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Dunlop

mogan_selvakannu said:
Hello everyone,

My name is Mogan Selvakannu. I am a final year Documentary Photography student at University of South Wales in Cardiff. I am currently working on my final year project which is about the legacy of Dunlop in Birmingham and the effects of deindustrialisation on Dunlop's former workers. I am looking to meet, have a chat and possibly make portraits of former workers, families or friends who used to work for the Dunlop Rubber. Unfortunately I have no contacts, leads or know of anyone in Birmingham. Would be very grateful if I can get tips or guidance as to where I should go to, who I should meet or if there is an association or a club I can get in touch with or anyone who's willing to participate in my project and tell their stories. This particular thread has definitely helped a lot in my research and I am hoping that I could get some help with getting in touch with Dunlop's former workers so I could tell their stories through photography. If you need to contact me, my details are as below. Thank you.

Email: [email protected]
Mobile: 07460686473
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Hi.

I am new to this site so my reply might be a bit late for you. I, my father and 2 of my aunties all worked for Dunlop in Birmingham since the 1920 until recently when the company closed. I would be interested to know what you found out and perhaps share with you some memories if it is still relevant
 
Hannah2020 said:
Hello I am looking for some info on Dunlop in 1921. My 2x great grandfather worked at Dunlop and so did some of his children. With the 1921 census just released, it shows that all 5 family members who worked at Dunlop says 'out of work'
but I cant seem to find any information online which would say why all 5 employees are out of work. I know the construction was started in 1916 and completed in 1920 but then after that it just events though out Dunlop's lifespan.
Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
Hannah
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The price of rubber collapsed around that time and they probably had great losses so probably people were laid off
 
Hannah2020 said:
Hello I am looking for some info on Dunlop in 1921. My 2x great grandfather worked at Dunlop and so did some of his children. With the 1921 census just released, it shows that all 5 family members who worked at Dunlop says 'out of work'
but I cant seem to find any information online which would say why all 5 employees are out of work. I know the construction was started in 1916 and completed in 1920 but then after that it just events though out Dunlop's lifespan.
Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
Hannah
Click to expand...
Hi.

I too have just searched the 1921 census and found my aunt's name at the age of 19 with the record that she worked at Dunlop. My father was 7 at that time but he too went to work for Dunlop in 1928 and worked there for 50 years. I too worked for Dunlop for 40 years so it runs in the family. I know Dunlop started at Aston Cross but I believe around 1913 ish they relocated to what was called Fort Dunlop in Erdington where it remained until it finally closed and became a retail park, Not sure why your record shows 'out of work' as Dunlop was always a large employer of local people.
 
carolina said:
The price of rubber collapsed around that time and they probably had great losses so probably people were laid off
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Oh wow, I had read that they lost 8 million pounds of trading in 1921 so that would all fit with people being laid off. Thank you for coming back to me.
 
Hannah2020 said:
Hello I am looking for some info on Dunlop in 1921. My 2x great grandfather worked at Dunlop and so did some of his children. With the 1921 census just released, it shows that all 5 family members who worked at Dunlop says 'out of work'
but I cant seem to find any information online which would say why all 5 employees are out of work. I know the construction was started in 1916 and completed in 1920 but then after that it just events though out Dunlop's lifespan.
Any help or info would be greatly appreciated.

Many Thanks
Hannah
Click to expand...
The 1921 census also lists my grandfather as a former employee, but "out of work".
 
Enkidu said:
The 1921 census also lists my grandfather as a former employee, but "out of work".
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Just after the war, the motor industry went into a depression, partly caused by the anticipated increase in sales never materialising, and partly because of a national strike of "moulders" which seriously affected the supply of castings to the motor industry, hence the reason why Dunlop were laying-off workers.
PA739
 
PA739 said:
Just after the war, the motor industry went into a depression, partly caused by the anticipated increase in sales never materialising, and partly because of a national strike of "moulders" which seriously affected the supply of castings to the motor industry, hence the reason why Dunlop were laying-off workers.
PA739
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The price of rubber dropped as well
 
I've found this thread fascinating. I've been doing some research into the descendants of Joseph Cardo who was born in Dudley in 1873 and moved to Aston with his family between 1881 and 1891. He married Lilian Jane Jones at St. Peter and St. Pauls Church, Aston in 1899 and gave his occupation as Rubber Worker; I believe he worked at Aston Mills then moved to Fort Dunlop. By 1911, the family had moved to 38, Deakin Road Erdington. Joseph's sons, Richard Gordon Cardo and Joseph Leonard Cardo, both worked for Dunlops as did his daughter, Lilian Jane Cardo who was a shorthand typist.

