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Barker and Allen

You won't remember Spike, i've got one of those forgettable faces. Mick, when did you leave, and what year did it close down?
I think it was around 1990 when i was after a switchgear handle that i spoke to Pete Piggott in the security hut. I'd phoned and switchboard had put me through to Ron Banner instead of Ron foster.
Did Errol finish his apprenticeship?
 
Ben123 said:
yes he was the Dad of Earl Falconer,the bass player. i spent a lot of time with the oil/greaser and its bugging me i cant remember his name, he was a really nice Irishman . i worked in the garage with Joe O`Leary for quite a while until he passed away overnight and then Trevor took over
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Fred Parslow
 
davesd1 said:
You won't remember Spike, i've got one of those forgettable faces. Mick, when did you leave, and what year did it close down?
I think it was around 1990 when i was after a switchgear handle that i spoke to Pete Piggott in the security hut. I'd phoned and switchboard had put me through to Ron Banner instead of Ron foster.
Did Errol finish his apprenticeship?
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Of course I remember you Dave. You lived near Wiggy Taylor from my old school, Central Grammar and arranged for me to buy an old Escort van off him. Mick Mac. would remember that old van which nearly died on the way to a John Otway concert in Oxford.
 
I'd forgotten about that old van, wasn't it Red, and have you still got it? I think Central goes under a different name these days, i went to Martineau next door, which i believe has been demolished.
Most of the names mentioned must have left by '89, the place must have been on its last legs by then.
I bumped into Dave around '85,Benny too, what happened to Liam?
 
davesd1 said:
I'd forgotten about that old van, wasn't it Red, and have you still got it? I think Central goes under a different name these days, i went to Martineau next door, which i believe has been demolished.
Most of the names mentioned must have left by '89, the place must have been on its last legs by then.
I bumped into Dave around '85,Benny too, what happened to Liam?
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Spike Russell said:
Hi carolina.
I worked in the maintenance department at Barker and Allen on Dudley Road, Springhill from 1976 to 1989.
I would have definately known your brother if he worked at that building.
Would you like to pass my name on to him?
(we used to do each others 'clocking' occasionally, so I'm not judgmental over his sacking and I was a 'gaffer' for a while)
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His name was David Taylor I think he was only there for a couple of years
 
davesd1 said:
You won't remember Spike, i've got one of those forgettable faces. Mick, when did you leave, and what year did it close down?
I think it was around 1990 when i was after a switchgear handle that i spoke to Pete Piggott in the security hut. I'd phoned and switchboard had put me through to Ron Banner instead of Ron foster.
Did Errol finish his apprenticeship?
Click to expand...

Spike Russell said:
Of course I remember you Dave. You lived near Wiggy Taylor from my old school, Central Grammar and arranged for me to buy an old Escort van off him. Mick Mac. would remember that old van which nearly died on the way to a John Otway concert in Oxford.
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The van was white old chap. I had it for a while and had much fun with it. Got a recon 2.0 litre and gearbox for it off Joe Smallwood's son.(they worked in the despatch area below the leccy shop, possibly after you left).
I remember you well as I think you knew quite a few of my old school chums, coming from Shard End, Bonnie Whitehouse, John Connelly to name but two?
 
davesd1 said:
You won't remember Spike, i've got one of those forgettable faces. Mick, when did you leave, and what year did it close down?
I think it was around 1990 when i was after a switchgear handle that i spoke to Pete Piggott in the security hut. I'd phoned and switchboard had put me through to Ron Banner instead of Ron foster.
Did Errol finish his apprenticeship?
Click to expand...

Spike Russell said:
Of course I remember you Dave. You lived near Wiggy Taylor from my old school, Central Grammar and arranged for me to buy an old Escort van off him. Mick Mac. would remember that old van which nearly died on the way to a John Otway concert in Oxford.
Click to expand...
The van was white old chap. I had it for a while and had much fun with it. Got a recon 2.0 litre and gearbox for it off Joe Smallwood's son.(they worked in the despatch area below the leccy shop, possibly after you left).
I remember you well as I think you knew quite a few of my old school chums, coming from Shard End, Bonnie Whitehouse, John Connelly to name but two?
 
