RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Cheshire => Topic started by: ev2210 on Wednesday 06 September 06 21:53 BST (UK)
-
My father, Francis William (Bill) Cottrill, worked at these engineering companies from the 1940s to the 1960s. I have childhood memories of Atlantic Street, Broadheath with streams of men on bicycles going to and from work and the sound of the buzzer in the morning and evening. Does anyone remember my father from that time, he was a pattern maker.
-
My father was at Richards too, I remember it as George Richards, and also as Richards & Tilghmans. He worked there all through my childhood in the late forties and the fifties, right through into the sixties. He was made redundant in 1967, and following an accident at his next job, died in 1969.
One of my most vivid memories is of him coming to meet me from school and giving me a ride on his bicycle crossbar on his way home for dinner. If you know Altrincham now, you will know that there is a road named George Richards Way which runs parallel to Atlantic Street.
-
My dad was there too. I think it was called Kearns when he served his apprenticeship there, and later became Kearns Richards. He also worked at Churchill Machine Tools later in the 1960's.
I remember hearing the lunctime hooter when I was a child playing in the garden of my Uncle's house in Heyes Lane Timperley. It sounded like a WWII air raid siren from what I can remember.
Nick
-
Yes, you're right, there was a hooter, my Mum used it to work out when Dad would be home for dinner. We lived just off Barrington Road, and I went to Navigation Road School, luckily for me it was on his way home. J
PS. You answered my query about the smithy as well, you must know Altrincham and the area very well!
-
Yes, I am familiar with the area since childhood and still live and work nearby. I am still a regular visitor to Atlantic Street, however, this is now so that I can take my young son to ToysRus and McDonalds. How times have changed. My Uncle's house in Heyes Lane, Timperley (where my Hollingworth Grandparents had lived) was sold some years ago to pay for his Care Home fees when he was no longer able to look after himself properly. Sadly he has now died and he was the last living Hollingworth connected to my family that I personally knew. I know for sure that there is a Davenport family connection to my tree, and so we are probably distant rellies.
Nick
-
The company made horizontal boring machines, and like many engineering companies before"thatcher" were world renowned, unfortunately the lead that England had in producing machines, engineers to build, & use them has long gone. bodger
-
Exactly. My father was a Horizontal Borer having served his time at Kearns. He and my grandfather signed Indentures c1933 and my grandfather handed over a sum of money that was then returned to my father in weekly amounts for his wage whilst he was apprenticed. I still have a lovely Brass money box fashioned by my father as one of his apprentice pieces. When War later broke out my mother went to work at Kearns who were by then on war production. They met each other... the rest is history.
Incidentally, I would be pleased if anyone knows if a copy of such Indentures may still exist in an archive anywhere?
Nick
-
My Dad was a Maintenance Electrician at Richards, having got the job after leaving the Merchant Navy in 1947. He remained there until the late 60's when he was made redundant. This I suppose was the beginning of the end for the company, because when I returned to live in Sale in 1975, everything had changed. J
-
I have discovered an interesting source for anyone who wants to find out more about a relative who worked at Broadheath.
My father was a member of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering.
Some records still exist with regard to the members of this Union and who were employed at Broadheath.
Contribution books 1937-1967 and some other documents such as Union Sickness benefit records can be found for Broadheath 2nd and 4th Branch at the Greater Manchester Records Office.
Try http://www.gmcro.co.uk/catalogues/userguide/guide.htm
I'm certainly going to be looking into it.
There is also quite a lot of other interesting archive material on this site.
Nick
-
Even more details at
http://www.a2a.org.uk/html/124-g13.htm
Happy hunting.
