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Turner Brothers Toolmakers

Hi proper brummie,welcome to the forum,
Kelly's 1949 directory shows

Turner Brothers(Birmingham) Ltd.press tool mkrs.Cliveland Street & tool makers Cecil Street

Any help

Colin
 
Turner Bros

Hi Brummie

I grew up in Cliveland St and remember Turner Bros quite well.Their main business was making power presses of all sizes, also press tools and dies.At one time with the exception of three buildings they occupied the whole of the street,the main building occupied five floors next to which was the office block complete with a fully equipped surgery.Further along the street they had their own fire station and garage,on the opposite side of the road to the fire station & garage they had their own social club.A couple of the buildings were quite big & ran through from Cliveland St to Cecil St,in Cecil St they had a unit where they used to cut the blanks for the presses in any thickness up to ten inch thick steel.
As a youngster I met Mr Turner a few times from what I remember he was well liked by his employees & always had time for you whether you worked for the company or not.I'll put some photos up when I can.If I can help anymore let me know.

Dave
 
Turner Brothers

Hi

I never worked there but my dad did for years.
They used to have great Christmas parties for
the kids in the 50's and 60's.
Most of the White goods(fridges Washing machines etc) were made from the
Press Tooling of Turner Brothers.
A load of Toolmakers from Kynochs left for
Turner Brothers in the Mid 60's. paid good wages.

Mike Jenks
 
Turner Bros

I remember when they had the christmas parties they used to hold them in the canteen,always had entertainment for the kids.I went back to Cliveland St last year first time for years sad to see the state of the buildings now.



Dave
 
Thankyou for the pictures,how sad! Actually I'm on this ,not for myself I am
doing it for an old exemployee,who served his apprenticeship a long time ago
at Turners.We were remembering old times,when there were good firms to work for,now the well established factories have gone to the wall!
This information was written on a beermat,so if not actually correct,please
forgive,(several pints of carling,)
His name is Norman Jewells,he remembered several names of workmates,
including,a Mr Frank Dutton,Tommy Coles,Dennis Hair,Gordon Ashton,Arthur
Snape,Tommy Pike,by this time there was no more room on the beer mat for anymore

If there is anybody who can remember these names,please get in touch.
 
Proper Brummie
My sister worked for Turner Brothers from 1941 to 1946 in what was called the 'Progress Office' It was here she met her future husband who was a draughtsman. Apart from Turner's secretary she was one of the first women to be employed there.
She recalls Frank Dutton who at the time was either a charge hand or a foreman at the Hope Street Works. Didn't know him well but he had, during the course of the work, occasions to visit her office. She guesses, then, he was aged about 36 years as she was aged 20 years.
They used to have visiting sports personalities. One of which was Anne Heywood who became Anne Jones. She was a gifted table tennis player then but on marriage went onto to become better known as a lawn tennis player.
In 1944 Turner released all the younger men to join the services and took on more women to cover the posts. At the conclusion of the war he sacked all the married women so as to take the discharged men back on. My sister was one he was prepared to keep on.
The other names she does not recall.
Will.
 
Thankyou for the information,I copied the photographs off the computer,and took them to show Norman,the look of surprise on his face was worth all the
trouble that you have taken,He went around Wetherspoons pub Sunday
morning showing his cronies who usually play dominoe's.
He was very upset that the once great company had become a target for
vandals and was allowed to fall into ruin.
Is the area around the factory still derelict?
Thanks again.
 
Turner Bros

although the buildings look in a poor state, when I took the photos there were a few small businesses using the buildings.

Dave
 
Thankyou to all the people who have contributed their time and have answered all my questions,its good to know there are still memories to be recalled to mind.
The ex apprentice who asked me for any information is chuffed ,thanks again.
(chuffed,an old army expression means happy or pleased):)
 
Turners

Dave the house between the factories,could that be the caretakers if so talk about living close to the job

Mossy:)
 
Turner Bros

Mossy

That house was nothing to do with Turner Bros it was in fact a private property belonging to a family called Jackson.The owner Arnie Jackson worked at Henry Corbetts in Newtown Row.I always say to people that there was only one house in the street and it wasn't ours.My father worked for West Bros in Cliveland Street which is still in business today,the blue door in the photo was the entrance to the flat above the factory where we lived now that is living on top of the job.

Dave
 
hi my name is derek.
my brothers father inlaw worked at turner bros
anyone out there remember him knocker griffiths??
he was a nice guy, thought a womans place was in the kitchen
died in the last couple of years ,liked collecting junk in his later life
carboots he loved them,cb radio he was the man,and he loved his
pidgeons.
happy days bet someone remembers him??
regards dereklcg.
 
more info on some of the workforce at turners toolmakers ,g dept.manager tommy coles ass.manager jack dutton,george browns section,arthur snaith
george lester,albert sharp,nobby? griffiths,harold griffiths,norman jewell,tommy pike,(radial driller) this apparently was just one section.
do any of these names bring back memories?
norman jewells is now 74yrs,young and lives in tamworth,and uses my local
wetherspoons.
 
