important positions in the British Civil Service and briefly in the UK government.''The Columbia Encyclope ...
in his role at the University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
Appointments Board (a sort of careers advisory service) to contribute to the war effort and so Platt choose to return to the Hawker factory.[ This was the beginning of six years of work between 1943 and 1949 as a technical assistant in the aviation industry.]
Platt's first job was at Hawkers Experimental Flight Test Department, where she was one of only three women in the department, working alongside men who had left school at fourteen but were highly skilled technicians and craftsmen.[ Platt's wage for a nominal forty-eight-hour week, in practice extending to all hours, was less than three pounds.][ Platt worked on the testing and production of three of the RAF's outstanding fighter planes of the time: the ]Hurricane
A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system characterized by a low-pressure center, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depend ...
, the Typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
, and the Tempest V, the latter being the first conventional aircraft to counter the German V-1 V1, V01 or V-1 can refer to version one (for anything) (e.g., see version control)
V1, V01 or V-1 may also refer to:
In aircraft
* V-1 flying bomb, a World War II German weapon
* V1 speed, the maximum speed at which an aircraft pilot may abort ...
pilotless jet missiles.[
After the end of the war, Hawker's brilliant chief designer ]Sidney Camm
Sir Sydney Camm, CBE, FRAeS (5 August 189312 March 1966) was an English aeronautical engineer who contributed to many Hawker aircraft designs, from the biplanes of the 1920s to jet fighters. One particularly notable aircraft he designed was th ...
offered Platt a continued role at Hawkers but Platt declined, preferring to move from war planes to investigating air safety for British European Airways
British European Airways (BEA), formally British European Airways Corporation, was a British airline which existed from 1946 until 1974.
BEA operated to Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from airports around the United Kingdom. The a ...
.[ Some of her analyses were models of their kind, for instance charting procedures to ensure safe landings if an engine failed on take-off or over mountains.][ Platt quickly established herself as a perfectionist and a distinguished engineer. In 1951, she was elected to membership of the ]Women's Engineering Society
The Women's Engineering Society is a United Kingdom professional learned society and networking body for women engineers, scientists and technologists. It was the first professional body set up for women working in all areas of engineering, pred ...
.
In 1949, Platt married Stewart Sydney Platt, marking the end of her professional career in aeronautical engineering. Platt became a housewife, and a mother of two children, Hon. Roland Francis Platt (b. 1951) and Hon. Victoria Catherine Platt (b.1953).[ Both her children are chartered accountants.
Once Platt's children began at school she considered a return to the aircraft industry but there were none to be found within range of ]Writtle
The village and civil parish of Writtle lies west of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It has a traditional village green complete with duck pond and a Norman church, and was once described as "one of the loveliest villages in England, with a ravishi ...
, the village where she lived. Instead, Platt turned her hand to politics, although she continued her interest in science and technology.
Political career
Platt's political career began very locally through her membership of the parochial church council and so she was surprised to be nominated for a sudden vacancy on Chelmsford Rural District
Chelmsford Rural District was a local government district in Essex, England from 1894 to 1974. It surrounded, but did not include, the town of Chelmsford;Vision of Britain â€Chelmsford RDhistoric map) which formed a municipal borough.
It was for ...
Council in 1956, a role she held until 1974.[ In 1965, Platt was elected to ]Essex County Council
Essex County Council is the county council that governs the non-metropolitan county of Essex in England. It has 75 councillors, elected from 70 divisions, and is currently controlled by the Conservative Party. The council meets at County Hall ...
and held this role until 1968, when she was appointed to the office of Alderman of the Essex County Council from 1969 and 1974.[ Platt was also appointed chairman of the Essex County Council between 1971 and 1980.][
Platt was created a ]life peer
In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...
taking the title Baroness Platt of Writtle, of Writtle
The village and civil parish of Writtle lies west of Chelmsford, Essex, England. It has a traditional village green complete with duck pond and a Norman church, and was once described as "one of the loveliest villages in England, with a ravishi ...
in the County of Essex
Essex () is a county in the East of England. One of the home counties, it borders Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to the north, the North Sea to the east, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent across the estuary of the River Thames to the south, and Grea ...
and joined the House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
on 28 May 1981. She chose the title Baroness Platt of Writtle, after her home village in Essex, and a cogwheel as her coat of arms, symbolising her life of service as an engineer.[ On 24 June 1981, less than a month after joining the House, Platt made her maiden speech on a "subject very close to erheart", that of higher and further education.
