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Lucas employees

At some point there used to be a Lucas works in Carver St, Hockley, on the site now occupied by Bakkavor Foods.

I did some work there a few years ago, and the maintenance guy / caretaker told me there was a bricked up tunnell to Key Hill Cemetery that ended in the cellars - something to do with sand pits ??.... might mean something to somebody !

He also says that the place is haunted by old Joe Lucas, who goes around closing doors at night.
 
Hi Petal, Can you post more info on Arthur Edwards like his connection to you and anything else you can think of. Len.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Len, Arthur is my grandfather and as he died very young and my grandmother remarried so I know very little about him. However, this is what I do know:

b: around Oct 1911 Aston D: 25th August 1946
Parents: Athur Edwards (snr), and Gertrude Annie (nee Downes) I think he had twin brother too Fred and William.

He lived in 8 poplar terrace Nechelles with wife and 4 children, this was from his marriage in Dec 1934 to Gladys May (nee Whetton).Gladys also worked at Lucas' and I believe this is where they met. Before that I think he lived with his parents in Alma street.

He worked from, I would assume 15-16 at Lucas Lamp Works, and continued there during the war until his death in 1946. He also worked part-time at the Beehive pub ( I have no idea where this is, I would assume near his home). I believe from my aunt (who was only 7 at the time) that on way to his funeral the cars passed the Lucas factory and people lined the streets in respect. I presume he must have been very well liked there.

He was in the home guard, I don't no what division/position, I would presume maybe the Nechelles one as he lived there.

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of him so have no idea what he looks like.

I hope some one may be able to help, it would be interesting to know more about what his life.

Many Thanks.
 
According to the electoral roll, William lived at 8 Poplar terrace , Charles Henry St (there are two other Poplar terraces), with Gladys in 1939, but in 1945 it was only Gladys there . In 1935 the occupants of no 8 were Selina & William James Ball, and Arthur & Gladys lived at 20 Havelock road in handsworth.
mike
 
Thanks Mike, that's very interesting, I was told they always lived in Poplar terrace off Charles Arthur Street.

Thanks for the info.
 
I thought the Dolce Vita was owned by the Mills Bro's

Werent they the ones implicated in the Krays court case in the 60s ?
 
My brother Keith Cowdrill was an apprentice at Joseph Lucas from 1953 and is trying to trace John Badger who was there at the same time. He doesn't have access to the Internet and I have described the video to him as it was playing and he was telling me how he used to dodge doing PE!! Are there any other places I can access to get further information for him?
 
handsworthbrum said:
My brother Keith Cowdrill was an apprentice at Joseph Lucas from 1953 and is trying to trace John Badger who was there at the same time. He doesn't have access to the Internet and I have described the video to him as it was playing and he was telling me how he used to dodge doing PE!! Are there any other places I can access to get further information for him?
Click to expand...

I was at TID 51 -53 .. left to join RAF .. vaguely remember a Keith Cowdrill & John Badger and various others to greater or lesser degrees ..

Regards to K, whether or no he remembers me

Ben Parkes
 
Hello,

Im trying to find some photos from lucas's between 1966-184 when my farther Paul Foster worked there or any information from people who remeber him. He had red hair and might of been going bold at this point. Also i know of a story which my mother speaks about which i know would upset my father if i spoke to him about it. This is why im asking here if anyone has further information on it. Paul had swopped his shift with a co-worked, from what i know his name was also paul(lets call him Mr P to stop confusion). Anyhow my father did the shift before Mr P and from i know the matchine he was working and would not start. So after many attemps by himself and other staff it was the end of my dads shift and passed it onto Mr P to try and get it started. From what i know Mr P tried to start the machine but due to the gas being pushed into the machine the machine exploded and Mr P died due to it. I know it really upset my father and this is why i wish not to speak to him about it.

I know this is not a nice story and i do apologise if there are family of Mr P who read this forum and come across this story im just trying to find more information about it as i would rather not ask my dad.

Also im going to post this question in the great kings street forum. But my great Auncle was working AT Lucas's too called Author Stokes. From what my mother said he was a director , which i cant prove it (google is not my friend)

Any stories/information/photos would be brilliant:D

Thank you

Ami Foster
 
Hi,
I have just joined this forum and came accross this thread.