Nick
-
i left school in 1967 and went to work at churchills as an apprentice when they closed it in late 67 early 68 we could have gone to churchills in coventry to finish our apprenticeships some did,i ended up at luke and spencers where B & Q is now on atlantic street
-
I left school in'64 and went straight into the 'ATD' at George Richards. When let loose in to the factory, I was installed in the horizontal boring section, run by a True Gent by the name of Alec Ellis. When the hammer fell in '67, I (still being an apprentice) was supposed to move over into the Kearns factory, but I left then and started at the Churchill Machine Tool Co. I stayed until late '69 when I went to Kearns and finished my apprenticeship. In 1973, The Ingersoll-Rand company had moved into the old 'Metropolitan-vickers transformer plant in Baguley. I mention this because it's workforce comprised mostly of ex-Broadheath engineers that moved on from the joining of Richards and Kearns in '67. I joined Ingersoll-Rand in '75, and over the next few years with the not so gradual winding down of the activites in Broadheath the shopfloor at I-R was a mix of Richards,Kearns, Churchill and Linotype. 45 years on, still Horizontal Boring and working with an ex-Kearns Borer . I've remembered a few names from the past, (in no particular order) -: Jimmy Eccles, Cliff Binder, Neville Thomason (stubbins!) Horace Heale, Ned Brownhill, Ken Pearson, Ken Naylor, Vic Youle,Ronnie Thomason, Fred Matley To name A few as they say......
-
My dad was a foreman at a foundry in Atlantic Street that used to make moulds for Kearns, Richards and Churchills. I don't remember the name of the firm, but I do know that the boss sold the factory to Luxiproducts which made carrycots etc.
With the encouragement of the other workers my dad persuaded a friend of his who was a builder and had an office down there, to add three sides and a roof to the office and then he started his own business employing the other men. I think it was called Broadheath Castings. Anyone remember that? I have a photograph somewhere of some of the workers. I'll go and find it now and post it on here.
Lizzie
-
OK, I've got 3 photographs. The largest one shows my dad on the left and the couple who owned the original foundry, which I think was called Singletons, with the men who worked there.
The other two photographs are of the men who worked for my dad after he started Broadheath Castings to keep them in work. I know neither my dad nor the other men were happy that the previous boss had sold the business over their heads and not even kept it as a foundry, meaning they were all out of work. This was about 1953/4 from memory. I think my dad eventually sold up (possibly to Churchills) around 1965/6.
-
And the third one.
Lizzie
ps. Does anyone recognize any of the workers?
-
My dad worked at George Richards too - he was a fitter there and later moved over to Kearns. He then moved to Budenburg Tool & Gauge which was also in Broadheath but down another street - near the ice rink. I also worked on Atlantic Street at Record Electrical. I remember Atlantic Street well - walking past Luke & Spencer on the corner and smelling the bakelite every morning. Not been back to Atlantic Street in ages as I emigrated.
-
Hi,
It's really good to hear about the factories in Broadheath, my stepfather also worked at Record, his name was John Griffths. My dad was called Thomas (Tommy) Murray, he worked there from about 1947 until he was made redundant in the late sixties.
Jac
-
Hi Jac, I worked at Record from 1966 till early 70's. I worked in the Buying Office there. Sorry don't recognise your stepfathers name - I was only a junior when I was there. :-(
-
I worked at Churchill's as an apprentice fitter in 67 then went into the pattern shop. My farther and brother also worked there. My farther was over the maintenance dept and on the door there was a sign saying "impossibilities while you wait, miracles take a little longer.
As a child i want to the Christmas party's and also used to go over the road to the club and watch the boles of a dinner time. The hooter mentioned in earlier posts, Yes was VERY loud as my bench in the training room was below one of them lol. If you where in the training section does anyone remember Sid Vost sadly no longer with us, He ran this section.
-
Hi,
It's really good to hear about the factories in Broadheath, my stepfather also worked at Record, his name was John Griffths. My dad was called Thomas (Tommy) Murray, he worked there from about 1947 until he was made redundant in the late sixties.
Jac
hello my name is Geoff Wood i worked with Tommy Murray for five years as an apprentice and became very fond of him got lots of great memories worked on nights with him at one time and when on days he always drove me to the tilghmans canteen for lunch heard so many amazing stories of his time in the Merchant Navy saw him in hospital just before he passed away remember being very sad ,best wishes GW. My Email is (*)
(*) Moderator Comment: e-mail removed in accordance with RootsChat policy,
to avoid spamming and other abuses.
