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Bill Switchgear

Lyn my little bit of knowledge when I was at work for a top electrical wholesaler who I worked for for 36 yrs we stocked Bill Switchgear , as one poster said it was merged into the Delta/Eaton group in the 80's I think it was . For some insane reason they made the Bill Switchgear range EXPORT ONLY , whereas MEM who were also part of the Delta/Eaton group was still available for the home market . Bill as a product was brilliant range of switchgear some of their ranges were Invicta, Classic, Royal, Silverlink, Masterlink, Crown etc .
 
Does anyone remember Don Gough, who was the manager/ foreman on the first floor of the factory in the late 1970s? A big burly man with a thick beard, I loved working with him- he was so helpful when I first started working in his section. The floor area was huge, yet, from his little office in the middle he could see if anyone was slacking! He had eyes like a hawk ha ha! Once, a girl who was working on a press machine suddenly fainted- she was diabetic and was having a hypo. Don dealt with the emergency immediately and got her to sickbay, where I believe she made a full recovery.
I'd love to know if Don is still around, all these years later.
 
Although I've retired now , I remember Bill Switchgear with fond memories . Although I didn't know Mr Gough , I remember the sales manager Ron Taberner , the sales rep Ray Massey there were another couple of reps their names escape me at the moment . By far the person that does stick out the most to me was the lorry driver that used to deliver to the first electrical wholesaler I worked for his name was Arthur . He was small in stature , what he lacked in height he made up for in personality . I remember one day I had to mention to him there was an item to be returned for some reason , his first question to me was " have you got a Palfreman form " . "No I replied " , he then proceeded to tell me that nothing went back on the lorry without a Palfreman form . For some strange reason I've never forgot that , on subsequent occasions in later years when the subject of returns arises I immediately think of the dreaded Palfreman form . Good Old Arthur
 
billgrierson said:
Ron Bill was related to me through my mothers side of the family . Uncle Ron as I used to call him used to visit us on holiday at Welford on Avon in the sixties " found memories "! . I have many photographs and personal items that I have which and I will put on this forum in the future .
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I knew Angela Bill very slightly in the 60's when the family lived on Handsworthwood Rd. Do you know where she is now?
 
Another memorable character at Bill Switchgear in the late '70s & early '80s was Walter, the labourer. He was forever sweeping up, and seemed to cover the whole factory, carrying out his never-ending task. A bit like painting the Forth Bridge. A thin and rather emaciated fellow, he'd always forget to put some water down first, when wielding his broom, creating clouds of dust. When workers invariably asked him to 'sprinkle some water about' Walter would reply "Don't be rude!"
 
Williamstreeter said:
Although I've retired now , I remember Bill Switchgear with fond memories . Although I didn't know Mr Gough , I remember the sales manager Ron Taberner , the sales rep Ray Massey there were another couple of reps their names escape me at the moment . By far the person that does stick out the most to me was the lorry driver that used to deliver to the first electrical wholesaler I worked for his name was Arthur . He was small in stature , what he lacked in height he made up for in personality . I remember one day I had to mention to him there was an item to be returned for some reason , his first question to me was " have you got a Palfreman form " . "No I replied " , he then proceeded to tell me that nothing went back on the lorry without a Palfreman form . For some strange reason I've never forgot that , on subsequent occasions in later years when the subject of returns arises I immediately think of the dreaded Palfreman form . Good Old Arthur
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A few of the other "characters" I recall were Ian Jones, Paul Guppy, Ken Guy ,John Comlay, Harry Edge .The list goes on, I have a lot of fond memories of the people and the locations. I worked at a few different sites over the years :Aston Lane, Shady Lane ,DES by the M6, Reddings Lane [ MEM] . I am still in touch with a few people.
 
Wife's 25 yr service clock still going strong in porch. Over the years we saw Silver link switches mounted on walls, a product she assembled along with mccb's Been in those gates a fare few times picking her up after work. Her mum, sadly passed, worked in the canteen. For myself Shady Lane and later Nechells in Panel Division.
 
My Uncle, Arthur Walker, worked in the toolroom at Bill Switchgear most of his working life. He was made redundant as a result of the Delta/Eton takeover and had to carry his tools home from Witton to Woolmore Road (off Marsh Hill) on the day he was laid off.

When he passed, I inherited his tools and I wonder how he did it. There must be 30kg of them in 2 boxes. I try to use them whenever I can, although imperial micrometers need a bit of thinking about.

The smell of suds oil whenever I open the boxes brings back wonderful memories of working in manufacturing in Birmingham in the 70's.
 
Biscayne said:
My Uncle, Arthur Walker, worked in the toolroom at Bill Switchgear most of his working life. He was made redundant as a result of the Delta/Eton takeover and had to carry his tools home from Witton to Woolmore Road (off Marsh Hill) on the day he was laid off.

When he passed, I inherited his tools and I wonder how he did it. There must be 30kg of them in 2 boxes. I try to use them whenever I can, although imperial micrometers need a bit of thinking about.

The smell of suds oil whenever I open the boxes brings back wonderful memories of working in manufacturing in Birmingham in the 70's.
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Haven’t heard suds oil in SO long! I didn’t work at Bill but at Brooke Tool it seemed like I had bathed in it sometimes! Great memories!
 
Astoness said:
does anyone know if this company still exists...it was at aston lane perry barr

lyn
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I can do better than that in the sense of historical photographs... My Dad - BRYAN JOHN MILES - appeared to have worked for them in the early to mid-60s. This is him at a Birmingham industrial exhibition! He later joined UNILEVER as a UK and European weigh bridge expert. My uncle ALLAN MILES thinks he got stomach Cancer from the Asbestos at the Bill Switchgear factory he worked in, but he also had a serious motorcycle accident in 1965 ( these two photos were very recently colourized by myself using a really cool app called PixelUp! The other men to the left in the photos may actually be senior managers from the company or possibly competitors or customers? )
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I worked at Birmingham Polytechnic which became Birmingham City University on Wellhead Lane for about 25 years then moved to central Birmingham for another 7 years. We were next to Bill Switchgear. Tufnol is still operational I understand. It was said that they supplied the insulators for Bill. There have been lots of changes to Perry Barr. Bill were taken over, but had a new factory. The old Poly site has been cleared.
 
Stokkie said:
I worked at Birmingham Polytechnic which became Birmingham City University on Wellhead Lane for about 25 years then moved to central Birmingham for another 7 years. We were next to Bill Switchgear. Tufnol is still operational I understand. It was said that they supplied the insulators for Bill. There have been lots of changes to Perry Barr. Bill were taken over, but had a new factory. The old Poly site has been cleared.
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Although it was taken over by the Eaton Corporation, for the home market there were only certain spares available. They became an export only company and the other Birmingham company MEM another one in the Eaton group grabbed the Bill share of the market . The company I worked for stocked both ranges , alas the amount of customers I had to tell that Bill was no more was unbelievable another name lost
 
One other thing I remember about Bill Switchgear a day or so before the company I worked for closed for Easter holiday , the Bill representative turned up with an easter egg for everyone . They weren't the small ones either , a proper size egg with filling
 
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