Industrial Birmingham

[JudithM]

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.

I worked YTS at a veterinary surgery, although I learned a lot and didn't just do the cleaning up tasks, they made it quite clear from the off that I was just 'cheap labour' and that once my training period was up they'd just replace me with another one 

[Peg Monkey]

In the mid-70s my wife got a job in the Personnel Dept, Lucas Cheston Rd but when she found out what the factory workers were earning she got a transfer to the alternator assembly line, Lucas Gt King St (Lampac I think it was called) I dropped her off before going on to my job in Witton at Salisbury Transmission, on occasions I would see the Lucas Lighting Test Car - very stylish: a light beige metallic 1976 Ford Granada Mk1 with a stripe along its length of the Lucas corporate colours: green and grey. I still thinks it looks good even by today's standards.
Peg.
P.S. It had a grill mounted on the front to allow the easy fixing of many lights for testing.

Honed by the sands of time I am a different man to yesterday and I will be different tomorrow.

[Hi De Hi]

Hi Carl, what's IIRC?
Peg.

If I Recall Correctly

[Spud]

Regarding the Lucas Apprentice School i did not realise that 2000 sat the entrance Exam. I sat and failed far too much for a failed 11 plus lad this was in 1955. A school teacher had wangled me a place. I  would think though knowing Lucas [ I worked for them for 31 years] favoured lads who had parents already working for them but it was quite Test and I was never any good sitting exams
But as fate would have it some years later an Uncle got me a job with Lucas GTE as it was in those days.Yes I started in January 1967 at Shaftmoor Lane some 12 years after failing the Apprentice Entrance Exam. At the time I thought that it would be no more than an interim  job but stayed for 31 years my wife did 24 just for good measure.
Shaftmoor Lane affectionately  known in those days as The Bastiile. It was quite a place and with its reputation for new systems and prototype work I like to believe it was looked upon as a Flagship Factory. We had many visitors often accompanied by a member of the main Lucas Board. The Red Arrows Visited The Archbishop of Birmingham had a nose around even Neil Kinnock put in an appearance. I fully remember a comment made by an Quality Auditor from the US Navy. This bloke was quite a sight. Hard nosed would not even accept a cup of coffee. On his last day he arrived in full dress uniform High Necked Tailed Jacket White Trousers shoes you could easily use as a mirror to shave he even sported a Sabre just like you might see at West Point.. He was very plain spoken so when he announced that Shaftmoor Lane GTE had the finest machine shop he had ever seen in Europe it was quite an accolade.
I went on to get my gold watch and retired in 1997. Sadly the old place has recently been razed to the ground Nuf Sed

[Peg Monkey]

Mid-70s: My wife enjoyed working in the factory at Gt King St (even though she developed a permanent rash on her forehead but was assured by the medical dept the mineral oil used had absolutely nothing to do with it) there was a great team spirit, one weekend they had a trip to The Belgian Beer Festival. On the Sunday they were due home I was waiting for the coach in the evening by the King St Factory when I heard a vehicle approaching from the Lozells direction at speed, suddenly there  was an almighty clatter - the driver had tried to take a bend far quicker than his Reliant Regal van was designed for and it flipped on its side and skidded quite a distance. 2 lads emerged quickly from the door that could be opened looking every bit as if they had stolen the van but they just stood some distance off fearing the van might go up in flames.
Peg.
P.S. I know what you are thinking Would any self-respecting car thief really steal a Reliant Van?

[Peg Monkey]

Upper RH in this shot of the Harry Lucas School is a glimpse of the Lucas Gt King St factory, then the flagship factory in The Joseph Lucas empire.
Peg.

Everytime I look at this pic I try and identify the van parked lower left - any suggestions? (shot was taken 1962).
Peg.
Link to pic: http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14299.msg692298#msg692298

[Peg Monkey]

Everytime I look at this pic I try and identify the van parked lower left - any suggestions? (shot was taken 1962).
Peg.
Link to pic: http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=14299.msg692298#msg692298

Sorry, 1961.
Peg.

[AWJD]

Peg Monkey - why do you think it is a van rather than a car? It's a poor image but I would have assumed it was the latter?

[Edmund Fifield]

Looks like a Trotter mobile from Reliant.

[Peg Monkey]

Peg Monkey - why do you think it is a van rather than a car? It's a poor image but I would have assumed it was the latter?

Thanks for your thoughts, AWJD, you've prompted me to reconsider - I've led us off topic with this one so to put matters right I've posted my latest thoughts on this on the Harry Lucas School Thread, link: http://www.birminghamforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=12554.msg695538#msg695538
Peg.

[Peg Monkey]

Looks like a Trotter mobile from Reliant.

I was studying at the Birmingham Business School, UCE and was seconded to The Reliant when it went broke for the last time, it was really weird, one day the factory was buzzing with about 80 employees, the next day I went in and there was only me and a couple of managers finishing off some cars, I reckon you could have got a Scimitar sportscar dirt cheap if you'd put an offer in to the liquidator.
I once had a lift in a Reliant Van - unbelievable noisy and rough ride.
Peg.
P.S. No connection between me being there and them going broke - at least I don't think there was!.