Please use the Personal Message (PM) system for exchanging personal data.
New members must make at least three postings before being allowed to use the PM facility.
See Help-Page: http://www.rootschat.com/help/pms.php
-
Hi, Geoff,
How great to hear from someone who knew my lovely Dad! He used to tell us stories about his apprentices too. Do you remember one called Trevor Clark? he was my boyfriend whilst he was working with my Dad, and was terrified of upsetting him. Dad used to pretend he was rubbish just to annoy me.
If you make another two posts, you can then use the Personal Message facility to exchange messages privately and give me your e-mail address. Jac
-
hello jac,what a moment when i read your mail,i have very vivid memories of my whole time at Richards and the last 2 years at Kearns i have had a degree of success and been lucky in my career having owned my own company TECFLO LTD for the last 25years,but as i have told my family many times my time at Broadheath was and remains where i have spent the happiest time of what is becoming a long working life.i started their in August 62 leaving in December 69 . i remember your dad so well when i started he was on permanent nights but that changed and when he came onto days i got to work with him and as i said at one time him and i with our labourer Henry ( a good freind of your dads) on nights ,we did,nt do much work and slept most of the nights woken by the production superintendant only when a machine had broken down ,i remember him buying his Morris Oxford green from i think White City Motors he let me drive him it to the canteen with the three of us what a treat for a young boy , i,m sorry i would have knpwn Trevor by sight only if he was an apprentice at the same time he must have been in the works he was not in maintenance i was the first maintenance apprentice electrician what a privilage!, i have lots to say of my memories but hope most will keep for me to send them privately. Best wishes Geoff
-
Geoff,
It's just great to hear from you who knew Dad so well. I was only about 24 when he died, and I missed him so much for many years. I always felt sad that he never knew my children, although he did see me get married in 1967.
Do you still live locally, or if not, have you been to Altrincham recently? I live in Sale now, and if Mum & Dad saw what they've done to Alty, they'd be horrified. I look at the Trafford website, at the old pictures and it's amazing what memories it brings back. It's a really good resource for local historians.
Jac
-
My Uncle, Charles Trigg, worked as a designer at Geo Richards from the late 30's right up until they merged with H W Kearns in the late 1960's. I remember he had a couple of lathes in his garage at Raglan Drive, Timperley. Apparently he designed and built them himself as apprentice 'test pieces'. My grandfather, Ernest Collins, worked as a turner (later as a chargehand) at Kearns from before WW1 until the 1950's. He gave us a pack of playing cards which had a picture of a large horizontal boring machine on the backs. Around 1970, as a student, :) I worked briefly in the stores of the Manufacturing Systems Unit which was set up by Staveley Industries (Kearns Richards' parent company) to assemble some large vertical millimg machines for the Rolls Royce RB211 engine project. This was in the former Geo Richards 'high bay' with an entrance in Craven Road. The rest of the Richards factory had been taken over by Tilghmans (dust extraction engineers). The stores job was a bit of a 'cushy number' - I think the manager liked students so he let us do what we wanted really. It seems that most people who lived in Altrincham over these years knew at least one person who worked for these firms.
-
Hi - I was wondering if anybody remembers my dear Grandfather Henry Merrell and his son Fred who both worked at Kearns Richards between 1950 and 1983?
-
The Fred Merrill I remember lived on St Marks Ave. kept whippets and was a great goalkeeper.
-
Thanks 'OkyBrow', yes, that is my Dad you are talking about! Thanks for your reply, it was very nice to see it on here. Did you work at Kearns or are you from 'the Brow'?
-
Yes I used to live on the Brow and played football for Seamons Moss along side your dad. He was very agile and pulled off some really great saves. If memory serves me Fred had a few trials with some well known teams. I worked at Tilghmans and then George Richards 1957 through to the demise of engineering in Broadheath. I did work at Churchills for a short time but that was when jobs down Atlantic St. were plentyful,and if you were a time served engineer.
