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Hardy Spicers Ltd

Thanks Jim, I thought my memory was Completely gone as I knew John and hung around with him until I came to the US in 1962. His mom/aunt had a sweet shop on Lozells Rd between the pub and the Esso repair garbage.
Richard. I am too confused! I had not long been at Hardy Spicer when this fatal accident happened. The names are unreliable, certainly not Peter Wheeler could have been John Washbourne.
 
Richard. I am too confused! I had not long been at Hardy Spicer when this fatal accident happened. The names are unreliable, certainly not Peter Wheeler could have been John Washbourne.
Jim, appreciate the response!
Have a wonderful rest of the day!
 
My company runs the software for GKN Driveline, we knew the plans of the parent company. when the asset stripper Melrose bought GKN the writing was on the wall. First GKN Aerospace in Kings Norton (was Triplex) was closed, and next is Erdington which has a valuable asset - land for new houses !
 
Hardy Spicer, as part of the Birfield Industries group had a medium size factory making universal joints for cars on the corner of Birch Rd and Brookvale Rd in Witton . I worked in a nearby Birfield factory which supplied forgings to HSP. Both factories are highlighted in the photos below.

The original factory ....
Witton1939.jpg

1939Witton2.jpg
images source ... 'britainfromabove'

HSP developed a 'constant velocity' joint needed for front wheel drive cars (Mini) and moved to a much larger site on the Chester Rd.

GKN made a successful takeover of Birfield Industries in 1966 and eventually became a global supplier of car transmissions with factories in many parts of the world. I watched all this happening and travelled and worked in factories ranging from Sanford in North Carolina, Trier in Germany, and Poissy in France.

Over recent years I've watched much of it close down. The GKN factory I worked in at Great Barr was demolished to make way for a supermarket (never built) and the large modern plants in Sanford NC have been closed and demolished.

I retired just before the decline and closures started and admit to being a Melrose Industries shareholder. They compulsorily purchased my GKN shares ...:rolleyes:

Electric cars appear to be the 'future' and will probably move to direct computer controlled motors on each wheel needing different transmissions.

for some background information visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardy_Spicer
 
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Hardy Spicer, as part of the Birfield Industries group had a medium size factory making universal joints for cars on the corner of Birch Rd and Brookvale Rd in Witton . I worked in a nearby Birfield factory which supplied forgings to HSP. Both factories are highlighted in the photos below.

The original factory ....
View attachment 152344

View attachment 152345
images source ... 'britainfromabove'

HSP developed a 'constant velocity' joint needed for front wheel drive cars (Mini) and moved to a much larger site on the Chester Rd.

GKN made a successful takeover of Birfield Industries in 1966 and eventually became a global supplier of car transmissions with factories in many parts of the world. I watched all this happening and travelled and worked in factories ranging from Sanford in North Carolina, Trier in Germany, and Poissy in France.

Over recent years I've watched much of it close down. The GKN factory I worked in at Great Barr was demolished to make way for a supemarket (never built) and the large modern plants in Sanford NC have been closed and demolished.

I retired just before the decline and closures started and admit to being a Melrose Industries shareholder. They compulsorily purchased my GKN shares ...:rolleyes:

Electric cars appear to be the 'future' and will probably move to direct computer controlled motors on each wheel needing different transmissions.

for some background information visit https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hardy_Spicer

oldMohawk, a disappointing story! I had a good friend who was new apprentice at the Birch Rd plant I believe. When I came to the US I worked for a company that had a large plant in Fayetteville N C which was a short distance from Sanford as you know. We used to do what was called “best practices” with Hard Spicer and when they became GKN who I also knew vey well.
Change is inevitable but companies can change if they are allowed. Once apron a time there were no CV joints, now they are everywhere!
 
Hi Phil, I did my apprenticeship at Salisbury Transmissions, Hardy Spicer trade school for 1 year but I think I was there earlier than you 1961 to 1966.
I came across F&P as Forgings and Guesswork!
That was from one of their competitors in the 1970s.
Ian
 
Hi everyone in 1966 I joined Salisbury transmission as an apprentice, and for the first year went to Hardy Spicer training school. After returning to Salisbury Transmission, I finished my time in the Toolroom,until I was made redundant in 1981.So I had ties with both factories.
 
Hi Ron, I remember Harry Hart and Ron Hart very well, including a very moving experience when everyone paid their respects to Harry when he was driven past Hardy's on the day of his funeral. I remember Peter Wheeler and Roy(?) Howells in Sales and also an older guy - George Kelsall (?). He was quite a character and one funny story I recall was when a number of us were at the Motor Show in Earls Court one year. George and, I think, Peter Wheeler were driving the rest of us back to our hotel and challenged each other as to who would get back first. I was in George's car and he drove at breakneck speed weaving in and out of the busy London traffic, arriving at the hotel just ahead of Peter, having also removed his jacket during the journey! I also remember going to Scotland with Peter and Roy, setting off at some ridiculous hour and pulling into the M6 services at Lancaster for a cuppa just as dawn was breaking. As we walked from the car, Peter looked down to find he was wearing one black shoe and one brown shoe. I last saw Derrick Morgan a couple of years ago - still as mad as a hatter! Regarding Jim Forsythe. He was our 'computer go to' man as we progressed along the computerisation trail. Rumour had it that he had the entire interior of his home decorated white - including the carpets!
George Kelsall was my dad....and changing his clothes whilst was absolutely typical of him. As a kid I learned very early on how to steer a car from the passenger seat if he got stuck in a garment. I believe his nickname at work was "Captain Crunch".
 