Hi, I started work at Turner Bros, straight from school, in 1958.
I was put into "K" Department, which was opposite the main building along a little bit. That department had recently moved from Weaman Street
Under the watchful eye of "Sandy Palmer", anyone remember him?, I began
my career in Press Toolmaking.
The Foreman in that department was Harry Oakley with Ernie Dudley as Chargehand. Other Toolmakers in there were, Winky Wells, Colin Aspinall,
Harry Poore (he was Australian) Dave Mullis, John King,to mention a few.
I can remember the machinists there with names of White, Corbet, Leach,
and so on.
From there I moved upstairs into "D" Department for the start of my machining training, I could reel off a string of names from up there if anyone is interested. That department eventually moved to and amalgamated with "G" shop at the far end of Cliveland Street.
I finally left Turner Brothers in 1965 to work for Timings Tools in Brownhills.
There begins another chapter of my life.
 
I have just made contact with one of the first friends I had at Turner Brothers when I started work there in 1958, Through "Friends Reunited", a "Bob Edwards" who is now living in USA. Although we didn't know it at the time, we both left the company in 1965.
 
proper brummie said:
Thankyou for the pictures,how sad! Actually I'm on this ,not for myself I am
doing it for an old exemployee,who served his apprenticeship a long time ago
at Turners.We were remembering old times,when there were good firms to work for,now the well established factories have gone to the wall!
This information was written on a beermat,so if not actually correct,please
forgive,(several pints of carling,)
His name is Norman Jewells,he remembered several names of workmates,
including,a Mr Frank Dutton,Tommy Coles,Dennis Hair,Gordon Ashton,Arthur
Snape,Tommy Pike,by this time there was no more room on the beer mat for anymore

If there is anybody who can remember these names,please get in touch.
Click to expand...
My Dad was an apprentice at Turners in 1940 and remembers some of these people very well. Heres a few more names: George Joinson (my dad) Harold Smith, Jackie Smith, Jack Kirby, Harry Holland, jack Gormley, Bert Bentley, Fred Allcock,Frank Harris,Tommy Whitcombe,Ron Eggington,Ray Hayward,George Egginton,Ray Stacey, Harry Leather, Phil Thompson and George Surplace. I too was a toolmaker before i became a teacher. In the nineties i worked in a toolroom in Warstock. The labourer was an amazing man in his late eighties who told wonderful stories about Turners. This was George Egginton and he had trained my Dad all those years ago. sadly George passed away around 1997, he was well into his nineties!
 
dereklcg said:
hi my name is derek.
my brothers father inlaw worked at turner bros
anyone out there remember him knocker griffiths??
he was a nice guy, thought a womans place was in the kitchen
died in the last couple of years ,liked collecting junk in his later life
carboots he loved them,cb radio he was the man,and he loved his
pidgeons.
happy days bet someone remembers him??
regards dereklcg.
Click to expand...
My Father remembers Knocker and tells me that he was a right character. He remembers a story when Knocker ordered a suit from the tailors. He insisted that the suit should be made out of some material that he had picked. The material was normally used for heavy grey coats and was very thick but, despite warnings from the tailor, Knocker insisted rather than lose face. It became a standing joke in the toolroom that Knocker must have lost pounds in sweat as well as extra coupons in that suit! (coupons were used to purchase items in those days)
 
Graham Joinson said:
My Father remembers Knocker and tells me that he was a right character. He remembers a story when Knocker ordered a suit from the tailors. He insisted that the suit should be made out of some material that he had picked. The material was normally used for heavy grey coats and was very thick but, despite warnings from the tailor, Knocker insisted rather than lose face. It became a standing joke in the toolroom that Knocker must have lost pounds in sweat as well as extra coupons in that suit! (coupons were used to purchase items in those days)
Click to expand...
:)hi graham just read your thread,i can see him now and i well believe that story.
i was with my brother on Friday,he lives in Tamworth had a lot of time for knocker,mind you it was his father in-law he could do no wrong in his eyes,
i went to see him off at Yardley cemetery sad day.
i,ll pass this on to my bro because knockers wife remembers a lot of the lads at turners,being there all them years.
it,s nice to be able to relive in some respects the past,don,t you know.
happy days regards dereklcg.
 
