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Lucas Great King Street memories

Hi Lyn, did she live in the houses with the garage underneath. They were across the road from us as it was a cul de sac. The high raised flat to the right, or did she live there. Her Surname doesn't ring a bell. Houses to the left came under wheeler st.

Jackie
 
I not sure if my mom would of known her, she passed away 2 yrs ago. So unable to ask, did your aunt go by Joy for short people shortened names. You've got me thinking.
 
hmld said:
LUCAS - GREAT KING STREET &c..

Who remembers the big Christmas party done every year for children of Lucas employees; with gift pack at conclusion? Professional entertainers, for children, delivered.
Lucas also gave employees a Christmas box (a kind of hamper).



The huge plant at Great King Street, very well built, could have been put to many good uses. It is utterly astounding it was razed. Condominiums, perhaps? A barbaric waste (nothing unusual of course).

Lucas transferred the bulk of production to South Africa. Cheap labour and no sophisticated veteran labour movement issues to deal with.
Two birds; one stone. The Shaftmoor Lane complex employed several thousand industrious artisans. [The BWs]

Very terrible business altogether. Needless to say no mass protest?
:cry:
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Hello I fetched errands for a Len and Edith Jones who both worked at Lucas Gt King St , they managed to get me on those Christmas
do's we went to a couple of panto's after the parties late 50's I'm talking about and yes we all got a present after I remember a badge I got one year of a lifebuoy the ring was a bright white with gold ropes around it , It must have cost them millions over the years
 
The WMPTE Lucas's Great King's St buses; in 1980, I used to use the one from Kingstanding when I worked at Newman Tonks in Bridge Street West. Always felt like I might be doing something wrong but it saved me the walk from Newtown Row.

29598055_936360063208400_5427314781963982603_n.jpg
 
mossg said:
Changing the subject but still Lucas's.This picture shows, i think a retirement presentation in the toolroom at Gt King St in the 60s.
Just look how smart the toolmakers were in their collar and ties,not worn just for the day but a regular practice.Moss
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Hi, just came across this picture, this was taken at the time I was a toolmaker at King Street. I recognise some of the faces in the picture.
 
I'm fairly certain that this picture was taken at one of the Lucas factories, like many people my mum (Edith Leroux nee Keight) 3rd from the left, worked at various depots over the years. I would think it was taken late 50s. John
 

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mike jenks said:
Hi

I think we are talking about the 8FL and the 9FL Units. They are in fact Electronic units that fit in Your Wiring
Harness. Adjustment would have been part of the Final Assy Operations.
The Units themselves are of Japanese Origin.
Bernard will be the best on this Subject.

Mike Jenks
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I have some recollections of the ladies adjusting these units in GK3, particularly the small rectangular ones (8FL?). The units contained a thin metal leaf which they would bend and manipulate while watching a dot on an oscilloscope screen rise up then shoot across. I could never work out what it was exactly they were doing to those units to get them into spec but they were bloody quick at it!
 
My first full time job was at King Street in the computer department of S&S. This was back in the early 70's when they were running NCR machines. I was there when they upgraded those machines building a spanking new, state of the art, computer room. When the head honchos came to visit, one of them lit a cigar, triggering the fire alarms, and shutting the place down. Don't think they were to pleased when we grabbed the master tapes and rushed out just before the steel shutters came crashing down.
 
The Lucas Monument has already been mentioned but there was some debate as to exactly where it is. It is on Great King Street North, Newtown - alongside Lucas Circus roundabout amongst the trees.

This is an image from TripAdviser (note, the write up contains incorrect information).

Viv.

ABA2AA72-3DE6-4E80-9B0A-3C3B5D507724.jpeg
 
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Vivienne14 said:
The Lucas Monument has already been mentioned but there was some debate as to exactly where it is. It is on Great King Street North, Newtown - alongside Lucas Circus roundabout amongst the trees.

This is an image from TripAdviser (note, the write up contains incorrect information).

Viv.

