Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
Hi everyone have just joined the Forum after searching for info on the Battery, fascinating stuff reading some of the posts in this thread. My Dad, Ian Watkins was a metallurgist he worked in the Laboratory from the late 50’s until he was made redundant around 1988/89. I really don’t know much about the place as Dad never talked much about it though I still remember the names of some of his workmates, Harry Kay was his boss and I remember a chap called Victor Gumbley who used to visit our house every now and again and someone who he and his work colleagues used to refer to as Mad Derek.
The many accidents and injuries to the men who worked there is something I remember very well someone mentioned in an earlier post an explosion during the mid 70’s I remember this happening as Dad was called into work the afternoon this accident occurred, if I remember correctly a chap was indeed killed after a furnace exploded. On another occasion probably around 1963/64 and on a far more personal note Dad was involved in a very serious accident whilst he was walking through one of the casting shops someone had a hose pipe and was cleaning something when water splashed into a molten billet of copper the end result of that was that Dad suffered severe burns to his lower legs, feet, face, neck and for a period time it was thought he may lose his sight in one of his eyes, he spent a couple of months in Birmingham Accident Hospital. Fortunately Dad eventually made a full recovery with minimal scaring. Dad is still with us today though still doesn’t talk much about his former work place. So sad they pulled the entrance building down, Dad once told me there was supposedly a preservation order on the chimney as it was one of if not the tallest chimney in Birmingham it would have made a fitting tribute of the men and women who once worked there if it had survived.
The many accidents and injuries to the men who worked there is something I remember very well someone mentioned in an earlier post an explosion during the mid 70’s I remember this happening as Dad was called into work the afternoon this accident occurred, if I remember correctly a chap was indeed killed after a furnace exploded. On another occasion probably around 1963/64 and on a far more personal note Dad was involved in a very serious accident whilst he was walking through one of the casting shops someone had a hose pipe and was cleaning something when water splashed into a molten billet of copper the end result of that was that Dad suffered severe burns to his lower legs, feet, face, neck and for a period time it was thought he may lose his sight in one of his eyes, he spent a couple of months in Birmingham Accident Hospital. Fortunately Dad eventually made a full recovery with minimal scaring. Dad is still with us today though still doesn’t talk much about his former work place. So sad they pulled the entrance building down, Dad once told me there was supposedly a preservation order on the chimney as it was one of if not the tallest chimney in Birmingham it would have made a fitting tribute of the men and women who once worked there if it had survived.