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Frantic

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I was having a browse around the site the other day and was amazed to see that Brandauers in New John St West was still standing. I used to work there as a Toolmaker in the late sixties. To work at Brandauers was an honour in those days as they paid the highest hourly rate for Toolmakers in Brum. If you wanted more you had to go to Coventry. I had not long finished my apprenticeship and applied for a job at Brandauers. The foreman thought it was a bit of a joke and told me to come back in a few years when I had learned something, just then, the Managing Director came into the room and asked a few questions. The foreman told him that he had advised me to come back later and the MD asked me where I 'served my time', when I told him British Pens Ltd, he told the foreman to give me a job as the MD had also served his time at the 'Pens'. The foreman gave me a really hard time after that, but I learned more about precision toolmaking there than I ever did anywhere else.
 
The name Brandauers brought back memories for me too.
It was way back in 1946/7 when, as an electricians mate (at the tender age of 14) we did contract work there.
I can remember being fascinated by the roll feed power presses that stamped out the pen nibs.
The skilled toolmakers filing out the dies for the press tools.
No spark eroders in them days :!: :!:
The abundance of females working on the hand presses ect.... :shock:
I think it was on one of the upper floors that the gold nibs were processed. A strict no go area. :evil:

I know the factory is still there, but don't know what it is used for now.
Perhaps someone can answer this, if not, I will make a point of finding out the next time I pass.
It won't be making pen nibs I am sure.
 
Brandauers didn't make pen nibs when I worked there in 69-70, however, they did do precious metal pressings. The main work at the time was for computer components, IC's, transistors etc. They were part of the 'Penmakers Federation' however, along with British Pens and a few others that I can no longer remember. Then came along Lazlo Biro and his brother Gorg and stuffed it all up. The pen industry had to rapidly diversify, some made it, some didn't. A totally useless fact: There are 14,000,000 biros sold EVERY DAY in the world! I didn't know that many people could WRITE!! Still, when you use a biro, you don't get T's and Y's mixed up.

Thanks Old Timer for the update.
 
Hi there Frantic,
Would you like to be put in touch with Mavis Bacon :?:
I never make mistakes, even though I type at 20 w.p.m. :!:

Nice to know the Brandauers name is still going.
Thanks from me, also, Oldtimer for the info. Its saved me a journey.

Thanks for the memories. Off now to buy a new quill :!:
 
Recognized this building straight away. The Midland Counties Dairy was just across from it.
It must have been empty for decades and it is amazing it hasn't been demolished but then the City doesn't seem to demolish that many buildings. It just let's them rot. It is going to take a lot of money to renovate this building but it will make much more of a statement than a tower. They have already done this and it hasn't worked that well. It will certainly be convenient to live there if you work in town and I bet the prices for a suite in there will cost a bomb.
 
I didn't know that they had moved.........Is 'Newmans' still in Hospital St? that was my first job.
 
Brandauer's has a listed building preservation order on it. I always feel very sad when I drive past as its a lovely building in such a terrible state. I wonder when something will be done!
 
I took this photo of a lovely old Brandauer pen knib box at the Pen Room last week.
 
It is so sad to see such a lovely building in such a sad state. Now it's up for sale perhaps something will happen.
 
I'm afraid to say this place has been up for sale for a long time, and no-one seems to want a building of this size in this location. There are some great shots about from the inside. One building in Brum I'm yet to see inside for myself!!
 
Hello,

When I left Perry Common Comprehensive in 1976 I went to the Birminghm Group Training Association in Edgbaston to find an Apprenticeship. They offered me 2, one at Brandauers in Newtown, and one at Peerless Stampings in Priory Road Aston. I asked my Mom (who was an old Summer Lane girl) which one to take and she said "you don't want to go to Newtown" so I took the job at Peerless Stampings.

Thinking about it that was a daft thing to do as we lived in Watney Grove opposite the College Arms on College Road. To get to Peerless Stampings I had to walk through the Preefabs (Hurstwood Road) through to Stockland Green, which was about a 45 minute walk and get the 65 bus. If i had gone to Brandauers I could have caught the 42, the 113 or the 107 at the top of my grove and they would all have droped me in Newtown !!!!!!
Mothers who would have them !!!!!! (lost her 15 years ago on Monday and miss her every minute of every day !)

John
 
hi john...and thank you for your memories.....hi ya virusman..i agree that the pics of the inside of the building are fantastic...ive now transferred them all onto a disc but if you do decide to venture into the buiding be very careful as i think its quite unsafe now...

lyn
 
I may have mentioned this before but there is a lot of information on the history of Brandauers at the Pen Room (museum). I always wonder when I find a steel pen maker in the family if they worked at Brandauers. I always pass the building on the way to Key Hill Cemetery it must have been quite magnificent in it's day. Thanks for your memories John. I love the adverts in the early posts on this thread too. Virusman as Lyn said be careful it doesn't look very secure either so you never know who will be inside!!
 
Hi, I'm a freelance film-maker currently working on a series of videos documenting some of the historical buildings that lie derelict and abandonded across the city today.

One of the first in the series will be the Brandauer Factory in Newtown.

We're looking for people with any information on this building, whether it be documents, photos or memories. Perhaps you worked in the building, lived nearby, or know someone that did?

Please do get in touch if you'd like to share any information with us. Any help, big or small is extremely welcome.

Do check out the main thread I've set up here about the project, and get in contact via the forum if you can help us at all.

https://forum.birminghamhistory.co.uk/showthread.php?t=32433

Many thanks,
Michael.
 
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