• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

GEC WITTON WORKS

Must have seen some of the Havila fleet at one time or onother in Aberdeen, One of my past jobs in Aberdeen was as a supervisor for a rewind/maintenance company, quite often I would be involved in the removal of shaft generators, or drive motors from supply boats, but cannot recall of any dealings with Havila. I would agree it will be very cold beyound the Shetlands, nice to be sitting in a warm office in Aberdeen.
 
Can you remember what date Parsons took over? Not sure exactly the date myself but remember the take over and seeing GEC and Parson designed generators sitting on the test bed togeather, I met Bob Ash a year or so after he left, seems he spent some of his Police training at Edgbaston Police training school, and remember him telling me he had the misfortune to have my farther as one of his instructors at Edgbaston.
Did a Tony Simpson ever come and work at Hams Hall?
 
It is a small world, as when I left PARSONS PEEBLES Mineing/Marine CONTRACTS , I too along with Ray Ashdown ,Jim Allworth, Ken Matther,Bernard Patchett. finished up at GEC RUGBY. I worked in the INDUSTRIAL CONTROLS for David Finney (Ex GEC WITTON Rectifier) .Later I WORKED IN THE PROJECT DEPT for CEGELEC,the new French owner of Ind Controls.
Ray,Jim,Ken & Bernard all worked in Machines Div; at Rugby.
I found the move to Rugby just like going home the guys that I HAD WORKED WITH AT WITTON JUST SEEMED TO BE EVERY WHERE. Had a great 6years till the French took over .
Went back to have a look at the Rugby site so sad like Witton, all that Enginering GONE FOR GOOD.
 
I remember Bernard Patchett being at Rugby, I think that the Construction Department came under the Machines Division, my boss then was Paul Noble. Although Rugby was head office we spent little time there as we mainly worked from home nad travelled to various site around the UK and overseas. We did have a bit of a reputation and were known as the midlands mafia.
 
when you were at Witton did you work from that office they refurbished from the old engineering shop on the second floor,the one with no windows & so called air conditioning that never worked?
Do you recall Bob BUSBY?
 
No, but in my apprenticship did spend time in the Progress Office, Bill Brown was main man and I worked along side, Ron Boucher, Mick Avery and Ivor Maler (I think that was his name), spent all day walking around the engineering workshops, checking the progress of the work. Do not recall a Bob Busby, their was a Dave Busby who used to play football for the works first team, think he used to work in one of the drawing offices.
 
Morning David, I too spent some time in the Progress Office during my Apprenticeship. Bill Brown was an ex Army Officer and very strict, you only had to look twice at the girls ( Rosina and Beryl ) and he was down on you like a ton of bricks. Ivor Maler was a smashing chap.
Regards, Mike Bond.
 
Towards the end at Witton, I was working for Parson Peebles machine service department and Bill Brown was in charge. Remember in 1983 being a job in near Alexandrian in Egypt with Bill, Bill always had a nack of getting into scrapes, one was as follows our job there was to change out a damaged generator stator and refit a new one which was being sent from the UK. The new stator arrived in a large wooden crate, Bill said be careful unpacking the new stator as he intended to send the old stator back in it. One day Bill noticed that parts of the crate had been removed by the locals to build shelters on the site, he complained to the Egyptian engineers and was told security would stop people taking the wood. After work one night Bill decided to retrive the wood that had been taken, so the five of us were carrying this wood back when we were stopped by one of the security guards (army conscripts) pointing a rifle at use so we all went into single file behind Bill, the outcome was we did not speak Egyptian and he did not speak english and he had the gun, so we had to take back our wood from where we got it. Bill was not well pleased, weon the other hand thought it was funny, not at the time but later
 
I wasn't directly connected in any way to the GEC., but I can't help mentioning that my Aunt Lil Etchells worked there for 25 years - at the end of which service she was presented with a bedroom suite and an illustrated diploma.

I wonder how many firms would be so generous to a long-serving employee, these days...!!!

Cheers,

Jim Pedley (pedlarman)
 
Hi,
Does anyone remember Pat Murray, who worked at Higgs in late fifties, early sixties? Married to Molly and had a daughter Veronica?
 
Dear All,

I have just had a read through all the posts for GEC Witton and I'm hoping someone can help me. I am trying to find out more about my grandfather George Jenkins. I have managed to find out that he worked in "number 3 drawing office, switchgear". I have seen other posts relating the switchgear department so I am hoping someone remembers him. He would have started there before WWII and I'm not sure when he left. I have a photo that I believe was taken there which I have attached in the hope of sparking a memory. I'd like to know more about him, whether he did, as rumoured, do his apprenticeship there and when he left.