Thanks Jim, I thought my memory was Completely gone as I knew John and hung around with him until I came to the US in 1962. His mom/aunt had a sweet shop on Lozells Rd between the pub and the Esso repair garbage.
Hello Richard, John Washbourne is my grandad (my father’s father). Sadly my dad was only 7 when his father died. Do you have any memories you could share?
 
Hello Richard, John Washbourne is my grandad (my father’s father). Sadly my dad was only 7 when his father died. Do you have any memories you could share?
Flossie, my memories are of John (JoHenry) Wheeler who was a close friend and apprentice at Hardy Spicer. Like many of us he started out with a motorcycle in Johnnys case a Lambretta moving to a Ford Consul. He was in an accident just outside of Henly in Arden(?). Johnny escaped with a few scrapes a couple of others did not.
 
Flossie, my memories are of John (JoHenry) Wheeler who was a close friend and apprentice at Hardy Spicer. Like many of us he started out with a motorcycle in Johnnys case a Lambretta moving to a Ford Consul. He was in an accident just outside of Henly in Arden(?). Johnny escaped with a few scrapes a couple of others did not.
Oh, apologies I think I got confused! Hopefully someone sees this and may be able to share some stories with me! Thank you anyway
 
Richard. I am too confused! I had not long been at Hardy Spicer when this fatal accident happened. The names are unreliable, certainly not Peter Wheeler could have been John Washbourne.
Hello Jim, John Washbourne is my grandad (my father’s father). Sadly my dad was only 7 when his father died. Do you have any memories you could share?
 
Used to know a few people at Birfield around that time, I think one was called John Sandbrook,(in production control?) plus a couple from quality control whose names won't come to me. The more senior one had bushy hair. One of the two was in Osaka on works business at the time of a massive earthquake. Shaken but not hurt.
I loved my time in Production Control at Birfield. The people I remember well are John Sandbrook, Irene Robotham, Louis MOuntstephens, Larry Joyce, Phil Jordan (Quality) and Jack Sherrif
 
I loved my time in Production Control at Birfield. The people I remember well are John Sandbrook, Irene Robotham, Louis MOuntstephens, Larry Joyce, Phil Jordan (Quality) and Jack Sherrif
Didn't realise that Larry Joyce transferred to Birfield, worked with him at Chester Rd. 1970-1975. Wasn't there also a husband/wife in Production Control surname Beddows? Maybe Stuart? Welcome to BHF!
 
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The site at the top of Birch Road was shared by two plants in the Birfield Group, Forging & Presswork and Salisbury Transmissions. I started work as an engineering apprentice at F&P and stayed there 14 years before the Cold Forging department moved to Hamstead. The three storey office block (still there) was shared between F&P and ST, we even shared a Drawing Office print machine, and the old style Managing Director 'ruled' both plants. The site had a central road with the forging plant on the canal side, and the ST machining plant on the other side. Delivery of our forgings was initially down the road to the Birch Rd Hardy Spicer plant. When HS moved to Chester Rd someone at F&P had the bright idea of using canal boats to deliver our forgings to HS, looking at maps it can be seen that the canal runs past both sites. Unfortunately the forge used to throw scrap forgings over the fence into the canal until a pleasure boat was nearly sunk by an enormous pile of forgings which were found when the canal stretch was drained.
Some products produced by the press shop of F&P were steel toecaps which were known as 'ToeTectors' in safety footware.
The Cold Forging part of F&P was run on a licence from a German company Neumeyers in Nuremburg.
GKN took over the Birfield Group in 1965/66 and eventually the original Birfield Industries automotive products became the major part of GKN's business so it turned out to be a very profitable take-over.
oldmohawk
Hello
My dad Roy Okell worked at Forging and Pressworks at Birch road from 1943-1962 as metallurgist working with Ernie Baylis. Met and married Margaret Jordan who worked for Old Man Jones the forge manager.
Roy and Margaret are into their 90’s and reminisce about this time in their lives.
 
Hi james
my late brother inlaw big alf summers whom worked in the stores there for many years until he died about three years ago ; i beleive his brother also worked there as well at hardys i learnt to drive one of those platform trucks there i had to be tested by the health and safty team ;
which i did pas and shortly afterwards i left and went to work along side our bazzm member of the forum as the over head crane driver
in the forge ; but i stared there as a slinger until stan fisher asked me if i want the number I over head crane driver postion
as they sacked the other guy through loss of time keeping he was always on the sick for months in and months out i was there for years
and i used to have to load all the lorrys and pick up the red hotpipes and metal from confined postionswhilst the men ; was close to there furnace ; great company and great men worked there one great happy familys ; and when we had open days at tubes i was a guide ; doin the guided tours arond the company
from all the furnaces and back rooms of the companpy ; i really miss working there i truly do ;
james have a great day and enjoy your self and keep smiling ; remember you only live once ;
best wishes Astonian ;;;;;;
 
it sure was a handy place for taking a drive shaft/propshaft to be repaired, when i used to convert cars/vans i dropped the shaft off at night and in the morning collect it. all painted new joints balanced just like new:grinning:
 
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