Joseph Leonard Cardo worked as a tyre tester and typically rode 150 to 200 miles a day to test the durability of the tyres. In 1924, he was prosecuted for driving a motor cycle at a speed dangerous to the public (18-20 miles an hour!). He struck a motor car and caused £50 worth of damage. He was fined £3 with £4 6s costs. Sadly, two years later, Joseph Leonard was killed at the age of 22. He was riding with another tester when his bike left the road and he suffered concussion which lead to a brain haemorrhage.

Joseph only outlived his son by 5 years. He died of septicaemia and pneumonia after he probed one of his corns with a needle.
 
A little bit of trivia, In reference to Fort Dunlop. The commonly used term "Fort"was a misnomer, resulting from the use of Brummie slang.

In the early days, factory workers came from all areas to work at Dunlop, many arriving by barges on the local canals.

Arriving at each canal stop along the way, "All ft Dunlop", was called out to alert those waiting for the barge heading towards the Dunlop factory.

It was translated from the verbiage "All for the Dunlop", pronounced as "All fert Dunlop" and the Fort identity was born.

The slang basically morphed into "Fort".
 
Gillian Atkins said:
Great pictures, lovely to see

Apart from my Mom I think most of my family worked for Dunlop at sometime or another!. I worked there from 1977 in the Dunlop Group Property Dept., my Dad worked for 30 odd years in B Block, my brother David who recently retired worked in Tyre 4 for 30 odd years too. Two uncles, and one cousin were there as well tho' I don't remember where, and my ex-husband worked as an electrician. I must say that I loved working there and Dunlop were a good company to work for. I only left to have my first baby who was then followed by a second and a third, so I never went back :laugh: I did miss the people I worked with :(

Gillian :crazy2:
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Hi Most of my family have worked at Dunlop's, over many years uncles
Me, Mom and my Dad he was a Electrician Tyre 5 his name was Bob Overton sadly mist now your Ex or you mite know of him.
I use to look forward to the kids charismas party in the work's cantin Lol

Dunlop​

 
Tracing my family 1940-1951 does anyone know if,
william weaver was a manager there or
Lance Williams ( for a couple of years about 1948-1951) may have the name Bernard or Lance. About 60 years of age. Died suddenly 1951 at home
 
Workers on break time, no date I'm afraid and not the best quality, do you recognise anyone?

My uncle Dick Shakespeare (second from left) worked there most of his life, coming up 90 this year.
His father (also Dick) worked there for many years and also at Hughes.

I remember going to a few Christmas parties and the sports days as a nipper.

dickatwork.jpg
 
I've just been looking at a 1921 census entry for a family where the father, son and daughter all worked for Dunlop but gave different places of work. The father was a sectional manager and gave his workplace as Aston. The daughter was a clerk and worked at Erdington and the son was a motor engineer (he tested tyres for motor-cycles) and worked at Tyburn. I know from newspaper reports that the son worked from Fort Dunlop in 1924 and 1926 so I am guessing that is where he also worked in 1921. Where would the Dunlop workplaces in Aston and Erdginton have been?
 
Many thanks, Mikejee - it was a massive site. The father of the family lived in Park Road at the end of the 19th century which would have been very convenient for walking to work. After his marriage, he moved to Long Acre before moving to Erdington sometime between 1901 and 1911.
 
RRJ said:
Workers on break time, no date I'm afraid and not the best quality, do you recognise anyone?

My uncle Dick Shakespeare (second from left) worked there most of his life, coming up 90 this year.
His father (also Dick) worked there for many years and also at Hughes.

I remember going to a few Christmas parties and the sports days as a nipper.

