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Lucas Formans Road Sparkhill

G

Grace

Guest
Lucas factory

Hello hmld,
Have a look under "Reference Books" . I obtained my copy of "Lucas in Birmingham" and it's great, well worth the money. :D Christmas parties, wonderful. Still have my tiny silver locket given to me at Formans Road Christmas party in the 1950's.
 
Seems to me that Lucas' made batteries which may be a reason for destroying the buildings if they were involved in this product. There may have been lead contamination involved which is a serious health hazard. It seems to me that staying at one company for a lifetime of work (even if that is possible these days) is not the way to go unless you are doing very well there. Move around if that is possible. Broaden your experiences. Try different things. The ability to tackle a variety of jobs is valuable in this day and age. You don't need a gold watch to look at when you retire. In fact you don't need a watch at all. I don't have one. Maybe it's different now but the ability to be versatile has always been an asset.

I was going to ask what batteries the UK cars use now; then I remembered.
 
Hi

just to let you know Jackie Hill's web site has now in
Carl words a bostin site of Forman's Road.
Jackie Hills work is important and all the help you can
give her on Memories Photo's Sports Day's of the
Lucas Empire will be used.
Little written about Forman's Road Sparkhill.
I lived at 156 Forman's Road for a while and spent
18 month's there in Work Study.(ouch)
Just hop out of bed and into the Office.
One day I forgot my Lunch and I had a Phone call
over the Tanoy asking me to go to Reception while I was on
a study. There was Nan in reception bawling me out you forgot
this like everything else you do. Good old Nan I thought
the truth alway's hurt. That was Nan straight as a Die.

Mike
 
Do you know the man in the photo not sure if its Formans Road or Girling
Angela1.jpgAngela 3.jpg

I'm told his first name is Albert and work for Lucas around 1940as
 
I'm new to this forum, but one has to start somewhere.
My Dad was a long serving employee of Joseph Lucas, Formans Road Division. He served over 40 years with them. His name was George Douglas Spencer, but most called him Doug . He was head of the design office battery division for most of his latter years and one of his claims to fame was the Lucas battery filler. He also designed a special battery to fit into Prince Charles's A40 pedal car so making it battery powered.
He retired from Lucas's in 1959 and enjoyed nearly 30 years of retirement until he died aged 92. He was at the time the oldest Lucas pensioner on the books.
Having served four years in France in the first world war, it was even more remarkable that he lived such a long life. He and my mother were married for 65 years and had four sons me being the youngest.
I wonder if there is anyone alive today that remembered my Dad.

Alan Spencer (Bikeral72)
 
Re: Newby first post

Hi Alan and welcome to the forum.
Your dad must have had some great stories to tell, nice to see some on the site.
There is a thread about Lucas's, if you type Lucas into the search box on the right top side of the forum page, you will see the link, your dad may already have been mentioned on there.
Where did your parents live? - there may be folk who remember them from home as well as work.
Sue
 
Re: Newby first post

Thanks for that Jennyann, I will troll through it and see if I can find someone I know.
 
During the sixties my wife and I lived in Acocks Green, and she worked at Lucas Formans rd, Barbara Parker was her name, anyone remember her?
 
banjeauxman said:
During the sixties my wife and I lived in Acocks Green, and she worked at Lucas Formans rd, Barbara Parker was her name, anyone remember her?
Click to expand...
Hi my is Barbara Parsons ,And as a child in the 60's . I lived with my mom and Grandparents in Francis Rd. Acocks Green. My Grandad "Charlie May" worked at Lucas Formans rd for 40 yrs retiring in 1973, my Nan "Ruth May" worked at another Lucas. And I'm pretty sure my mom Doreen May worked at Forman's rd for a short while after leaving school. I will ask her tomorrow. My mom was born in 1940 and I was born 1960.
 
Lucas Forman road football team.jpg
LUCAS Formans Road Football Team (Battery Dept)-Inter-departmental Cup Winners 1931-2.
My Dad Billy Spiers (bottom left cross legged) worked in the battery die-casting dept at Formans road from (well at least 1931) until he retired in 1975 (Became a shop steward in later years). He played for Lucas' (not just Formans Road) until well into his 40's (so the 1950's) and captained the team for some time. Not all inter-departmental of course but against other (mainly industrial) firms.

Can't remember the name of the amateur league they played in but over time -as I had to accompany him certainly from the age of about 8 - I must have visited just about every amateur football ground in Birmingham and the Black Country.
 
Hi
My Aunt Nancy, worked at Forums Rd, and my Grandad worked as a night watchman at Forums Rd. His name was John Henry Harwood. Anybody remember them? They use to live on Norman Rd Accocks Green. My Granmother use to arrange visits during the war to see children who were evacuated. She continued to arrange day trips for her neighbours and friends by collecting old newspapers for the evening mail. Anybody remember her? her name was Maude Harwood.

