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Drop Stamp - Birch Rd - Witton

John. Great to see you back. I enjoyed your last post about Halladays. Regarding my move to Beith, it all came about from a blind date about 40 years ago. A friend of mine had a female cousin that lived here, and one day he said that she had been in contact with him, and invited him up for the week-end, and as he had never been to Scotland before, he asked me if I fancied the trip too. I told him I'd go, but didnt fancy being a lemon being there with him & his cousin, so he said he would ask her if she had a mate that could make up a four-some. And that my friend is the short version of how me and my lovely wife got together. She eventually came and lived with me in Brum, but each time we travelled back up to Beith to see her parents etc. I fell in love with the place, and people, and I eventually mentioned moving up here, and the rest, as they say, is history. Just to add another little twist to this in that I see you mention to Jean that Kens birthday is 19th Feb, which just happens to be mine too. Great talking with you again John. Look forward to more info on Halladays.
 
Morning Bazz. My brother is going to have a sort through is old photo's as he thinks he may have one of dad at Halladays but it may be the one I have posted.
 
Morning Jean. That would be great. And if it is the same one, at least thank your brother for me for making the effort. Hope you are keeping well Jean ?
 
Its strange you moving to scotland my father moved to birmingham from newcastle because no work in north east only down the pit and his father forbade him to go down the pit so he came down to work at SS Jaguar in Coventry but lodged in Nechells where met my mother but he grew homesick for newcastle and went home and the M/D of jaguar went to newcastle and talked him into coming back .I have talked to people who knew him in his early years and said he was one of the finest sheetmetal designers they had ever seen ,eventually he married my mother in1939 and was called up into the RAF and sent to France and then to north africa so i did not see him till i was five years old ,he was a bit disappointed when i was born two weeks early as my mother was going to newcastle two weeks so i would have been born a geordie named Hughie after his football idol .But he was a great dad and he loved Birmingham almost as much as Newcastle when we crossed the tyne bridge he had tears in his eyes,Joe weetman my boss and mentor at Halladays knew my father for years told me i must have inherited his skills because he reckoned i was the best diesinker he had ever seen something i am very proud of.
 
Hi BazzM @ jean I have put photos online under john davison album i think you wil have to see if i have them right ,I have found out lately that the three directors each recieved £100 hundred thousand pounds each when Halladays closed and when you think we were told we would receive uor full entitlement in my case in the region of 28 thousand pounds on the day we finished we were handed a letter saying that they had no money to pay us sowe had apply to labour office and we received £7500 instead and when you think i grew up with the chairman namely Brian Benton and the day we left not one came to say goodbye
 
Thats terrible John. What a way to treat good, honest workers, that kept the company alive for years. Absolutely disgusting.
 
sorry Bazz they are on there try going on to my profile john davison i know they are on there somehere all sixteen of them if you cannot find them i will get my godson who is fourteen to try and put them in a message thanks for looking
 
Just had a look John. Thanks for posting . Very sad when I think of what the place was like when I used to go there with my Dad (as a kid). You have some great memories there.
 
I will ask around surviving members if they have any photos i could borrow and post them online Christine who in the office with your dad has any photos i could send you no promises but i will try nice to know you have found them
 
Hello Jean @Bazz Had a phone call yesterday from Lil Partridge yesterday morning telling me Apple was rushed into Queen Elizabeth with an anuerism in his aorta and they said he might not survive the operation that was last week and that she said he had come through it ok and could be home next week
 
John thanks so much for that information. I shall phone Betty and George to let them know but I am sure they will also have received a call from Lil?. I am glad he has come through it OK John. Lil's mom Mrs Diglet lived up the road from us and was burgled by the same chap the same evening. Jean.
 
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