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Ansells Brewery

R

ronaldaroo

Guest
Anselld Brewery produced a 78 record advertising Bruno beer which was sung by the Hedley Ward Trio.This record was given to all its staff.Does anyone have any further details of this record as I am researching into the life and times of Jack Mckechnie guitarist with the Trio?Did they produce any other promo records?
Any info/photos/reminiscences etc of Jack the Trio the records etc would be gratefully received.
Thanking you in anticipation for any help.
Ronald John Saunders
 
It was in 1858 that Joseph Ansell established the malting's at Aston Cross and when his sons were old enough William joined him in 1867 and Edward in 1876. It was through Gladstone abolishing the malt tax that they decided that the brewing industry would be better and in March 1882 Ansells Brewery Ltd at Aston Cross was born it was also an ideal place because of the artesian wells on the premises, which the City Analyst Dr.Bostock Hill said in a letter "The artesian wells that I have examined are some of the finest I have ever seen".
It became a Limited company in 1901 and in 1923 took Rushtons Brewery over, 1928 they took over Lucas and Co. of Leamington and in 1934 Holt's Brewery was taken over by them growing even bigger in 1934 when the bought out Plant and Co.
And continued to expand
 
Hi,

Would anyone have the contact details of the Ansells Brewery Historian. I an interested from 1912 - 1931 as my Great Grand Father was a Brewery Drayman with the company for part of this time and I would like to piece this part of his life together after Football and just before his Death in 1931.

Kind regards


Joe Burke
 
thanks for these cromwell both of my parents and my 2 aunts worked at Ansells brewery
 
if you go onto that link,thats my mom on the left hand side of the bottling machine in 1937,shes still going strong and i bought her a new puppy last week so i have told her shes got to stay with us for a few more years yet if only to train the dog :2funny:
 
My dad had this 78 as he worked at ansells and he used to play it to me and my brother and mime to it which made us laugh, but I have just looked through my parents 78's and I'm afaid it must have been one of the one's mom broke when she was getting them from the top of the wardrobe, but you have bought back some good memories. Thank's
 
Anne, the brewery in Lister Street/Holte Street was the Holte Brewery, near Gosta Green. My g.g. grandfather John Raybould was landlord there in the 1860s/1870s and my grandfather was born there in 1876.
 
Brewery nr Gosta Green

Sylvia "Brummie"
Gosh, you are very closely connected! Thanks for info. now I know!
I have actually said in another post that very regularly after school on my way to the Woodcock Street Baths I was always glad to have a scarf to wind round my nose several times as I couldn't stand the smell of the hops, even in the summer!!!!! Would you believe where I live now if the wind blows in the right direction I can smell the hops from the Courages Brewery, and for some reason I quite like the smell now.
I'd like to tour round the Brewery to see what it's all about.
When I visited the Gosta Green area a couple of years ago everything had been flattened and it was a very different scenario. What happened to the Brewery?
Anne
 
Anne, the Holt Brewery was bought by Ansells in 1934 according to the post by Cromwell, and is now closed, the Holt Arms where my grandad was born is now called The Gosta Green and is a dreadful students pub, I went there earlier this year, and have put a post about it elsewhere on this site, not sure where. I was absolutely "gutted" at the changes, in the 1970s it was called The Pot of Beer, and as I worked across the road at Delta Metal Works, we often went over at lunch times. I didn't know of my family connection at the time. My g.g. grandad also had another pub the Dog & Duck in Sheep Street, he was there on the 1861 census. Sheep Street is now part of Aston Uni campus, off Woodcock Street, I don't remember Sheep Street - do you?
 
Holt Brewery

Sylvia,
Thanks for that info. I should imagine that you felt really dejected when revisiting, marring your memories and especially having had family connections.
I expect I shall be revisiting, if I can find my way around, up and over all the pedestrian ways to get to the what is now the University Campus area.
The back to backs are my memories around Gosta Green. Mind you - the Victorian Loos have been preserved!)If I do find my way there I shall be naturally bearing what you have told me in mind.
Thanks again
Anne
 
Sheep Street

Sylvia,
Forgot to add that I remember the name very well but I don't think I ever went down that way. I may have done and not realised it. Because I walked it many times backwards and forwards, to relieve the monotony, I used to try to find different walks back to Snowhill from Woodcock Street - so you never know! If you read my other posts then you'll know the reason why!
Anne
 
The strike of 1981.

:D Does anyone remember the strike of 1981 at Ansells?. My brother used to work at Holte Street and my husband was on the fermentation side of the brewing at Aston Cross. He later moved to Aldridge and finished at Carlsberg Gravely Park. :D Bye for now. Jean.
 
My dad and grand dad both worked for Ansells brewery. They were both draymen. My Dad was made redundant after the strike in 1981. I think some of the workers moved to the Ind Coop plant in Burton on Trent.
My brother and I used to go to the Christmas parties for the workers children at Aston Cross and then I think at the Mackadown pub. They were very happy times. I remember dad used to get little tickets in his wage packet to spend on beer.
 
Ansells brewery.

:D Hi 500 miles. What were your brother and fathers names?. My brothers is Albert Lyndon who was a checker and my husbands is Pete Smith who was on the brewing to begin with then on the dreys finishing off as chargehand in the warehouse at Gravelly Park. Bye for now. Jean.:D
 
Hi Jean, my Dad's name is Ray Shelley and grand dad was George Ellis although he retired from Ansells in the 1960's.
Were your family involved in the strike in 1981? I remember Dad staying out all night on picket lines, it was awful.
 
The strike of 1981.

:DYes. Pete was involved in the strike although he didn't vote for it. He could see what was coming. He did stay out all night down the social club but my brother didn't have to because he was staff and they didn't strike. I thought I would let you know that Denniss Hopkins died last week. He used to virtually run the place. Did your dad have a nickname when he worked there?. Pete did know a few Rays but not their surnames. By for now. Jean.:D
 
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