Hi Pete
Trolleybus39 ......... Well when I started at Manloves we commenced work at 7-30am and the first Trent bus from Burton Joyce was 7am meaning I couldn't get to work on time. Consequently I'd bike to the bottom of Carlton Hill, leave my bike in a bike store and catch the 39 trolley which dropped me off at Norton Street by about 7-20am. When we finished at 5-30pm on a Tues,Wed & Thurs I didn't get home until well turned 6-30pm so it was a long day!
I can't remember Mr Meakin and can only remember Alf Bulley as the Boiler shop manager. The racket passing through when they were riveting was horrendous.
The Gun shop personel were as follows, as I remember:
Arthur Rogers (I started under Arthur) on sterilizers
Martin Munton ( and Terry (?) )
Fred (?) by the office window ( No apprentice as only "semi skilled")
Ernie Gutteridge ( with Brian Bell)
Frank White ( with "Ginger")
Walt Walker (Graham Poyser)
Percy Gregory ( Can't remember his apprentice)
Jimmy Want ( Brian Turner)
Frank Streets (Woggy)
Stan Leatherland ( Dave (?) )
Charlie Ellis (Duncan Campbell)
Len Baxter (Semi Skilled)
Frank & "Deafy" were the crane drivers ( "Deafy" made his own side car for his Gold Star )
Tommy Wragg ("semi Skilled")
"Oily Joe" ( Driller) later followed by little Bill from the top shop
In the office : Charlie Johnson, George Sharpe and Jack Tyrell.
Finally Pete after losing two wives to the big C, I'm now seeing my very first girlfriend who I met when I was 17 and who I would wave to from outside the Gunshop's doors as she passed by on the bus each morning on her way to work. She lived then on Wigman Road and her elder sister was married to one of the Panther's players.
I really could write a book !! Whatever, Manloves was a wonderful all round engineering training and I'll never forget it. I spent the last 40 years of my working life in heavy plant sales, mostly crushing equipment for Quarries and other Mineral Extractive industries.
Yes Pete, I've been very fortunate so far and had a diverse and enjoyable life, seen the world, made a lot of cash at times, spent it and started again and I suppose have been a bit of a Bugger at times!
But there we are, it takes all sorts and I'd do it all again. I've got my old Jag, a nice little bungalow in Southwell, a young thinking smartly dressed lady friend who's only fault is she favours Forest instead of the 'Pies, but you can't have everything can you?
Let me know when the 'Do' is.
ps Wouldn't mind volunteering for a bit of voluntary work at the Wollaton Hall steam museum and getting a boiler suit on again!
Cheers - Clive