davesd1 said:
A few i'd forgotten about there.Trying to think who Pat the pipe fitter was.One of them was Jerry Maughan.A story went round that he'd spent the whole lunch break in the car park topping up his engine oil.When someone passing asked if he was having problems they noticed he'd tried to top it up through the dipstick hole.
Cliff Morgan,fitter,who was overheard in a pub telling people he was a Doctor.When asked a Doctor of what,he said "machinery".Think it was Dave McDowell who put that around.
Ben,do you remember what happened if you announced if you were getting married there? A trip 'round the factory in a wheelbarrow covered in old suds oil.
Do you also remember the Lab roof going up in flames?They had a roofing company in re-felting and at lunchtime they went down the BA.One of them left a gas bottle on and you can guess the rest.They found the valve off the bottle a few hundreds yards away as it went through someones windscreen.
I was working 2-10 one day and as I was driving down Springhill I thought how cold it was,someone had smashed my rear screen on the car park during the shift.
Another car episode,when I came off nights at 6am someone had stolen my car off the car park and it was finally recovered outside Winson Green nick two weeks later.Happy times.
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Cliff Johnson was the 'Doctor of Machinery' and he lived down the Icknield Road. Carried a briefcase.
Me and Mick Mac. got a bottle of 'Mackeson' each off him, after Mick had put a socket in for him at his house.
Most refreshing to lager drinkers.........
Nice bloke though.
 
Cliff Johnson not Morgan. Wasn't their a pipe fitter, Terry Thomas? Trying to think who else went to Central, do you remember Laurence Meade?
I remember Dave Taylor who was a chargehand along with Pete Smith. Joe Smallwood rings a bell, but i can't picture him. I don't think Mick charges enough for his work by the way.
 
davesd1 said:
Cliff Johnson not Morgan. Wasn't their a pipe fitter, Terry Thomas? Trying to think who else went to Central, do you remember Laurence Meade?
I remember Dave Taylor who was a chargehand along with Pete Smith. Joe Smallwood rings a bell, but i can't picture him. I don't think Mick charges enough for his work by the way.
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Laurence Meade doesn't ring a bell. A man(name withheld due to legal reasons) was a fitter when we started but him and his missus lived over a doctors surgery in a caretaker role, so we rarely saw him as he used to get doctors notes for months on end(allegedly!!)
When redundo's came up they tried to sack him but the union got him V.R. as long as I got his job. Ben, Liam, Dave and myself were up for redundancy but as I was the most ambitious of the four (or the biggest creep) they kept me on and rushed through our apprenticeship papers as they couldn't make apprentices redundant, apparently.
Brian O'Rourke was our chargehand.
Paul Manku was a spark in your shop.
 
I think B & A had a director for redundancies, never known a place like it for meetings. I was told once that i may have to finish my apprenticeship at another firm in the Delta group.
Brian O'Rourke was the shop steward as well, if i remember correctly, he asked to see my union card about two hours into my first day there. When i said i didn't have one, i thought he was going to call everybody out.
Paul Manku started in the electronics dept. along with Ron Foster, also with Pete Lee.
Work this one out. I used to give Pete a lift home every night, he lived in Lea Village. Whenever we got to the island at Stechford, by the manor house pub, that car would cut out. It was a Hillman Imp, Pete would jump out, prime the fuel pump, and the car would start again. That car never cut out anywhere else. In the end i told him to get the bus.
 
davesd1 said:
I think B & A had a director for redundancies, never known a place like it for meetings. I was told once that i may have to finish my apprenticeship at another firm in the Delta group.
Brian O'Rourke was the shop steward as well, if i remember correctly, he asked to see my union card about two hours into my first day there. When i said i didn't have one, i thought he was going to call everybody out.
Paul Manku started in the electronics dept. along with Ron Foster, also with Pete Lee.
Work this one out. I used to give Pete a lift home every night, he lived in Lea Village. Whenever we got to the island at Stechford, by the manor house pub, that car would cut out. It was a Hillman Imp, Pete would jump out, prime the fuel pump, and the car would start again. That car never cut out anywhere else. In the end i told him to get the bus.
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I knew Pete Lee from before Barkers, used to drink with him at the BSA club with his brother Rob(school girlfriends in common), up from the Mackadown.
I remember the Imp as well, that was cream coloured weren't it? Sharp bend by the Manor House could have been the cause? We used to try and turn the school bus over, coming back from swimming lessons, by running to the side of the upstairs deck, coming off Iron Lane.
 