Platt was a member of the European Communities Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men between 1983 and 1988 and became chair of the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in 1983.] In 1984, as a result of encouragement from the Finniston Report The Finniston Report (also known as The Report of the Committee of Inquiry into the Engineering Profession or by its title ''Engineering Our Future'') was a report into the engineering profession in the United Kingdom, commissioned in 1979 by the La ...
, the EOC together with the Engineering Council
The Engineering Council (formerly Engineering Council UK; colloquially known as EngC) is the UK's regulatory authority for registration of Chartered and Incorporated engineers and engineering technician, holding a register of these and providing ...
set up WISE – Women into Science and Engineering.[ The initiative was very much spearheaded by Platt and was established to highlight the career opportunities for girls and women in science and engineering professions.]
Platt was an active member of the House of Lords
The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...
and between 1990 and 2008 she served on a number of committees relating to science, technology and engineering, including the Select Committee Select committee may refer to:
*Select committee (parliamentary system), a committee made up of a small number of parliamentary members appointed to deal with particular areas or issues
*Select or special committee (United States Congress)
*Select ...
on Science and Technology.[ From 5 October 2010, Platt was on a leave of absence.][ and she died on 1 February 2015.
]
Honours and appointments
Platt was a member of the council of the City and Guilds of London Institute between 1974 and 1994.[ She was a member of the Cambridge University Appointments Board between 1975 and 1979.][ She was appointed a ]Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(CBE) in the 1978 Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours 1978 were appointments by many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The appointments were made to celebrate t ...
.
Platt has been awarded numerous of honorary fellowships and doctorates including an Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 member ...
(Hon.F.I.Mech.E.) in 1984, an honorary degree of Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science ( la, links=no, Scientiae Doctor), usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D., or D.S., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries, "Doctor of Science" is the degree used f ...
(D.Sc.) by City University, London, in 1984 an honorary degree of Doctor of Engineering
The Doctor of Engineering, or Engineering Doctorate, (abbreviated DEng, EngD, or Dr-Ing) is a degree awarded on the basis of advanced study and a practical project in the engineering and applied science for solving problems in the industry. In the ...
(D.Eng.) by Bradford University
The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, but ...
, an honorary degree of Doctor of Technology
The Doctor of Technology (abbreviated variously in different countries) is a degree normally conferred upon candidates after having completed a course of study in technology and a dissertation or a project of lengthy duration in a technologically r ...
(D.Tech.) by Brunel University
Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June 1 ...
in 1986, an honorary degree of Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...
(LL.D.) by University of Cambridge
, mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts.
Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge.
, established =
, other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...
in 1987, a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering.
The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...
(F.R.Eng.) in 1988, an Honorary Fellow at Girton College, Cambridge
Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college status ...
in 1988, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
(F.R.S.A.).[ On 16 July 2008, Platt was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) by the University of Southampton.][
She was given the ]Freedom of the City of London
The Freedom of the City of London started around 1237 as the status of a 'free man' or 'citizen', protected by the charter of the City of London and not under the jurisdiction of a feudal lord. In the Middle Ages, this developed into a freedom or ...
in 1988. She was also made a liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Engineers
The Worshipful Company of Engineers is one of the livery companies of the City of London. The company was founded and became a livery company in 1983 and was incorporated by royal charter in 2004. The company is for chartered engineers of EC(U ...
in 1988.[ Between 1984 and 1992, she was Vice-President of the ]University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology
The University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) was a university based in the centre of the city of Manchester in England. It specialised in technical and scientific subjects and was a major centre for research. On 1 Oct ...
and between 1994 and 2001 Platt was Chancellor
Chancellor ( la, cancellarius) is a title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the or lattice work screens of a basilica or law cou ...
of Middlesex University
Middlesex University London (legally Middlesex University and abbreviated MDX) is a public research university in Hendon, northwest London, England. The name of the university is taken from its location within the historic county boundaries ...
.[
]
Publications
* ''Women in Technology'' (1984)
Arms
References
Further sources and reading
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Platt of Writtle, Beryl Platt, Baroness
1923 births
2015 deaths
Conservative Party (UK) life peers
Deputy Lieutenants of Essex
Fellows of Girton College, Cambridge
Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Female Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering
People from Leigh-on-Sea
People associated with Middlesex University
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Members of Essex County Council
People educated at Upton Court Grammar School
People from Writtle
Presidents of the Association for Science Education
Women's Engineering Society
Women councillors in England
Life peeresses created by Elizabeth II