View attachment 170553
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RRJ, I believe my granddad worked possibly all his working life at Dunlop, his name was Frederick Fitzer, I wonder if your Uncle remembers him
 
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These are Fort Dunlop workers but wonder where the photo was taken. Was it at Dunlop’s social club or sports facility ? Viv.

25ADFB22-FCED-4D38-9246-ECAFFE3B1CB5.jpegSource: British Newspaper Archive
 
Thanks Pete. I didn’t go to Dunlop parties, but it looks so similar to the works parties I went to at that time. Wearing best frock, sitting on the same stackable canteen seats, the same silly, small party hats and paper decorations ! Viv.
 
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Vivienne14 said:
These are Fort Dunlop workers but wonder where the photo was taken. Was it at Dunlop’s social club or sports facility ? Viv.

View attachment 175953Source: British Newspaper Archive
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It was outside the block by the north gate on the opposite side from Commercial Offices - you had a bank on the corner and the company shop, then meeting rooms, dining room (including silver service restaurant) and then the main canteen at the end. We once helped clear out one of the large rooms to "acquire" a huge conference table for the nearby I.T. offices - we found a load of old Dunlop Groundhog TV adverts which were donated to Birmingham Central Library.
 
Ah, a good old Austin/Morris LD van! Nice photos.

Those were a real work horse. When I worked at Wheelers Timber and Builder's Merchants in Hampton Road Erdington, I drove and performed the mechanical repairs on ours, which I believe was originally from the old Erdington Laundry.

That model was my first foray into diesel engine and electrical (6 volts). It feels like just yesterday, seeing your photos.
 
MartinS said:
Ah, a good old Austin/Morris LD van! Nice photos.

Those were a real work horse. When I worked at Wheelers Timber and Builder's Merchants in Hampton Road Erdington, I drove and performed the mechanical repairs on ours, which I believe was originally from the old Erdington Laundry.

That model was my first foray into diesel engine and electrical (6 volts). It feels like just yesterday, seeing your photos.
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That picture was took just down the road from Wheelers ,it was at Eastwoods Commercials on Tyburn Road where I worked with my Father in the 80's .We used to get wood from there to repair the bodies .
 
I was long gone here to Canada by then, in 1974. I worked at Presssed Steel Fisher British Leyland on Kingsbury Road as an engineering apprentice '68-'71 in the building right across from Dunlop and the Valor. I believe the apprentice building was on the former site of the Ashold Farm. My wife to be, lived with her family in Sorel House on Tyburn Road.

A little of Wheeler's history, as an ex-employee and family friend.

Wheelers later moved to the old location of Stockland Coaches on Short Heath Road and were bought out in 2018 by Huws Gray https://buildersmerchantsjournal.net/huws-gray-makes-big-impact-in-birmingham/

Here's a link to the painted signage on the house adjacent to the Hampton Road yard, above the cement and plaster shed.
https://flic.kr/p/pPHhzb

That painted sign brings back fond memories, from times when it was much brighter on the wall.

Next door closer to Slade Road, was The Don Trimming Company http://www.donhoods.com/about.htm
On occasion, we'd give him a hand to lay and correctly position a vinyl top on a steel car roof, which were all the rage in those days.

Wheelers was a small family operated business mostly with a crew of relatives and friends, that had been started back around 1924. From distant recall, which may not be correct, I believe that Mr. Wheeler had also been named Bernard, so Bernard Bromley (RIP) became known as "Bunny" or "Bun" for short. That's what I was told many years ago.

Bunny married Wheeler's daughter and worked the family business. He was joined by their sons Roger, Jimmy, plus Jimmy's girlfriend Lynn, who became Jimmy's wife and also worked in the business at both locations.

We all spent many long nights together in the pubs and clubs in those days after work. I went to school at Marsh Hill Boy's Tech in Hampon Road with Jimmy, who was I think one year above. Employees were treated like family, fed and "watered".

With Dave Ray, Ray Bishop, Ken Wood and a couple of other employees, Wheelers was a great place to work with wonderful character people. There was a bonus in our pay packet every week and extra for the pub! Thanks Bun.

Sadly, it's another familiar business name to Erdington residents is gone, but not forgotten!
 
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