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Charles Winn & Co

Phil

Gone, but not forgotten.
Did you ever work for Charles Winn & Co or Winn Valves? This photo purports to be of their premises on Communication Row, Ladywood, but there are several things to be said against that theory. My main objection being that the road in the photo is to wide to be Communication Row, if you have ever seen the street you will know what I mean.

The next thing against it is that the photo is from 1956 and the trade directory's for the 50's do not mention it and they give two locations on Granville Street. I also have reports from someone who lived local in the 50's and used a recreation area on Communication Row and he has no memory of any factory premises.

The photo itself comes from this site,

https://www.search.birminghamimages...ID=7328&PageIndex=157&SearchType=2&ThemeID=26

1956.JPG
 
Did you ever work for Charles Winn & Co or Winn Valves? This photo purports to be of their premises on Communication Row, Ladywood, but there are several things to be said against that theory. My main objection being that the road in the photo is to wide to be Communication Row, if you have ever seen the street you will know what I mean.

The next thing against it is that the photo is from 1956 and the trade directory's for the 50's do not mention it and they give two locations on Granville Street. I also have reports from someone who lived local in the 50's and used a recreation area on Communication Row and he has no memory of any factory premises.

The photo itself comes from this site,

https://www.search.birminghamimages...ID=7328&PageIndex=157&SearchType=2&ThemeID=26
I does say No. 2 Works below Charles Winn & Co. Ltd so perhaps No. 1 works or offices was on, or backed onto Communication Row? Just a thought!
 
Curly

According to the 1956 Kelly's directory they had two premises both on Granville Street, one was at the junction of Holliday Street and the other was on the other side of the railway & canal bridges on the junction of Commercial Street neither of these back on to Communication Row.
 
This aerial photo dated 1948 shows Commercial St and the red spot marks the 'Non Metallic Washers & Gaskets' building. The yellow spot shows a tall brick chimney which looks like the one visible in pic 6 on the 'Old Ladywood' site mentioned in post#2. The blue spot shows where the Charles Winn factory could have been built on a date between 1948 and 1956. This location (between Washington St and Upper Marshall St) would put the chimney in the position seen in pic 6.
Image1A.jpg
click to enlarge and then scroll
 
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The correct surname for this Company is "WYNN" and they were bought out in 1969 by Balfour & Darwin of Sheffield and according to Graces guide Wynn's also had a factory in Pershore St, regards, J
 
The correct surname for this Company is "WYNN" and they were bought out in 1969 by Balfour & Darwin of Sheffield and according to Graces guide Wynn's also had a factory in Pershore St, regards, J
That seems to be a different company.
All adverts and references in this thread, so far, refer to Winn.
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Charles_Winn_and_Co
https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/W._and_C._Wynn_and_Co
Wynn's appear to be tool makers and had connections with metal toys. Another connection - documented in other parts of this Forum - was the Sheffield Steel and Rolling Mills which had premises in Birmingham which was part of the Balfour & Darwin enterprise.

None of this has any bearing on the thread about Winn's. ;)
 
Came across this thread by accident. Yes, I worked at Charles Winn. The yellow spot that Oldmohawk mentioned (#7) was the chimney to our foundry. The photo Phil posted (#1) I'm not familiar with and I don't know where that was. When I started there in 1974 there were only two buildings I was aware of (see map). I hope I can now open a thread on Charles Winn because I have lots to say and lots of things to show.
Charles Winn in 1937.jpgCharles Winn Location.jpg
 
I reckon that the image shown in post 1, is taken in Granville street, looking towards the holding stores for castings. (see position of red arrow in photo. The canal is to the left of the building in the photo.
Banjo, I would welcome what you have to say about Charles Winn.
charles winn2.JPG
 
Funny how some threads can end up gaining more interest as they progress. I started to get intrigued when the premises on Granville Street were mentioned. This section of Granville Street was, of course, once known as Wood Street, Granville Street only being the section between the canal and Broad Street. The building on the bend with stables used to be a boozer - hence my interest. It was called - no prizes for guessing - the Bridge Tavern. If we are talking about the same place it ended up being used by an electrical contractor who resisted selling the building to developers. They were desperate for the site and it was a case of price escalation.
 
I reckon that the image shown in post 1, is taken in Granville street, looking towards the holding stores for castings. (see position of red arrow in photo. The canal is to the left of the building in the photo.
Banjo, I would welcome what you have to say about Charles Winn.
View attachment 142499
Hi RobT, The casting stores that I remember ran along the ramp down to the towpath. I don't remember that it ran along the road as in the photo. I have now opened a new thread Charles Winn Ltd on which I hope to post more photos.
 
I reckon that the image shown in post 1, is taken in Granville street, looking towards the holding stores for castings. (see position of red arrow in photo. The canal is to the left of the building in the photo.
Banjo, I would welcome what you have to say about Charles Winn.
View attachment 142499
Hi RobT, the casting warehouse I remember ran along the ramp from the road and down to the towpath. I don't remember it running along the road as in this photo. I have started a new thread - Charles Winn (valves) Ltd in which I hope to post more photos.
 
Just seen this thread. I also became more interested in thread because of the pubs. I was hoping post 14 was going to say the pub was called 'The Monkey House' or the New inn as it was formally know according to the press. More research required

Steve R
 
Just to underwrite this thread, I think oldMohawk was right with his blue spot (#7). If RobT doesn't mind me using his map, I would like to point out that the red arrow is where I think the photo #1 was taken from. Although I don't remember that building as Charles Winn premises, the building on the corner of Washington St & Commercial St (dark green) was Rouse, Thompson & Lloyd. It went a long way down Commercial St and I think that the old building was incorporated within R.T.L. We considered this company to be a partner and I often went in there. I believe that Mr Lloyd had some sort of connection to the Charles Winn board before Delta took us over in 1974. The smaller light green area was the Winn's canal-side casting warehouse.
Commercial St map.jpg
 
I reckon that the image shown in post 1, is taken in Granville street, looking towards the holding stores for castings. (see position of red arrow in photo. The canal is to the left of the building in the photo.
Banjo, I would welcome what you have to say about Charles Winn.
View attachment 142499

RobT You would be wrong , I lived around that area for fourteen years it is actually Commercial St . Not Granville St
 
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