View attachment 148011
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I believe it is supposed to be on the site of the original factory, which was in Little King St, Off Gt King ST, but niow buried under the grass when the roads were mucjked about with during the rebuild of the area
 
Key Hill Brian said:
I believe it is supposed to be on the site of the original factory, which was in Little King St, Off Gt King ST, but niow buried under the grass when the roads were mucjked about with during the rebuild of the area
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its still there bri...passed it the other week

lyn


www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com
 
Astoness said:
its still there bri...passed it the other week

lyn


www.google.com

Google Maps

Find local businesses, view maps and get driving directions in Google Maps.
www.google.com www.google.com
Click to expand...
Thats it Lyn, they bent Gt King st when they redeveloped the area. The original lucas factory was much smaller than the Gt King st site and was near the end of little king st, I understand near to the juct of the original Gt King st.
 
Key Hill Brian said:
Thats it Lyn, they bent Gt King st when they redeveloped the area. The original lucas factory was much smaller than the Gt King st site and was near the end of little king st, I understand near to the juct of the original Gt King st.
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Yes Brian and memorial looks close to the likely location of the factory. (1889 map)
GKS 1.jpgGKS 2.jpg
 
Key Hill Brian said:
Great - I can see my old house - between the L & I of Little backing on to Bridge St west - 1st house, 3rd block from Guest st end!
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Re your old house on that map Brian, I looked closely and realised I could see my old house as well. There was an alleyway called 'Cottage Row' that ran off Bridge Street West down the side of St Saviour's Chuch which was on the crossroads of Villa St, Guest St and BSW. There were 5 houses either side and my family lived at number 3. We moved to Northfield in 1954 when I was just coming up to 8 years old.

Would anyone out there who worked for Lucas remember my spinster aunt, Alice Bow ? She lived eventually in Tipton after the war, and worked for Lucas all her life. She retired at 60 in the summer of 1971, but unfortunately I don't know which department(s) she worked for.

Trevor Bow.
 
ChrisM said:
Blimey, no wonder that those of us with a car in 1960 were hard up - all these would have been "extras":
Foglamp: £92
Reversing lamp: £67
Battery filler: £14
Screenwasherkit: £84.

Chris
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Chris, yes.....those prices are crazy fourteen pounds for a glass bottle and a couple of pieces of plastic! I used my moms milk server.
 
hmld said:
Edit. Please note any missing photos from this thread may be available on the Lucas Memories site in the Great King Street 25 section here (in the menu on the left-hand side). http://www.lucasmemories.co.uk/site/GreatKingStreet/index.html

Who remembers the big Christmas party done every year for children of Lucas employees; with gift pack at conclusion? Professional entertainers, for children, delivered.
Lucas also gave employees a Christmas box (a kind of hamper).



The huge plant at Great King Street, very well built, could have been put to many good uses. It is utterly astounding it was razed. Condominiums, perhaps? A barbaric waste (nothing unusual of course).

Lucas transferred the bulk of production to South Africa. Cheap labour and no sophisticated veteran labour movement issues to deal with.
Two birds; one stone. The Shaftmoor Lane complex employed several thousand industrious artisans. [The BWs]

Very terrible business altogether. Needless to say no mass protest?
:cry:
Click to expand...
I remembered
lencops said:
Morning Chris, A well deserved memorial to George Griffiths and Lucas Home Guard and all members of Britains Home Guard. Len.
Click to expand...
I remember going to the Lucas Christmas party. My mom worked there in the clean shop I think it was called. When I left school I also worked there in the typing pool, I think it was M1 or something similar. I remember Pat Jones the manager and his secretary Angela Welham. I remember names like Steve Horrocks, Alex Titchener and Martyn Bryan and Andrew Parfitt I think he was called. A lady called Joan was my supervisor. Very nice environment to work in.
 
Hiya everyone, new to the forum so happy to be here....first post so here it goes....does anyone remember my mom and nan working at lucas...my nan was hilda brueton, but prefferred to be called jean...and my mom was valerie brueton, before she married a giblin....mom worked there from 60's into early 70's possibly....
 

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Welcome Rebecca. Lovely photos. The first and third photo look like holiday photos. In the second were the flats in the background where they lived ? Viv.
 
Thank you ,the three pictures was taken in Cornwall thay used to live in Park Road aston befor moving upto kingstanding my nan unfortunate my nan passed away in 1996 but my.mom is still living in the family home as she is 82
 
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