My father worker at Lucas as a Draughtsman, but he died when I was just ten years old in 1952, I can't remember which factory he worked at......I do remember the Chritmas parties very vividly.

My father's name was Eric Lewis.....my older sister may be able to fill me in with more information.
 
hi guys ;
i did not reconise the chap in the picture thou is face is familar to me ;but just cannot put a name to his face ;
whilst on the subject of knowing anybody ; i have an uncle whom worked at lucas.s in grt king street
is there anybody out there on the forum recall or even worked or knew him personaly
my uncles name is george jelf whom was working there up until the late fifties or just up until around the early sixties
i beleive he was a tool maker there at lucas,s
i would very much like to hear from anybody whom knew him ; a he his still alive and lives in weoly castle brum and he his in is ninetys ;
today i am off to the botanical gardens so i hope the weathere is grt in brum and i hope you all have a grt day ;
best wishes astonian;;
 
My Dad was at Formans Road, but my older brother Colin Spencer did his apprenticeship at Great Kings Street. He trained as a tool maker and fitter. Soon after he qualified he had to do his National Service, which he did in the RAF, following that, when he returned to Lucas's, he was asked to join a team at Bourne in Lincolnshire to work as an engine fitter on the then BRM racing car. Great experience was gained through this period, of which he put into practice on his own motorcycles. My knowledge of the workings of motorcycle all came from my brother Colin, and to this day I am still messing about with bikes. Sadly Colin died at the age of 77. Maybe there are some ex. Lucas chaps that might still remember him.

Alan Spencer ( Bikeral72)
 
Hi, does anybody remember my Dad from Lucas / Girling ? His name was Reg Pugh, pretty sure at times he worked at Formans Road, Shaftmoor Avenue and Marshall Lake Road. I've just been looking through the photos on the Lucas Memories site and he is on the first page of the Marshall Lake Road photos. I also think he worked in quality control, that seems to ring a bell !
 
I'm trying to build a bit of a picture about my Dads life/career and unfortunately he's no longer with us for me to ask.
His name was Reg Pugh and I know at various points in time he worked at the above, pretty sure Shaftmoor Lane was one of the places he mentioned, also Formans Road, I've been on the Lucas memories website and he was definately at Marshall Lake Road as I've found him on one of the pictures on there. Were he still here, he would be in his late 70's now. Now apart from a spell in his youth ( 60's I suspect ) when he was in the RAF followed by working at Cincinnatti where I know he worked, and a spell during the 70's where he worked in the Ambulance sevice, I'm pretty sure the rest of his working life was with Lucas / Girling, he could even have started there before joining Cincinnatti. Would love to be able to fill in a few gaps of where, when and what he did and would be wonderful if anybody could help ?


Dave Pugh
 
I have just discovered this site and wondered if someone might be able to help me. My late father, John Handley, worked at a Lucas factory in Birmingham in the last war. I remember him talking about seeing the bombs landing on Birmingham when he travelled home on the train to Wolverhampton. After the war he worked for H M Hobson and Boulton Paul's in Wolverhampton as an aircraft engineering inspector. Is it too much to try and work out which Lucas factory he might have worked at? I am sorry if this is not an appropriate place to post this enquiry.

Barbara
 
handbar, look on a site called lucas memories, you should be able to find what you want there. there is adirect lint to this site on this forum. hope this helps, kind reguards sidwho
 
when I went to great kings street I was 15 years old had just left school , I met a lot of very good friends from there I left in 1977 to have my first child after being there 7 years . I'm looking for my friend Barbara who married john who had a one of them 3 wheel cars . Barbara worked on GK5 I worked on G 5 if anyone can let me know of their where about's it be good to hear from them

Thanks
Angie
 
Last edited:
hi angie and welcome to this forum. you may be able to get some more information about lucas gks from the link on this site or go to lucas memories and give the lady who runs it i message and she may be able to point you in the wright direction. you worked there befor e i started kind reguards sidwho
 
Does anybody remember Michael King he started as an apprentice toolmaker in about 1960 something
 
Does anyone know Walter j Luckman who was presented with this plaque 1956. I am looking for anyone who knows him or any living relative.
 

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