Graham Joinson said:
My Dad was an apprentice at Turners in 1940 and remembers some of these people very well. Heres a few more names: George Joinson (my dad) Harold Smith, Jackie Smith, Jack Kirby, Harry Holland, jack Gormley, Bert Bentley, Fred Allcock,Frank Harris,Tommy Whitcombe,Ron Eggington,Ray Hayward,George Egginton,Ray Stacey, Harry Leather, Phil Thompson and George Surplace. I too was a toolmaker before i became a teacher. In the nineties i worked in a toolroom in Warstock. The labourer was an amazing man in his late eighties who told wonderful stories about Turners. This was George Egginton and he had trained my Dad all those years ago. sadly George passed away around 1997, he was well into his nineties!
Click to expand...


Graham Hi, That list of names is amazing, one name on there is Bert Bentley, he went on to manage "Timings Tools" in Brownhills and later to become Sales director, he sadly passed away a couple of years ago.
One name that is not on the list but did work there at around that time was my late uncle Wilfred Fenton does he remember him ?
Goffy.
 
Goffy said:
Graham Hi, That list of names is amazing, one name on there is Bert Bentley, he went on to manage "Timings Tools" in Brownhills and later to become Sales director, he sadly passed away a couple of years ago.
One name that is not on the list but did work there at around that time was my late uncle Wilfred Fenton does he remember him ?
Goffy.
Click to expand...
Thanks for that Goffy, Dad knew about Bert and is still in touch with Barbara, Berts wife. Bert was going to be Dads best man but he was too young and a chap named Ernie Roe stepped in. I asked him about Wilfred Fenton but he does not recall the name. Dad still has a picture of the football team which is going to sort out, i''ll put it on here when he does!
 
Graham Joinson said:
My Dad was an apprentice at Turners in 1940 and remembers some of these people very well. Heres a few more names: George Joinson (my dad) Harold Smith, Jackie Smith, Jack Kirby, Harry Holland, jack Gormley, Bert Bentley, Fred Allcock,Frank Harris,Tommy Whitcombe,Ron Eggington,Ray Hayward,George Egginton,Ray Stacey, Harry Leather, Phil Thompson and George Surplace. I too was a toolmaker before i became a teacher. In the nineties i worked in a toolroom in Warstock. The labourer was an amazing man in his late eighties who told wonderful stories about Turners. This was George Egginton and he had trained my Dad all those years ago. sadly George passed away around 1997, he was well into his nineties!
Click to expand...
Here a few more names to bring the memories flowing back:Harry Carnel,Fred Johnson,Bert Wood,Phil Wood,George (podge) Checketts,Joe Whale,Arthur Cawley (Shaper),Bertie Blackwell(Shaper),Dennis (Tango) Brown,Wilf Ayres (Inspection),Dorothy Vice (Office),Billy Ladds,Bert Smith (Inspector),Ernie Roe,Trevor Edwards,Vic Stevens (Hardener)Bill (pokey)Ashley,Peter Hopkins and Vera Kirby (Turner). My Dad certainly enjoyed recalling them!
 
Hi

Found a few photo's of Dad at Turner Brothers.
He worked in the Planning department for around
12 years 1950's to mid 1960's.
Included in the photo's are
Les Stevenson, Allan Thompson, Ben Sheppard, Bill Price,
Harry Dalaway, Walter Harris (section Head) Harry Grear,
Eric Smalley, Fred Richardson, Claude Jenks (Dad) Jack Kyle (Supervisor)
Henry Turvey and Bert James Head of Department.
Hope they may be of Interest.

Mike Jenks
 
Nice pictures Mike. Forgive me if I'm wrong, but in the second picture, the gentleman on the back row with the hand on his shoulder, looks like Harry Oakley, the forman from my first department, K shop. ?
 
Hi

Spoke to Dad about Harry Oakley.
Sorry the picture isnt of him.
Dad remembers Harry Oakley
he say's that he was the son
of the Foreman Joe Oakley
who worked for the Section Leader
Tommy Askey.

Best I can do

Mike Jenks
 
Thanks Mike, It did look like him. you mention Joe Oakley, he was the foreman on "D" Department which was situated directly over "K".
I worked under Joe when I moved up to "D", did my machining training there.

Thanks again, Goffy
 
Mike, Does your dad remember those fascinating Turner Brothers Calendars? I think they depicted various caractures from the factory, and tools in cartoon fashion, I still have a notebook somewhere but would love to see a calendar again. Goffy
 
hello such a good thread as a neutral to read.
i have on behalf of my brother,s mother in law added to it,her husband was Horace Griffith (knocker) as he was known worked there for a long time,she remembers a lot
of the names i post it back for her to read, happy days. regards dereklcg.
 
Graham Joinson said:
I showed these to my Dad and he seems to recognise the little chap, fourth from the right on the back row, on the first photo but he can't put a name to him. Any ideas?
Click to expand...
Does anyone know of the whereabouts of Jimmy Bath who worked at Turners in the 1940's but later moved to Cheltenham?
 
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