ATB
-
Hello again, that is very interesting, I have just spoken to my Dad, he said he is going to get one of his old Seamons Moss football photographs out and have a look to see if he can see who you may be. It is quite unbelieveable to see Atlantic Street for example, how it is now, to how I remember it myself back in the seventies even, it is very sad indeed, typical of the majority of this country now I would say when it comes to industry and real and plentiful jobs as you say. Best regards and thank you for the reply.
-
My Uncle Albert Hammond worked there too for many yrs ,he was the longest serving heart transplant patient from wythenshawe hos too , he sadly passed away last yr but he enjoyed every day at churchills /kearns and richards .....i only came to google this as where i work in Perth Australia i asked someone to sharpen my chisel and while waiting in the mainteance roon i noticed an old Churchills machine , im sorry but i got a bit emotional as Albert and i use to go out twice a week and he would tell me stories about kernes /churchills ect ...but this machine ,in Oz actually had Noar was here on it , i was looking for datews and the guy told me it was at least 50 yr old ...i was born in Broadheath , lived there and know Alty so well but Oz was calling for me and the children .... :)
-
If it is the Albert Hammond I am thinking of, my late Grandad knew him well - does he have a brother called Brian?
-
Just in case Darkmyst is still receiving notifications, I would like to say thanks for the mention of my much loved dad!
-
Yes i am still hanging in here, your dad interviewed me for my apprenticeship at Churchill's, and my brother before me. He knew my Farther very well, Harold Sadler, and my mum Audrey, sadly no longer with us. I have a slide somewhere of Sid with some apprentices and my brother also called Harold, or Anthony stood in front of a car outside the maintenance dept, think it was something to do with the duke of Edinburgh's award (i think) Sid always looked after us, and i still remember him well. He wasn't someone to be crossed, and you rarely did, but what a nice man. :)
-
Hi Darkmyst, good to hear that he looked after you guys too, he was my best pal.
No idea where I've put those slides but when I find 'em, I'll post them here...eventually. ;D
-
If it is the Albert Hammond I am thinking of, my late Grandad knew him well - does he have a brother called Brian?
his brothers are Jack,Ken,Harry....and sisters Anna and June ....lived near the Moss Trooper and Gardeners Arms Timperley
-
Just a few words to all interested I have come across a book titled `Famous for a Century` by Curtis Sparks. It is all about the machine tool industries in and around Atlantic St. since 1900 to now. George Richards, Kearns, Churchills, Record Electric, Linotype, Budenbergs and a host of the smaller engineering firms that Broadheath was famous for (Clare Collets, Baldwin & Francis, Charles Madan, etc ) The book is quite large and full of photos of machines working and being assembled and lots of workers with and without names.
Anyway enough of my prattle.
-
Yes i am still hanging in here, your dad interviewed me for my apprenticeship at Churchill's, and my brother before me.
I've not yet found the slides, but came across this photo taken I think outside Churchill's Training School.
That's Syd's beloved Red Corsair they are leaning on, so it was after 1964, do you recognise anyone?
-
Yes, far left that's my Brother Harold or Harry as some called him. I have the same photo as well lol
-
Yes, far left that's my Brother Harold or Harry as some called him. I have the same photo as well lol
Wow! that was quick lol
Sorry it's one you've already got!
Can you hazzard a more accurate guess at the date?
I've found a whole load of old photo's God knows who most of 'em are of, but they don't 'arf pen and ink!
-
As far as i can remember, I left school in July 1971 and started at Churchill's from school. It was summer 1970. My Brother is 12 months older than me and he started 12 months before me, so it must be 1970. Hope that helps. ;)
-
Yes thanks, quite a bit later than I thought!
Found the slides but might be a while scanning them!
Meanwhile, found 4 snaps but having problems uploading, the first attachment always just disappears when I click on "Submit" and nothing else happens.
I'll try Pixentral.
