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Chance Glass Factory

OK. Thanks very much! I must have driven past it at sometime. Presumably it's still lived in. Next question: what was/is its connection to Chance Bros?

G
 
thanks mike its of interest to me as i have been watching the old chance building for a few years now..my grandad worked there and i managed to get his work records from west brom library..the idea of a lighthouse sounds exciting and i do hope that the building can be retained and part of it atributed to chances glass...

lyn
Hi Lyn
I was very interested to see your comment about Chance's employment records. My Grandfather Bert Phipps worked there for about 20 years until his premature death in 1957. I was wondering how much there is to them? As I don't live in the area it might be easier for me to get the Archive people to copy them for me but if they are a bit fiddly a train ticket might be easier! I had a look at Black Country History and Sandwell Archives sites and it says these records are at Smethwick Library? Any insight you can give me would be great.
Many thanks
Nicola (first time poster so please excuse if I've done this wrong!)
 
The old School House was for children working at Chance's back in the days of child labour in an attempt to give them an elementary education. The building was later used for apprentices
 
It was looking lovely one morning recently, as I was waiting in traffic. So I went back last week to photograph the Old School House.

For some reason I can't post the image address using the icons :( Posted today on Instagram as @petedaviesphoto

I delayed posting, as I was scouring the interweb for more info. 1st to no avail. I didn't think to look here as it seemed outside of Birmingham... so a really happy surprise that an Instagram chum pointed me back here :D

The plans sound amazing. I'd love to see the old canal basin restored. All power!
 
These images are of the new Chance building built in 1954. The architects aimed to show new and original uses for Chance glass products in the building. Rolled glass was used so that larger single sheets of glass could be used for doors, partitions etc. Looks ultra-modern for the early 50s and must have seemed out of place alongside the old Chance buildings. (Now that sounds familiar !). Viv.

image.jpeg image.jpeg image.jpeg
 
viv i will try and check this but i dont think those 50s buildings were actually alongside the old buildings in smethwick may have read that they were in birmingham cant be certain though

lyn
 
Think you might be right Lyn. Do you know where abouts they were in Birmingham ? Viv.
 
will have to check kellys when i have time later on viv..but im sure i read on the forum somewhere in aston...could be well off the mark though lol

lyn
 
This is the entry for chance in the 1956 Kellys. BUT have found that if there are subsidiary factories/offices in the area, they are not always listed in Kellys.

kellys entry for chance glass 1956.jpg
 
ok thanks for that mike..maybe as both of us are doing the chances glass tour we could ask the question...

lyn
 
Better still Lyn. I am going to the talk on chance's at the Gunmakers on this tuesday, so can ask then
 
I spent 14 lovely years as a dealer in old things, well one old thing dealing in other old things!!! Just before I hung up my gloves I bought a set of 3 Chance Glass handkerchief vases, they were pretty and very quickly sold.
 
hello di hope you are well...for all i know my grandad may have bought home a few pieces of chances glass from his days working there..if anything was kept after our nan passed away my cousin would have them in the loft..i must get in touch with her

lyn
 
Went to the talk at the Gunmakers Arms on Tuesday night by Mark Davies, chairman of the Chance Heritage Trust. It was an interesting talk, and the the beer was good.
Mark gave a brief history of the firm , and its subsequent takeover by Pilkingtons. I had not realised that the takeover had been slowly planned and forced on Chance over a number of years, after problems with payment by the government for work done on optical glass for the war effort had not been forthcoming. (of course nowadays, if the money had been owed to an american firm who wanted to take over part of the NHS, then money would have been easily forthcoming). There are apparently a large volume of papers in the Sandwell archives , which have only partly been catalogued, but are known to contain a mass of data on the firm, including things like accident reports, order books and much else. This material is there apparently thanks to Nippon Sheet Glass. Pilkingtons had been reluctant to allow the archives access to the material, but when Nippon in turn took over Pilkingtons (sauce for the goose) they told them to hand it all over to the archives. Although I knew a lot of the range of glass they developed, had not realised that they invented fibreglass, but then abandonned it as no market then could be found for it. The firm also made foghorns, one of which is in th Sandwell store, and might well be incorporated into the project (I suggested it could be operated to announce the opening of the rejuvenated site - though probably everyone within half a mile would hav eto wear earplugs). We were shown a blueprint plan of one commission made to the firm (& recently purchased on e-bay) by a "interplanetary psychic", who did things like investigating hauntings etc, for a lens that could send a light message to Mars ! Needless to say it got no further than the bluepint stage, though, judging by their other successes, I guess it might have done the job well. The exact scheme for the site that will emerge is not yet fixed. It will be a mixture of heritage, teaching and apprenticeships, space for startup companies, and leisure activities. New things are being discovered all the time, a large plan of the position of all the facilities (gas, water electicity etc) was found in some rubbish recently, and an old worker informed them that the bridge over the canal, which connected the remaining site to the site on the opposite bank, contained a tunnel . Heritage England had paid Birmingham university good money to survey all the tunnels, but they had apparently missed out that one !
Whatever is done will have to be started soon. One of the buildings on the canal side is in a very precarious condition , and one has already collapsed. The skip firm that has been occupying part of the site had applied fro a "temporary" extension of 11 years , but the application was met with an enormous number of objections , from all over the world, and was rejected, so will move out in november (though will probably leave their buildings, illegally erected on a listed historical monument). this will enable archeological investigations on that part of the site, whcih include a filled in canal arm . Heritage England were a bit iffy about the suggestion that there might be a canal basin with leisure activities, until they were shown a map showing athe canal arm on that part of the site.
Next week the site is open to viasitors, but all places are now booked up., and it is not clear if their will be further opportunities before rejuvenation , as insurance for these occasions only is being provided by Historic england, and further visits would necessitate individual wavers in case of accident.
 
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