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Birmingham Holiday Fortnight Shutdown

Alf

Alf

Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Am I right in thinking that most of the Factories in Birmingham closed for Two weeks years ago?and what did they call it if my title is not right:)
If it they did what did they call it and anyone got any memories of those Two weeks., but only those weeks.
Sad to say but we never had holidays as a family:(
 
Alf, To my knowledge, it's always refered to as Birmingham's Idustrial fortnight. Last week in July, first in August. And the majority still do close those weeks.

Ann
 
Thats right Ann, it was over the Bank Holiday weekend as well until some clever clogs went and moved the Bank Holiday to the end of August to worsen the weather prospects.
 
Yes Alf most factories in Birmingham closed for two weeks although I cannot remember a collective name for it, what I can remember is the fact that there was no such thing as Holiday pay as we know it today, workers were paid CTR which was cumulative time rate and amounted to a little less than a weeks pay for the two weeks, I know a lot of people opted to work one of the weeks because they could not afford it, a sad reflection of the times.

Later in no small amount due to trade union pressure better conditions were introduced including redundancy pay.
 
I forgot to mention that it was always the last week in July and the first week in August within the motor industry.

keith
 
It was the same at Cadbury's, thoughI don't think it applies now. There was no problem there with pay (mentioned by Darby), but there was no choice except for certain specialised trades engaged in maintanence. I was in the labs and nothing directly to do with production, but, even so, the only person I knew who didn't take the "general" was someone who got married shortly before, and they did accept that that was an excuse for him to take a different time or his holiday
mike
 
l always thought those two weeks were called the Birmingham Weeks,..just about every thing shut down, and l was luckey enough to be able to go on holiday thanks to Burlington Hall...otherwise could'nt have afforded it....funny thing where ever we went on those weeks one could always hear a Brummie accent,...l think half the population left town.....Brenda
 
Ann might be right- I always thought it was the first two weeks in August. But through the years things often change .
 
My father worked for the Midlands Electricity Board for three decades
and they didn't have a schedule like production factories did where they
shut down for a couple of weeks. The family always went away during the
last two weeks of August, mainly because of the weather which was
pretty good most years. Also, we kids didn't have to wait too long before school started again.
 
I always knew it as the 2 weeks shut down, as an indusrial cleaner that was the time we could get into those factories such as lucas , southalls,cadbury,jaguar to perform high level and low level cleaning
 
I think we called it the holiday fortnight, I was lucky to go on holiday with my aunts and uncles to Hastings, or as my Aunt Maud always insisted on calling it St Leonards.:)
 
My Uncle worked at the Jag and had to have those two weeks off.
A lot of the blokes got married then,he did.lol

It was called "shut down"
 
Alf

Happy Memories, I worked at GEC Witton, close down was always last week in July !st week in August.

Didn't go on holidays couldn't afford them so we had the next best treat City Of Birmingham Holiday Express from New St. Station.

It was £5 for 5 different days outings:-

Day 1 Rhyl, Colwyn Bay, or Llandudno.

Day2 London

Day3 Matlock or Buxton

Day 4 can't remember

Day 5 Brighton ( it's how I met my wife Golden wedding Next year)

Picture of Driver & Fireman, Platfom 3, 29/7/57 09.57

Great Value that's when we had a Railways for the common man:cool:
 
Our family all fished, so for years we went to Weir Meadow Caravan Park, Evesham. Dad always had to book early to get the last week in July and first in August, and sometimes he was too late. And same as now, the price is always bumped up for those weeks. And going back to the family holidays in the 50's, well day trips to Rhyl figured a lot.
Ann
 
My husband worked for a GKN subsidiary firm Forging and Presswork at Witton. His holiday was last week in July first week in August - the Industrial holiday fortnight - and the kids were on holiday from school at this time too. My hubby saved £2 a week towards our 'camping' holiday during the 1970s & 1980s in South Devon This was the only way we could afford a holiday, but we enjoyed our 10 day stay and we always had good weather!

Anthea:)
 
My dad worked at the Dunlop and the main industrial shutdown was always the last week in July and the first week in August. I can remember family holidays in Margate, Paignton, Weymouth etc., and wherever we went, a walk on the prom, in a pub, on a boat trip, mom and dad would always bump into people they knew, it seems a particular resort was the in place for that year's holidays. We always travelled by train and my it seemed to take all day travelling to our destination.
 
I used to work for Stockland Coaches in the mid sixties as a Mechanic. During the holiday fortnight also had to cover the South Devon overnight run on Fridays due to vast amount of extra passengers.
 
I used to work for Stockland Coaches in the mid sixties as a Mechanic. During the holiday fortnight also had to cover the South Devon overnight run on Fridays due to vast amount of extra passengers.
 
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