(http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1aCXyfO044OalYgALZuSqUY2BvV1_thumb.jpg) (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1aCXyfO044OalYgALZuSqUY2BvV1)
(http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1wginPq3sYRhizqSz3BOzWBPxyT8Yg0_thumb.jpg) (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1wginPq3sYRhizqSz3BOzWBPxyT8Yg0)
(http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1VxIQOXWYr7ug5aMJm60ryKaIK2gQw1_thumb.jpg) (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1VxIQOXWYr7ug5aMJm60ryKaIK2gQw1)
(http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1GlOWMh5XTdcY4K6931xAd4dWZPHJ_thumb.jpg) (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1GlOWMh5XTdcY4K6931xAd4dWZPHJ)
-
Hi all,
I was searching the web for Record co. and found this thread. My grandfather Patrick Byrne worked at "the Record" in the late 30s up until he joined the RAF. He met his wife Doris (Lynch) there and they married. A lot of his wartime letters ask about people who worked at Record with him and Doris, and mention the work there. His plane went down in Germany Nov. 1944, Doris passed away in the mid 1970s. I know some of out neighbors in Timperley worked there too (Charlie Sutherland) Strangely web searched don't pull up any photos of the place other than the ones posted here, you would think there would be a factory photo or something! I am pretty sure anyone who was there in the early 40s has since passed away. Like others here I remember hearing the hooter going off at 7am (I think) and lunchtimes, probably at knocking off time too but I don't remember that. I grew up in Timperley 1962 up till 1987 then moved to Memphis, Tennessee. If anyone knows where I can find records (scuse the pun) of employees it would be nice, I have emailed the modern Record Electrical Co to see if they have anything but probably one of those things that got thrown away. Is the building still there? I was in Alty last summer and went to Halfords and to Mothercare in the industrial park. Thanks everyone!
-
I left school in'64 and went straight into the 'ATD' at George Richards. When let loose in to the factory, I was installed in the horizontal boring section, run by a True Gent by the name of Alec Ellis. When the hammer fell in '67, I (still being an apprentice) was supposed to move over into the Kearns factory, but I left then and started at the Churchill Machine Tool Co. I stayed until late '69 when I went to Kearns and finished my apprenticeship. In 1973, The Ingersoll-Rand company had moved into the old 'Metropolitan-vickers transformer plant in Baguley. I mention this because it's workforce comprised mostly of ex-Broadheath engineers that moved on from the joining of Richards and Kearns in '67. I joined Ingersoll-Rand in '75, and over the next few years with the not so gradual winding down of the activites in Broadheath the shopfloor at I-R was a mix of Richards,Kearns, Churchill and Linotype. 45 years on, still Horizontal Boring and working with an ex-Kearns Borer . I've remembered a few names from the past, (in no particular order) -: Jimmy Eccles, Cliff Binder, Neville Thomason (stubbins!) Horace Heale, Ned Brownhill, Ken Pearson, Ken Naylor, Vic Youle,Ronnie Thomason, Fred Matley To name A few as they say......
-
I also served an apprenticeship at richards from 1961 to 1966 in the horizontal boreing bay.I remember Alic Ellis and Horice,also Kenny Limb,Bill Stott,Kenny Pearson,Andrew Posniac,Alan Wardle and Dave Horsfield
-
Hi all, I wonder if anyone remembers a Peter Barnes who worked at George Richards, he worked with a Tommy Watson. Not sure when but am guessing at 1930/40's onwards. Peter is a long lost relative and I would dearly love to have news of him or his family.
My grandad George Barnes used to live in Timperley, he had links to Churchills in Atlantic St through the firm Drummond Bros in Guildford, and has many rellies still living in the Altrincham area.
many thanks.
-
Hi there, yes my dad worked at george richards for all of my early childhood, he worked as a storeman, and I remember him being made redundant in the late 60s, he then moved to budenbergs as a security man, I too remember the works hooter - we could hear it from our back garden on the grange estate in timperley, my dad was called raymond holt.
-
I also worked at George Richards from 1957 untill I moved across the road to Tilghmans on the compressor side, working out on site. I do remember a storeman called Ray, very black hair and always smiling also in the same store room was a lady who issued drawings and if needed first aid plasters. I purchased a book last year titled `Famous for a Century by Curtise Sparkes and this is all about Broadheath Engineering and the factories.
