Author Topic: Industrial Birmingham  (Read 38615 times)

Hi De Hi

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #77 on: May 25, 2019, 04:27:26 PM »
Hi De Hi
Reckon we must have crossed paths In BW5 I was there from 1967 to 1997 You must have known the likes of John Freeman Ken Wells Ron Bckett Mike Aston Peter Box Stan Forgeham  etc from the Lab seem to remember Terry from the Plating shop As regards Joe Lucas as you say he was Buried in St Marys Moseley but I think that he  actually died in Italy from Typhoid


Worked with all the guys you names plus Frank Hughes, 'Bill' Bailey and Norman Leadbeater. Norm was my immediate boss as I worked with him on the rubber section in the lab.


In the plating shop there was also an Alf, Dave and a Colin.  The foreman was Terry's Father in Law IIRC, trying to think of his name. It was his job I took on when he retired.  The gaffer of the Process section was also a Colin but his last name has gone for the moment.


My name is Carl by the way.


It was Typhoid or Cholera that got Joe.  The story was that they emptied his crate of samples, put him in it and shipped him back home.

Spud

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #78 on: May 25, 2019, 05:19:53 PM »
Hi Carl
I think the 'Colin' you are thinking of was Colin Hoverd [ His mother Marge also worked at BW5] he was made redundant twice appealed the first time and was reinstated but they got him eventually. I used to see him until a few years ago he went to Work for Selwood Pumps in Robin Hood Lane and I would sometimes bump into him when fetching my morning paper but I guess he must now have retired. I remember Frank Hughes very well such a shame when his wife died so young. I also seem to recall going up to Newcastle with Norman and we took Frank's wife up with us to see her family while we did the business.
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Hi De Hi

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #79 on: May 26, 2019, 07:23:05 AM »
Hi Carl
I think the 'Colin' you are thinking of was Colin Hoverd [ His mother Marge also worked at BW5] he was made redundant twice appealed the first time and was reinstated but they got him eventually. I used to see him until a few years ago he went to Work for Selwood Pumps in Robin Hood Lane and I would sometimes bump into him when fetching my morning paper but I guess he must now have retired. I remember Frank Hughes very well such a shame when his wife died so young. I also seem to recall going up to Newcastle with Norman and we took Frank's wife up with us to see her family while we did the business.


Yes Colin Hoverd or was it Hovard.  Anyway that's the guy.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #80 on: May 26, 2019, 02:32:12 PM »
Part 1 of 2. Joseph Lucas Ltd. - Harry Lucas School Connection: I attended Harry Lucas Seconday School 1960-65 so I'm probably as well placed as anyone to give a potted history. the school building opened 1891 as the Burbury Street Board School (a misnomer as the school had no geographical connection with Burbury Street, not even an alleyway, the main entrance being on Farm Street and rear entrance on New John St West.) the school was re-named Harry Lucas County Primary School in 1954, presumably in recognition of Harry Lucas' contribution to Birmingham Industry, Harry was one of Joseph Lucas' 6 children and joined his father's enterprise c1872 when he was aged 17. The western boundary of the Lucas Gt King St Factory fronted the eastern side of Burbury Street. So, did Joseph or Harry go to Burbury Street School? No.  Harry was 36 when the school opened.
Peg.
Link map dated 1892-1914 showing the school https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=52.4959&lon=-1.9082&layers=168&b=6[/size]
Link Harry Lucas School Thread
http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12554.msg428331#msg428331
Link Harry Lucas School Photo
http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14299.msg692298#msg692298
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Peg Monkey