I think Pete married a girl called Lorraine who had a Moggy 1000. He started using it for work, and since we used to go the same way home we used to turn it into a bit of a race. One Saturday, we were approaching the fire station in town and Pete was in front. In order to keep his advantage, he approached the island a bit too fast, he then mounted the cobbles and ripped the exhaust off, i then went past him claiming victory. I never asked what he told Lorraine.
Right about the Imp colour, at first, it was then sprayed Ford electric blue.
To be honest Spike, good job you never turned that bus over, can you imagine the tail-back's you'd have caused.
I noticed you mentioned Mick O'Brian, how's he doing? Brings back memories of Johnny Doyle and Jack the hammer, was it Paddy Murphy the chargehand?
 
davesd1 said:
I think Pete married a girl called Lorraine who had a Moggy 1000. He started using it for work, and since we used to go the same way home we used to turn it into a bit of a race. One Saturday, we were approaching the fire station in town and Pete was in front. In order to keep his advantage, he approached the island a bit too fast, he then mounted the cobbles and ripped the exhaust off, i then went past him claiming victory. I never asked what he told Lorraine.
Right about the Imp colour, at first, it was then sprayed Ford electric blue.
To be honest Spike, good job you never turned that bus over, can you imagine the tail-back's you'd have caused.
I noticed you mentioned Mick O'Brian, how's he doing? Brings back memories of Johnny Doyle and Jack the hammer, was it Paddy Murphy the chargehand?
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Mick O'Brien moved to Shannon way back. To be honest, I saw more of him while I was still living in England.
Do you know Mick Mac's having his 60th 'do' in Belfast come December? I'm going to contact Mick Obbers and see if he wants me to bring him up and Mick M. sent a general invite out to everyone so it would be great if you could get there. Give him a shout if yer interested.
I think George Gledhill was builders' chargehand when I started. Sadly, he had just got his early retirement, well happy, but died six months later. Very cheerful, happy bloke I seem to recall.
 
I was trying to get over to Belfast to visit relations a little while back. My eldest Son worked for Flybe, so we were getting a discount there, then the Covid business, so it all bit the dust.
What date are you talking about as i have the twins on 5th and my eldest on the 4th? It would be good to catch up talking about redundancies and whatever, see how it goes.
Has Benny been in touch?
 
davesd1 said:
I was trying to get over to Belfast to visit relations a little while back. My eldest Son worked for Flybe, so we were getting a discount there, then the Covid business, so it all bit the dust.
What date are you talking about as i have the twins on 5th and my eldest on the 4th? It would be good to catch up talking about redundancies and whatever, see how it goes.
Has Benny been in touch?
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Friday 10th December and he's talking about staying in the Europa, if you know it. Mick's got Benn's number and I think he's on this forum.
 
davesd1 said:
I was trying to get over to Belfast to visit relations a little while back. My eldest Son worked for Flybe, so we were getting a discount there, then the Covid business, so it all bit the dust.
What date are you talking about as i have the twins on 5th and my eldest on the 4th? It would be good to catch up talking about redundancies and whatever, see how it goes.
Has Benny been in touch?
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Ben123 on this forum. He should remember you, as you used to do leccy work on the fork lifts for Joe O'Leary when Ben was apprenticing in the garage.
 
I spoke to Benny on here, he was saying that he worked in the garage with MCL.
I remember Joe from the garage, he couldn't have had long to go when he died suddenly. Who can forget Trevor Davies who took over?
We would play darts in the small office at the back, you must have joined in at one stage. Do you remember Trev's old British bikes, he was always fixing clocks as well. The fork lift trucks came a poor second.
Is Mick's shindig in the Europa?
 
Mick, apart from Errol and yourself, i recognise Kenny Barett fourth from left, and Mick O'Brian to Errol's left. Who were the rest?
 
So Left to right from memory
Steve Porter worked in sales
Dave O Neil sales
Errol
Kenny
Mick
Some fella from offices
Tommy northern Ireland fella who worked on machine back of boiler house along with Paddy Higgins
Posh kid from offices
My good self

Spike, Errol, or Benn might be able to fill in the gaps
 
I know time moves on & things change, but have a look on Google maps for whats there now
Then have a look at the satellite picture, wow
 
Ben123 said:
With Mick mcgill ,Eroll, Ron Foster,Wiggy etc cant remember anymore ,i`m at Land Rover now where Mick has just finished and moved over to Ireland to be close to Spike :):) who left Land Rover about 6-8 years ago and moved over to Ireland also. Going to try and get over to see them soon
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Wow brings back some memories I worked in the Maintenance 1985 to 1980. I remember Mick, Ron, Wiggy, spike, also Ken trinder, Bob (maintenance foreman), Paul Manku and Peter piggott. Amazing memories with them all. Yes Ronnie from the stores and his son Paul
 
SparkySteveUK said:
Wow brings back some memories I worked in the Maintenance 1985 to 1980. I remember Mick, Ron, Wiggy, spike, also Ken trinder, Bob (maintenance foreman), Paul Manku and Peter piggott. Amazing memories with them all. Yes Ronnie from the stores and his son Paul
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Steve Powell is my name for anyone who remembers me
 
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