Hi, Hi thought I should add my short experience with the Simms Company. I joined Simms at Athol St Liverpool in 1969 as an apprentice in the fuel injection workshop. Ron Rawsthorn and George Downey were me mentors. In 1970 together with another apprentice Joe Burns we were sent to Oak Lane Finchley on apprentice training, we stayed with a family at Moss Hall Grove, Finchley.
On our first visit to The Oak Lane Factory I remember seeing a fountain in the shape of an injection nozzle, we were given a tour of the factory and saw the various departments of design and testing. Later we were taken to a separate site where the apprentices were trained, we were made very welcome by the lads and were invited for an evening drink at the local which I think was The Green Man! Whilst at Finchley we were conveyed to the various Simms/Lucas plants by a young woman who drove a Saab car. The whole experience was impressive and well planned.
I was at Athol St until we were amalgamated into LSUK and moved to the larger branch in Edge Lane ,Liverpool in 1974. I spent the next few years there until I moved to LSUK Birkenhead as workshop manager in 78. Lucas's stature as a major player in the motor industry began to diminish in the late 70s, LSUK also had a surplus of branches on Merseyside having also taken Globe and Simpson into the group and Birkenhead branch was closed in 1980 ,I along with the rest of the staff were made redundant.
I look back on my time with Simms/LSUK with fondness having met and shared time with some great people who I have now lost touch with. If anyone can relate to anything in this brief story it would be good if you could make your addition to this site. Mike Kenny
