Yep, I do!
I am sitting with an original copy of Ismay Industries Directors' Report and Accounts for Year ended 30th June 1937!
My father was John Ismay's company secretary.
In the Ismay group were Ismay Lightbulbs, Sterling Batteries, Sterling Clocks Ltd, The Hire Purchase Corporation Ltd, Trutolife Television Ltd ,Zeros Refrigeration, Ismay Cables Ltd,etc.
I quote " Our interests can be divided into four, firstly Sterling Estate, Dagenham, Here the Sterling Works (Dagenham) Ltd, are manufacturing Electrical Domesic Appliances, including radio, VacuumCleaners, Radiators, Component parts for the lamp trade, Cutting and Machine tools. Also Knitmaster machines !
Our princial interest is in lighting in which we have invested approximately £450,000 from which we have received income of £57,000."
There was also a lighting works in Ilford , I believe.
yes ome factory was bombed. I think I visited teh Ilford one in the 1950's.
John Ismay as a rival to Sir Jules Thorn.He banked in Stamford Hill, where he met my father and persuaded him to become company secretary. Ismay became a multi millionaire with a wonderful in the South of France, a string of racehorses, including Santa Claus -see Wikipedia
"Santa Claus (1961-1970) was a Thoroughbred racehorse owned by John Ismay who raced in Ireland, England, and France.
Among Santa Claus's wins were the 1963 National Stakes for two-year-olds at the Curragh and in 1964 he won the Epsom Derby, the Irish Derby Stakes and the Irish 2,000 Guineas. He also finished second in that year's King George VI & Queen Elizabeth Stakes and Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe."
Not bad eh from lightbulbs?
Santa Claus was retired in 1965 to stand at stud in Ireland. He died a few years later having sired only a few horses."
he also employed another business man Anthony Simpson who also made several fortunes and a most prestigious sciene opark near cannes at Valbonne "Sophiantipolis" is named after Tony and his wife Sophia, a lovely French lady his fourth wife, both whom I knew well and swam in his fresh water Cote d'Azur Pool. He also built a block of luxury house in Paris Av Raphael Paris XVI and had a duplex penthouse suite with views over Paris.
My father bought Nazeing Glass from John Ismay in 1939, and succeeded so he too became a tax exile in Spain with a fabulous villa, and died in 1995.
Does that help at all?
Ask me more.
there are photos ogfIsmay lightbulbs on Google, and I remember them being sold in Woolies in the late Fifties, but that is a whole 'nother story!
PS Don't know if he is related to Bruice Ismay of the White Star line. John was a North Country trainer solicitor with a feeling for business!
