• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

Metro Cammell Saltley

A

aewayne

Guest
Edit. One of the businesses that was merged to form Metro Cammell in the 1920s/30s was the Midland Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. A thread about this earlier company from 1853 is here:
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/midland-railway-carriage-wagon-co.49253/
————————————————————————————————————————————
I have memories of working at Metro-Cammell Saltley. I started my apprentiship as a wood machinist in 1951 anyone else have memories of this great place. I'll sort some photo's out and post them. Wonderful site. Albert Wayne
 
Thank's for your reply and the extra history i didn't know about. I must sort some photo's out and send them in. As you say it's a crying shame. Still if there was no progress we wouldn't be able to do this
Regards A Wayne :p
 
Any of you remember Frank Tregenza who worked at Metro-cammell?
 
WHAT IS THE ECONOMIC FUTURE OF MS AFTER THE VIRGIN JOB?

IS IT TO BE A WORKER COOPERATIVE?

ALSO WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF THE OLD STUFF? IS IT TO BE ARCHIVED AND IF SO BY WHOM?

[just so it don't swanny the canal to e-bay eg]
 
My father-in-law was Sam Cookson of Cheatham Street who worked at Metro-Cammell. He worked an overhead crane during the war and after - he may have worked there until about 1960.
 
Hi, does anyone remember a Ronald Fellows during the 1950’s. He served his carpentry apprenticeship at Metro-Cammell, building double-decker bus framing, before being drafted into the RAF in 1956.
 
Metro Cammel

Does anyone remember my Father in Law..Harry Clucas. He retired from METRO in 1980..
Unfortunatly he died Sunday 30th September.. aged 92.
I loved him dearly.

I looked on the site for an Obituary thread,but could not find one.

Harrys retirement.. anyone recognise them selves?
 
the met

my dad horace greaves worked at the met,as an overhead crane driver and his brother duggy.
my unkle dug played the drums with a small trio they played at the met club often washwood heath road or did it change the other side of the fox and goose, mite have been i think bradford road? as kids we would go there play on the sports ground run our socks off so to speak.
happy days regards dereklcg.
 
Re: the met

dereklcg said:
my dad horace greaves worked at the met,as an overhead crane driver and his brother duggy.
my unkle dug played the drums with a small trio they played at the met club often washwood heath road or did it change the other side of the fox and goose, mite have been i think bradford road? as kids we would go there play on the sports ground run our socks off so to speak.
happy days regards dereklcg.
Click to expand...

Yes, The Met Club was in Coleshill Road which carries on from Washwood Heath Road up to the Clock Garage at Castle Bromwich. I worked at the
Met from 1973 to 1985, and kept the books for the club. I also worked
behind the bar there for a while! Do you remember the kids' Christmas
parties at the club? The Club is still there but was bought by Banks' Brewery in the early 1980's and renamed 'The Beaufort Club' after
the cinema (long gone) on the opposite corner from the Fox and Goose.

Dave
 
Re: the met

Hi Dave yes i remember the parties, we had some great times there and sports days if i remember rightly.
i have a photo somewhere of a works party i,ll find it out and post it,not sure if it,s at the met or pickford/brs or the triumph.
we went to lot,s as used to be had way back when, perhaps we should start a new thread on works parties.. happy days regards Derek.
 
Re: Metro Cammel

Iza it looks to me like your father in law worked at Metro Cammell Weyman on the buses i regognize Danny Round Colin Pitt in the picture

I worked on the train side from 1976 till 2003

Maurice
 
Here is a link im on the large photo of the Channel Tunnel picture can any body clock me sorry i cant get the link to work i just found the link on DWILLY post


Mau-reece
 
Last edited by a moderator:
My father was also a wood machinist at the Met during the fifties, one of his best friends was Dennis Whale who worked in the print shop, he was in the railway part not the buses, he was a member of the social for many years after leaving there and going to work at Jaguar, he also played bowls for the met, his name was arthur Hopkins
 
Hi Geoff,

I remember Dennis Whale from working at the Met at Washwood
Heath during the 1970's and early 80's, - he was in charge of the
printroom. The print room was above A1 Shop and I used to get
up there sometimes. They did the prints of the drawings up there
using the old Ozalid Dyeline Printers. The smell of the ammonia used
in the process was overpowering.