-
That's interesting, there must have been another Ray!! My dad had ginger wavy hair, and was tall and Quite skinny, he also had a foot deformity. At teatimes he would talk for ages about his day, we got to hear all the gossip from the neighbouring factories- tilghmans,kearns, churchills the lino, were among the topics of conversation at the table!! all these names are childhood memories of my dad, All his family were from broadheath and all had worked at many of these places.when he moved to budenbergs, I remember as a child, going to the works christmas parties- and seeing a huge pressure guage hanging from the ceiling (whatever happened to that?)Happy days :)
-
Hi there my Dad Ben Pearson worked at George Richards, then Kearns. He was maintenance. I remember one of the people who worked with him surname of Morris from Sale. My Dad got made redundant from Kearns and went on to work at Linotype. My Grandad Leslie Wilson worked at Record Electrical. I lived in Altrincham until 2003 when we moved to Spain. Have lots of fond memories.
-
Hi all. I worked at Churchill,s from 1955 until they decided to move to Coventry, a Mr Hartley was apprentice superviser when I started my apprenticeship ,I remember Charley murgatroid he was a trainer?,after about 18month,s,I was asked if I fancied moving to the main workshop as a horizontal borer, Stan march-charley roberts-rodney Hackwell- Len Campbell were just a few of my workmates, Fred Matley was forman fitter in 7bay,Albert Hammond was a electricion, I lived in timperley,Albert lived just a few doors away,very fond memory,s. Vty
-
I haven't been on this site for ages, since I started this thread by asking about George Richards. I am surprised no one remembers my Dad, Bill Cottrill, he worked for many, many years there. He was a wood pattern maker. He was well known in the Altrincham area. He lived on Leicester Ave. Timperley, as a child and young man. He went to school in Altrincham at St Vincent's, before serving his apprenticeship at Churchill's, he worked at Richards for a short while, he then worked in the USA for several years then came back to Timperley and went back to Richards until it closed down. He then worked at Metal Box company along the Bridgewater canal in Timperley, until he passed away in 1982.
I no longer live in the UK but have fond memories of the Altrincham/Timperley area. We lived on Bridgewater Rd., in Broadheath, for a few years, from about 1953, then moved to Brookfield Ave. Timperley. I remember going to Navigation Rd. play ground as a child, if I remember correctly they had a park keeper who lived in a hut on the play ground. I went to St Vincent's School and then to Loreto Convent, in Bowden.
I remember walking to Navigation Rd Station with my Mom and my baby brother in a huge pram and they would load the pram into the guards Van and we would go off to Manchester to visit relatives. It was a lovely clean station with flowers in the summer and a fire in the waiting room in the winter.
-
Hi. You say your father was an apprentice at churchills?,what trade did he serve in?,you say you lived on Brookfield Avenue,well I lived there for10years 1964/1974? ,Albert Hammond was living a few doors up from us?and Mr &Mrs Ball lived next door,I walked down Atlantic Street a few days ago,I noticed Churchill,s last remnants have gone?a massive Asda store Is near on completed??.vty
-
Hello there. I worked at Metalbox Box when it closed down back in the 80's and I remember you dad Bill. He worked on the snow grinder a massive horizontal surface grinder that gave up so much spray its was like snow. Big set fella bald head if I remember right. We knew him Kojak the machine was next to the main door to the factory. My father Syd worked in the stores too
I will attempt to send you a photo of the turning section .
There's always someone who knows someone.
Regards Bob Wilson
-
Dear Geoff
I have just been reading your posts regarding Kearns Richards etc and your post exchange to 'Jac'. With regard to you mentioning "your Labourer, Henry", I wondered if you were referring to Henry Merrell (who is my Grandad), especially with the mention of the name Tommy Murray as that name rang a bell, as does yours in connection with my Grandad who worked at Kearns for many years during the 1960s and 1970s. If you get chance, please let me know if you knew my Grandad, Henry, I would be most grateful.