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #81 on: May 26, 2019, 03:01:25 PM »
Part 2 of 2. Joseph Lucas Ltd-Harry Lucas School connection: I am unaware of any connection with the school beyond the family name when the school was re-named, however the school had a further name change in 1958 when it became Harry Lucas Secondary School, then the school had a dreadful 2-storey carbuncle of an extension to its front elevation providing on the ground floor, an art room, library and an additional classroom and on the 1st floor science lab, domestic science lab and staff room. A school uniform was introduced, the colours being bottle green and grey, the Joseph Lucas Ltd corporate colours, the school badge incorporated the Lucas Lion emblem. The school's 4 houses were named after Lucas directors of the day namely Corley, Garner, Masterton and Waring, their wives were guests of honour at school speechdays when they presented prizes. The school was allowed to use the Lucas Sports Field, College Rd, Perry Barr, the Lucas Fencing Club provided equipment and tuition to the school fencing club, and the Lucas Film Club loaned movie making equipment for the production of the school movie: The Bicycle Thief c1964.
The school had the distinction of being the original HQ of The 1stA Birmingham Company, The Boys' Brigade, the oldest company in Birmingham.
The school closed in 1969, was demolished and became a Lucas car park, no trace of the school remains today, I don't know the site's present use.
Peg.
Link: School uniform, house colours, etc   http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12554.msg655120#msg655120
Link: Joseph Lucas Industries, Wikipedia [size=78%]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Lucas[/size]
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Hi De Hi

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #82 on: May 27, 2019, 03:57:20 PM »
Lucas Apprentice School - based at the Gt Hampton St Factory it was a prestigious training establishment with a very selective entry process - a complete day of tests and interviews, in my final year at Harry Lucas School (1965) I applied for a place but failed, as did my mate, who was much brighter than me, it was one of the few apprentice schools that had a uniform: black blazer and grey/red tie.
I was offered a trainee position at Lucas Gas Turbine but it was the apprentice school or nothing for me.
Peg.


IIRC every year they would have something like 2000 applicants and take on 80.  Those 80 were the creme de la creme. I recall when they came round to our dept for their 3 month rotations they were excellent.  What killed it off was the Government's YTS scheme. Suddenly the Government would pay the apprentices wages. Only problem was the company had to accept whoever they were given.  YTS = Young, Thick and Stupid.

mikejee

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #83 on: May 27, 2019, 04:14:37 PM »
The YTS probably turned into the OTS politicians (old, thick & stupid)

Phil

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #84 on: May 27, 2019, 04:57:08 PM »
I can't speak for the engineering side of Industry, but in the construction side the YTS was used by unscrupulous employers to get cheap (unpaid) youngsters who no matter what the trade they were supposed to be learning ended up with a broom being the only tool they ever used.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

Scipio

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #85 on: May 27, 2019, 09:11:15 PM »
The YTS probably turned into the OTS politicians (old, thick & stupid)


Phil not being an employer myself , my slant on this is YTS was brought into being because of falling apprenticeships . Knowing from experience that an apprentice money is not that attractive until you qualify in a trade , having said that, the YTS probably  got a bad name by employers giving the broom to those who neither wanted an apprenticeship or wanted work full stop . I had a 5 year apprenticeship in the 60's , fair enough the money was crap but the knowledge I learned and the camaraderie was great . PS Mike just think on this, it was the Old Thick and Stupid that managed to build this country , not somebody that gets up at about 11.00am
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mikejee

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #86 on: May 27, 2019, 09:25:59 PM »
Scipio
I think you misunderstood me, or probably I put it rather badly. I would agree that those who worked and  took apprenticeships built the country. However many didn't and some became useless parasites, often in the city of London, making money but not producing anything useful, and then sometimes becameor supported  the crap politicians, thinking only of themselves, and thus (though you probably won't agree with this bit) promoting Brexit with its lies.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Industrial Birmingham
« Reply #87 on: May 28, 2019, 11:37:41 AM »

IIRC every year they would have something like 2000 applicants and take on 80.  Those 80 were the creme de la creme. I recall when they came round to our dept for their 3 month rotations they were excellent.  What killed it off was the Government's YTS scheme. Suddenly the Government would pay the apprentices wages. Only problem was the company had to accept whoever they were given.  YTS = Young, Thick and Stupid.


Hi Carl, what's IIRC?
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.


 

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