Kind regards

Dave
 
Yes, I remember it well. Dennis was my late fathers best friend, they played bowls together and played cards on friday night in the front bar at the club, togwether with a guy called George Franklin who was a boxing promoter of some type. I personally worked for a short time in the Metro Scania Offices I think during 1975-6, the office was situated down on the factory floor. It was the part of the factory that produced the buses from Scania Chassis, I left There to manage The Bars At Pontins Barton Hall Hotel in Torquay.......My how time flies
 
Hi Geoff,

I remember George Franklin too, a shortish stocky chap, and
I seem to recollect he was mostly smartly dressed in a suit. I
didn't know he was into boxing, - did he work at the Met as well?

Were your offices on the outside of B6 shop, I remember the manager
Albert Jones, - I still have a Scania keyring he gave me. I also
have happy memories of Barbara who worked in the office.

Kind regards

Dave
 
Hi dave do you remember the free and easy nights at the met club.
My uncle doug played the drums with a trio?
He also worked at the met as my dad did horace,they both drove
overhead cranes..regards dereklcg
 
Theres a name from the past George Franklin i new George and worked with his son Malcolm,there were some characters working at the Met to many to mention,the best place i ever worked


Mossy
 
dereklcg said:
Hi dave do you remember the free and easy nights at the met club.
My uncle doug played the drums with a trio?
He also worked at the met as my dad did horace,they both drove
overhead cranes..regards dereklcg
Click to expand...

Hi Derek,

I certainly do, I worked behind the bar at the club for a while while
Frank Fitton was the steward there.

Kind regards

Dave
 
My father died recently and I have just discovered that he worked for Metro Weyman before the mid sixties. What did Weyman make?
 
Metro-Cammell-Weymann, at that time situated in a former bomber factory at Elmdon, were motor bus body builders.

Here is the works yard in the mid 50s, with buses for Birmingham, London, Midland Red, Jamaica, Cuba and South America awaiting delivery.
 
Thanks for your replies and the picture. Still not sure whether it was buses or railway carriages though, as unfortunately I don't know the dates he worked there. I think it would be between the mid fifties to mid sixties.

But Elmdon rings a bell, so possibly it was there. I seem to remember he had some sort of connection with that area and mentioning it.
 
modgee said:
Thanks for your replies and the picture. Still not sure whether it was buses or railway carriages though, as unfortunately I don't know the dates he worked there. I think it would be between the mid fifties to mid sixties.

But Elmdon rings a bell, so possibly it was there. I seem to remember he had some sort of connection with that area and mentioning it.
Click to expand...

Hi Modgee,

Metro-Cammell Weymann was based in Elmdon up to the 1960's ( ithink it was the end of the 60's)
and at this point the Elmdon works was closed and transferred to to the Metro-Cammell Midland
Works at Common Lane Washwood Heath. As at Elmdon, the production was bus body building,
and they were allocated A and B shops at the Midland Works. There was also a foray into
Taxi cab production, but this never really took off. You may remember this was called the Metro-Cab.
This offshoot was sold to Reliant at Tamworth.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards

Dave
 
Thanks. Judging by the dates, that does seem to confirm he must have worked at Elmdon, as I do know he'd moved on to a different job by about 1964-1965.
 
aewayne said:
I have memories of working at Metro-Cammell Saltley. I started my apprentiship as a wood machinist in 1951 anyone else have memories of this great place. I'll sort some photo's out and post them. Wonderful site. Albert Wayne
Click to expand...

Do you remember Norman Handley who worked at Metro Cammell Saltley late 50s/early 60s as a finisher on the coaches - in particular the Blue Pullman?
 
geoffopo said:
My father was also a wood machinist at the Met during the fifties, one of his best friends was Dennis Whale who worked in the print shop, he was in the railway part not the buses, he was a member of the social for many years after leaving there and going to work at Jaguar, he also played bowls for the met, his name was arthur Hopkins
Click to expand...

Does your father remember Norman Handley who worked at the Saltley factory in the late 50s/early 60s on the Blue Pullman carriages?
 
My dad (Norman) worked for Metro Cammell, Saltley in the late 50s/early 60s as a carpenter. I am trying to locate people who may remember the factory and others who worked there at that time. He was a finisher on the train coaches, in particular the Blue Pullman, a high class coach. Anyone have any pictures of the factory or the coaches? Thank you so much.
 
My grand father was a gate keeper at the Met in the late 50's I also remember taking his lunch to him when I was very young.He looked after the gate in Arley Road in those days
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top