Astonboy
 
I used to work in the battery factory at Formans Road, for a while, I remember Mr Cooke and a George Atkins. From there I move d to Shaftmoor Lane when Lucas's started the early computer Punch Card System. My Brother Joe Thompson worked on one of the Assembly Lines. Not sure whether it WAS BW3 OR 4.
 
astonboy said:
Hi
My Aunt Nancy, worked at Forums Rd, and my Grandad worked as a night watchman at Forums Rd. His name was John Henry Harwood. Anybody remember them? They use to live on Norman Rd Accocks Green. My Granmother use to arrange visits during the war to see children who were evacuated. She continued to arrange day trips for her neighbours and friends by collecting old newspapers for the evening mail. Anybody remember her? her name was Maude Harwood
Astonboy
Click to expand...

My Nan and Grandad both worked at Lucas , Grandad was at Formans Rd. Their names were Charlie and Ruth May and were also from Acocks Green. 77 Francis Rd. I grew up in Francis Rd too. I will ask my mother Doreen for you. She was born 22 Nov 1940 (terrible day for having a baby). Her first job when she left school was also at Lucas's. And I will look for some of Grandads photos and get back to you. Cheers Barbara
 
BrummieJayne said:
Does anyone have any old photographs of Formans Rd, Sparkhill that they would be kind enough to share? Also the Lucas Girling factory in Tysely, the allotments along Formans rd, (I think they were called Springgrove), St Johns CofE school Stratford rd, etc... and anywhere in that vicinity please? Pre 1980's, preferably 60's.
I am looking for images to paint.

(I live in Wales now, but have wonderful memories as a child going to the allotments with my Gramp, and school at St'Johns, Stratford rd). I see from Google Earth is has changed ..... and not for the better!
So, if anyone has any lovely old photos to rekindle happy memories I would be very grateful.

Thank you!
Click to expand...
Dear Jayne. Sorry I can't help you with photo, but I was a draughtsman in the drawing office at Formans Road from 1962-1964 and then transferred to Girling at Tyseley for another year or so. Now I live in a village just south of Cheltenham, and even at 80 I think I have missed Brum every day of my life since moving down here in the late 1960's. XXXX to my Brum.
 
My dad worked there and retired @1975, Alf Baker, went by the nickname 'Tiny' he was 6'4" and big built. He had worked the variety halls for a one half of The Rego Twins. Here he is entertaining at the xmas childrens party, I'll find a better picture of the event (on another computer at the moment)

alf lucas party.jpg
 
mike jenks said:
Hi

just to let you know Jackie Hill's web site has now in
Carl words a bostin site of Forman's Road.
Jackie Hills work is important and all the help you can
give her on Memories Photo's Sports Day's of the
Lucas Empire will be used.
Little written about Forman's Road Sparkhill.
I lived at 156 Forman's Road for a while and spent
18 month's there in Work Study.(ouch)
Just hop out of bed and into the Office.
One day I forgot my Lunch and I had a Phone call
over the Tanoy asking me to go to Reception while I was on
a study. There was Nan in reception bawling me out you forgot
this like everything else you do. Good old Nan I thought
the truth alway's hurt. That was Nan straight as a Die.

Mike
Click to expand...
My grandad was a work study manager at Lucas until he retired mid 80’s his name was Fred Boffey and his best friend was Peter Booth another work study manager there
 
Rai,
I knew both Fred Boffey & Peter Booth at Shaftmoor Lane (BW3) in the 60's. Didn't Fred live in the flats on the junction of Fox Hollies & Olton Blvd?
John
 
Sajohn said:
Rai,
I knew both Fred Boffey & Peter Booth at Shaftmoor Lane (BW3) in the 60's. Didn't Fred live in the flats on the junction of Fox Hollies & Olton Blvd?
John
Click to expand...
Hi grandpa lived on foxhollies road opposite the petrol station the big 1920s house that is set back off the road, both Grandpa and Peter have unfortunately passed away both of them the same year 4 years ago x
 
Hi all, I'm French and don't write a good English, sorry. I'm looking for someone which could have took picture about one of the Lucas Electric Taxi prototype when it was parked outside from April 1990 at Formans Road, alongside one of the company buildings assigned to the making of the batteries and he was left there for at least a year.
This one would have been set on fire in 1991.
I'm interested by any document or testimony about because I am trying to write a book on these taxis. I'm the happy owner of the surviving vehicle. The second built.
Thank you in anticipation.
Danny
 
Last edited:
I grew up on formans road in the 80s to early 90s. Used to hear the lorries day and night. Talk was they were building houses on the battery site but I'm guessing too much contamination. Building some large warehouses on it from what I could see
 
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