Best wishes, Louise
-
hello jac,what a moment when i read your mail,i have very vivid memories of my whole time at Richards and the last 2 years at Kearns i have had a degree of success and been lucky in my career having owned my own company TECFLO LTD for the last 25years,but as i have told my family many times my time at Broadheath was and remains where i have spent the happiest time of what is becoming a long working life.i started their in August 62 leaving in December 69 . i remember your dad so well when i started he was on permanent nights but that changed and when he came onto days i got to work with him and as i said at one time him and i with our labourer Henry ( a good freind of your dads) on nights ,we did,nt do much work and slept most of the nights woken by the production superintendant only when a machine had broken down ,i remember him buying his Morris Oxford green from i think White City Motors he let me drive him it to the canteen with the three of us what a treat for a young boy , i,m sorry i would have knpwn Trevor by sight only if he was an apprentice at the same time he must have been in the works he was not in maintenance i was the first maintenance apprentice electrician what a privilage!, i have lots to say of my memories but hope most will keep for me to send them privately. Best wishes Geoff
Dear Geoff
I have just been reading your posts regarding Kearns Richards etc and your post exchange to 'Jac'. With regard to you mentioning "your Labourer, Henry", I wondered if you were referring to Henry Merrell (who is my Grandad), especially with the mention of the name Tommy Murray as that name rang a bell, as does yours in connection with my Grandad who worked at Kearns for many years during the 1960s and 1970s. If you get chance, please let me know if you knew my Grandad, Henry, I would be most grateful.
Best wishes, Louise
-
Hi guys, I need the help of a seasoned Engineer!
Just clearing out the last of the stuff from my dad's garage, ...BIG job and came across several specialist items, the largest being a "Rabone Chesterman" wooden case containing this!
Can anyone tell me something about it?
The inscription on the base tells me it was "acquired" during my dad's time at "David Brown Jackson" in Salford, after he finished at Churchill's.
I suspect it is used on a marking out table for some kind of "micrometric" measurement, it has a sliding vernier scale on the post similar to those found on a hand measuring caliper.
Edit:
Thank God for t'interweb!
Here's an ad for it!
Now all I need to do is find a buyer!!
-
It is a vernier scribing height gauge for marking /scribing vertical faces.
-
I worked at Richards for a short time 1966/67 as a machine tool fitter after moving from Harvey & Longstaffes metal pattern shop just off Sinderland Broadheath, the reason that I left Richards was that the American company Stavely Industries were buying out Richards and taking all the good machine work such as horizontal and vertical borers and leaving us to make shaping machines etc (the low quality machine tools), I could see the writing on the wall so to speak and got out. I started there for a white haired old foreman by the name of Bill Kennerly but whoa betide anyone that called him Bill they were quickly informed that you were to address him as Mr Kennerly, we assembled and adjusted facing heads for the boring machines, a simple fitting job and when they assessed your skills and capabilities, if suitable you moved on to the more complex engineering jobs, before I moved on I worked on a massive vertical borer that was being produced for the Bhopal shipyard in India that was to be used to bore out the propellers for the new super tanker being built to transport crude oil around the world, I had a photo of all the shop floor lads plus a small lorry on the facing head, I'm not sure but I think it was the largest machine of it's type in the world at the time beating the one they made in 1948.
-
Yes, thanks for that algy.
Once upon a time such items would be in demand from many specialist firms both large and small around Broadheath and Trafford Park area.
Sadly the market for such precision tools barely exists now in this country.
...thanks Maggie!
-
Hi
Does anyone know what happened to George Richards and his family?
I think I might be connected.
Regards
Phil
-
Hi,
My name is Barry Fox I was an apprentice at Churchills from August 68 till it shut down best job I ever had i loved it. Syd Vos was in charge of the training school, now retired and been living in Sydney Australia since 97 I visit family every couple of years and always pop down Atlantic street while there sad to see all the changes our football pitches have gone all built on, spent the rest of my time in 8 bay as a fitter.
Would be happy to hear from anyone who has memories of that period in time.
-
Can anyone remember what year the Atlantic Social Club Closed. In Broadheath..?
-
Just stumbled across this post my dad was Neville Thomason also known as Stubbins,many names mentioned I remember from being a kid, I followed in his footsteps albeit across the canal at Budenbergs