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Fisher & Ludlows factory

My dad worked at fishers from about 1957 to 1975/6 jerry flynn he worked as a finisher. I remember george bowen and his wife (forgot her name) they used to live 30 odd doors away from me in millington road, when i got older i used to live over the road from them. I remember him as the polo man, if us kids were out playing as he walked down the road coming from work he would give us a polo mint, he was allways whistling as well. If i remember he used to be a birmingham football fan. Sadly the morning he passed away i took his wife to the hospital and stopped with her until her daughter arrivied. Lovely lovely couple
 
Bit more info on the photos of Joe at work, he is welding "Mini floors". The other chap in photo 2 is his work mate Billy Bryan, sadly no longer with us.
jimbo
 
Hi Castalla, Thankyou for your lovely tribute to my Mom and Dad. Moms name was Anne and she also worked at Fisher and Ludlows. She was in the print room (1970 - 1980) and worked with Joan Evans, Tom McGilbury and Harry ? I remember your Mom and Dad too. Happy days! I have great memories of growing up in Millington Road - a really happy childhood. Mom and Dad also used F & L Social Club - George Bowen being well known in the snooker room - he played with Jack Barron and Tony Hinds - does anyone remember them?
 
jimbo said:
Bit more info on the photos of Joe at work, he is welding "Mini floors". The other chap in photo 2 is his work mate Billy Bryan, sadly no longer with us.
jimbo
Click to expand...


thank jimbo ive just edited my post with this extra info

lyn
 
Eric Gibson said:
My brother in law, Harold Soden, worked in the toolroom back in the 50s-60s. E.
Click to expand...
Hello there. My uncle was Harold Soden, son of William and Alice (nee Williams) of Kingstanding. Both my father and his brother Harold were toolmakers and both worked at F&L for a time. Is this your Harold?
 
My family had connections with Fisher and Ludlow, my fathers uncle Len Craythorne worked there during the 1950's and '60's though I do not know in what capacity. My mum had two brother working there from the 1950's on, Len Reeves was a welder from conversations with him I gather at times he worked on special projects such as prototypes and those strange half cars you saw at the motorshow.

The elder brother Bill Reeves went to work there in the early '50's after selling his share in a small engineering company. He started on the shop floor but by 1957 he had some sort of management or supervisory position. By then the association with Standard Triumph was over and the way ahead lay with BMC, he went to work for BMC, in Sydney, Australia, as Engineering Production Controller. He came back to England, for family reasons in 1959 and was as I seem to remember a block superintendant of I think D or C block. I know that by 1964 they were building Morris 1100 bodies, I know he had retired by the early 1980's.
I aways got the impression that he could be a bit of a b*stard in the work place, but while I found him a bit abrupt he was always kind to me, but the relationship somewhat changed when he got me an apprenticeship draftsman job and I refused to take it.
.
 
Hello Eric are you any relation to a Wally sodden he too lived in king standing very good footballer played gor Bokdmere st mucheals as I di d an went priffessional with Coventry think a younger brother or cousin also played for thr Mikes


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Hi folks. Here are a few photos from my father in laws collection of his time spent at Fishers. I'm afraid I don't know the names of the gentlemen in the photos other than what is on the caption, sorry, but any member who can put names to faces pleas feel free to do so.img032.jpgimg036.jpg First picture is of a Standard Vanguard 1953, the second one is Len's (?) retirement 1979
 
More photos of "men at work"img033.jpgimg041.jpgimg037.jpg First photo left to right, Tom, Bill, Charley and Bill. Photo no 2 Two Bills. The third photo is of the first Jaguar body off the production line, date unknown
 
And a few moreimg034.jpgimg035.jpgimg040.jpg First photo, Horace, welding "1800" scuttles. Photo two, Bill also welding "1800" scuttles. Number three, unknown gentleman.
 
Great photos and look at those flairs and shirt collar of the fashionable chap on the left in the second pic in #101
 
oldMohawk. I'm just sorry I can't put names to faces and I'm hoping some of our Eagle eyed members can do so.
 
Can't say I knew any of those in the photos, but Fishers was a huge factory, with. Any blocks. I spent most of my latter years in A2 block. I left in 1969, to take a new job at Rootes in Coventry. Great quality photos though.
 
My dad Len Smith worked in C or D block from the 50's until the 80', as he was ginger headed and a tool setter he was known as the Red Setter. Broke his heart when made redundant.
 
fisher ludlow workers.jpg

I wonder if any members can identify any of the people on this photograph. My grandfather, Leonard Harry Hope, (Right hand group of men in white coats, left) sadly died in 1961, and all I know of him is that he was a senior foreman. Be very grateful to know of anyone who may have worked with him, or indeed if anyone can identify where in the Fisher & Ludlow factory this group of men may have worked.
 
Sorry can´t hel`p you with names, only to say the man sat behind the first and second mad in white jackets on right front row, i think he lived in the chipperfield rd, shwsdale rd dregon rd area and MAY of used the British Legion when my dad worked on the door wekends, who also worked at F&L, sorry no more help
 
Sorry I am not much help either. I was working there in 1961, having just finished my apprenticeship as a sheet metal worker, but can't recall any of those on your photo. I've had a good look, and certainly would have remembered any that worked in my block, but alas none of those.
 
My mum recently passed away and I found her Shop Steward's Credential Card. Her name was Hazel Marian Rushton but she was known as Marion, she was Shop Steward for the bench trimming department. Did anyone know her?
 
Hi Eric, we are trying to trace all the family I am William Sodens granddaughter. Can we perhaps exchange addresses to swap family stories?
Lydia
 
Hello Lydia, My sister in law Ellen was married to Harold Soden, they had a son Derek and a daughter Patricia and live in Glenmead Road Great Bar, I know little about any of Harold's other relatives though.
Best wishes, Eric
 
Hi Folks,
Newbie here, I'm enjoying the photos and the chat about Fisher and Ludlow. My late Dad worked there during the late 50s to mid 60s. His name was Bart Glover and his job was to spot weld the roofs onto minis. I know he spoke about the television cameras being in the factory at one stage and being filmed on the assembly line. I've tried sites like Pathe news without luck. I'd love to find a photo of him at work.
 
My dad Jerry Flynn worked at Fishers as a Finisher i don´t know what this `position is or was can anybody please tell me what a finisher did , thank you
 
One of the lads we knocked around with 1953 to 1960 was called Gordon Bott, lived in Ermington Crescent, his wife was called Christine, his father also worked there. I think his father was a shop steward. When we moved to Devon, Christmas cards passed between us for a few years and then we lost touch.
Bob Davis
 
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