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BSA Factory 1940s Onwards

i bet its world wide fans dont know it looks like this,
 
Re, B.S.A.

The far part of the building in the photo posted by Dollyferret was used as the training centre for first year apprentices in the B.S.A. group, and from some smaller engineering companies in brum. this is where I spent the first year of my working life 1970/71.
 
This is me, 2nd from left, in the BSA gear shop July 1964. Niel, Graham, "Ringo" and Alec, photo taken by Ken, who left for home, Hong Kong, in Agust. He posted this photo from Hong Kong.
 
My late Father worked at BSA in Armoury Road, before the war, he then joined up but returned to the factory after the War. He was in the polishing shop. His name was Walter Jobbins, and he was a shop steward for the Union.

I joined as a typist in the spares department, on the old sit up and beg typewriters, so you can guess my age! I then became secretary to the Spares Manager, George Holden, and did work for Eric Bott as well.

My brother became an aprectice there, his Name is Nick Jobbins.

The spares moved to Montgomery Street. All three of us were there until it was shut down.

Best job, best place and wonderful people worked there. It was like a family.

I remember as a youngster going to the Christmas parties in the works canteen, ice cream and jelly, and Santa of course, and a present after. When you got a little older you went to the Panto at the Hippodrome.

When I started work there I helped at the parties. I remember Roy Orbison being at the factory and meeting him, he was motorbike mad,as we all were.

Every month we used to meet up with the guys from Triumph at Meriden for drinks and food, usually drinks at the Robin Hood in Acocks Green, have lots of photo's from those meetings. We had such a good time.

Anyone out there remember those days?

Christina (Chris))
 
Please note photo has been lost from this post.

Christina, this is me, the tall one, in the BSA gear cutting shop 1964.
 
Please note photo has been lost from this post.

Getting on with it!

My dad, Harold Bradley, also worked in the polishing shop. Here is a photograph of him taken in the B.S.A. snooker hall (entrance Golden Hillock Rd.) approx. early 1950's.
 
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Shelagh i posted this on one of the threads: I worked at BSA Guns factory, Blossomfield Rd, Shirley, it was demolished and the site now is a retail shopping park, the factory was a Shadow Factory built by the government in WW2 to get the company away from the heavy bombing of Armoury Rd, Small Heath. Len.
 
Re: Looking for Photo of BSA Small Arms & Gun Proof House A friends father was Sergeant Joseph (Joe) Topham, a BSA Toolroom Foreman and a Sargeant in the BSA Platoon, Home Guard he was awarded the BEM for his actions in trying to save workers wounded in the bombing, 4 HG`s`s were given medals 1 GM, 3 BEM`s including Joe`s, A.F.Stevens GM, A.W.Goodwin BEM, A.R.E.Harris BEM, A.Slim BEM, Ada Deeming MBE, S.S.Ashburner Commended, E.Hoof Commended, Pte F.Knight HG, Commended, Pte G.Treen HG Commended, E. Withe Commended, building had wooden floors, on the top floors there was heavy machinery which crashed through the floors into the very deep cellar and that is where the dead and wounded were found and superhuman efforts were taken to get them, the building became unsafe and reluctantly it was filled with concrete because of possible threat to the health of other workers. I posted this on another thread. Len.
 
In 1960 while working at BSA Guns, Shirley, i had to go to repair a machine at Armoury Rd,Small Heath, in what was called the Wood Shop where they were machining the butts for the FN Rifle i walked along past high speed woodworking copying machines producing the butt shape, the floor was wooden about 12ins thick but over the years the wood had worn away leaving 2-3in deep holes which i could easily have been tripped by and the thought of what could happen if i fell in to the machines made me ultra cautious and scared, health & safety would not allow it in 2008. My post on the thread on this forum "looking for photos of BSA Small Arms & Gun proofhouse" put it into search, top of page. Len.
 
lencops The building you refer to was known in my days at BSA as the Stockin shop . you are correct when you say it was where the gun butts were made. The building that is left now up Armoury Rd is about where the Sttocking shop was I beleive what you refer to as the Proof House was the indoor rifle range alongside the recreation ground or rather at the back of it. Fillery Toffe back fence ran alongside . One of the gun firms from Steelhouse Lane used it to shootin rifles that were handed in after the war . I got a very nice Savage rifle given to me by one of the chaps that worked in there in exchange for teaching him how to ride one of the Beezas . That was quite a good swap I thought at the time and I later on shot a lot of rabbits with it down in Wales . Oh yes Wilders fireworks
adjoined Filler,s and their back fence also adjoined the BSA grounds Old Brummy
 
Welcome back Capt, that would be good if you could post the Airel Photo to the Forum.
 
As requested here is an ariel pic from google earth. the area marked one is the Parker Hale factory as was (dont know what it is at the moment.
The area marked two are some exposed air raid shelters that i found about 4 years ago. i had been looking for these for about 20 years but could never find them, anyway a few years later they made a motorcylcle track for trail bikes and in doing so exposed them. It is aonly a small section but you can clearly see what they were. Over the next few days i will try to get over there and takea few pics if anyone is interested. Hope the pic comes out. if it doesnt my apologies
 
Old Brummy i remember that wooden hill well, i remember when it snowed we used to slide down it on an old steel tray we found, in the summer we used to try and cycle up it on our pushbikes (i cant remember if anyone ever did it ) lots of fun tho
 
I worked for the BSA in the Export Sales Department from July 1957 just after I got married and
went to live in Small Heath and thought it too far to travel to Norton Motors in Aston!! This was just after the Bernard Docker era and BSA was making the Gold Star a wonderful motorbike. The Japanese were just starting to make inroads into our motorcycle industry then.

I could weep when I think of all the old famous firms which have gone by the wayside as listed by Aston, plus Norton Motors, Sun Cycles, Dunlop (my dad would turn in his grave if he knew what happened to them - he started at Aston Cross when he came out of the army about 1919/1920 moved to Pype Hayes with them, and worked there until he retired in 1966). Also Ansells, M & B, Atkinsons Breweries (my first job) so many. Birmingham was known as the workshop of the world - I dread to think what the future holds.

You must have been there with me, I wonder if our paths crossed, I worked in the Basement ( packing ) also 64 Shop scotter assy. I have attached a picture of the Rife club of which I was a member. Do you remember the sports results which came over the radio every day at 10 oclock and Lady Dockers ladies marbles team !!. Follow the links for other pictures. Rgds Lou Dalby Ex Test and Inspecition.

https://farm3.static.flickr.com/2016/2335409168_2fa2310d27_o.jpg

[ame="https://www.flickr.com/photos/g1ulz/2344667073/in/set-72157602073893291/"]BSA November 1953 on Flickr - Photo Sharing![/ame]
 
Hi to all I have had another try at the pics from Louis Dalby By clicking on the title line the set of 38 pics was opened up and some really excellent pics too Thank Louis. On the pic of the testers .......the one with the big false moustache was George Hughes He just happened to have his joke mussy in his pocket . The other name missing was Brian. Back row next to Flash Rodgers but I cannot for the life of me recall his surname.........so go to post no.56 and click on the title line folks Chgeers Old Brummie
 
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