Many thanks,
Karen
 
Any one remember Mr Peter Cashmore? 46 years at GEC ,worked in Transformer, met him last Saturday at an 80th Birthday Party in Middlton Village.
asked him if he had any PHOTOS or INFO of the days gone by with GEC, he is looking at this time, so may be we can post if any thing is found?
 
Keith don't forget Harry Wigley for his daughter Marie only she has no photo's of her dad and wondered if anyone remembers him?. Thanks. Jean.
 
Hi folks well just cannot beleive it, MEET PETER CASHMORE (ex GEC TRANSFORMER) LAST SATUTDAY now on a visit to Kingsbury Water Park today met up with my old long lost mate LEN MOORE (ex GEC ENG ESTIMATING) just by chance when showing our granson the Old Midland Hydro Club House, I just cannot get over how thing can happen by chance,it was nice to talk over old time at both GEC & the HYDRO Club.
How lucky we are to have these times to look back on.
 
l wonder if anyone remembers my uncle Len Barr who worked in one of the draft and design dept, he retired after just about all his working life at GEC...also hs sons my cousins John Barr and David Barr who served their apprentiship in the draughting dept.....Brenda
 
Keith thanks for asking about the Barrs.....l know Len Barr worked at the GEC before the WW2 and retired in late 60s or early 70s, John Barr l think started gec about mid 40's and David Barr about mid 50s, l know GEC was a large company, just wondering if anyone out there is old enugh to remember them,as l know a lot of us are silver haired survers........Brenda
 
There were several drawing offices. 2DO and 3DO were on the top floor and the transformer drawing office was on the first floor of the building that was south of the main avenue. At the end of that avenue was the listed main entrance building with the Engineering Drawing office above. That's how I remember it anyway. Funny, I don't seem to remember any 1DO. 2DO was switchgear...I think 3DO was also. Somewhere in that mix was 'process planning'. Not sure if it was on the top floor in between 2 and 3 DOs or a floor down.

That was the only place that I ever worked at that had a process plannig department...the designer is expected to do it all now. I expect that process planning is still required for high volume manufacturing though...am not sure...have not had any our way in quite a while.
 
EDO ( ENGINERING DRAWING OFFICE ) was based on the top floor of the large admin block, at the end of the main drive of the Witton Estate,this office was my first port of call when joining the GEC on 5years Training , (THAT WAS BACK IN 1957).
Names I remember ( forgive the spellings ):
MR BOB ROBERTS
MR GRIFITHS
MR GORDON WALL
MR SEENEY
MR A WOODWARD
MR BIRD

Can see many more faces in my minds eye but names have never been one that stick?
LOL
 
My Grandfather was General Foreman for W.J. Whittal the building company and was involved in the construction of the Turbo Bays - I think they were called in the 1930's. My father was a Foreman there at the same time. My Father told me that because of the depressed times there were always long queues of men at the gates hoping for a labouring job. The foundations were dug by hand, long lines of labourers with picks and shovels. My Grandfather told my father that after the start whistle went, should anyone as much as straighten their back, he was to be sacked and someone new brought from the queue outside.
At the outbreak of war, besides repairing bomb damage Father was part of the Home Guard detachment looking after the GEC until he himself was finally called up into The Royal Engineers. My uncle Alfred Chiles had a reserved occupation at the GEC as a Turner.
In the 50's I have fond memories of the Magnet cricket ground where my Father played regularly for his Company.
 
When you think of the number who worked for theGEC WITTON over the years, we have very few posts todate come on you witton nites lets get up & running.
MORE PHOTO & NAMES from the past Please
 
Hi Chris.

The building you refer to was Big Shop and was the large shop to the left of the Main Office block.

The Turbo Shop was built after the war where the air raid shelters was built for WW2.

The big shop had a lage Fitting Shop, Machine Bay, Test Bed and over speed pit, a large Rotor and Stator winding Bay, each bay and two heavy duty overhead cranes.

During the WW2 it was called HM Witton as an Admiralty Works, motors and Electric generators were erected for Royal Navy Submarines.

The Foreman in charge of this work was Mr. Dudley Poole who was awarded an MBE for the work.

Interesting the name Chiles is of interest to myself as I am research my our family tree, my wifes Grandfather was a Major Albert Chiles (Major is his name not rank) and lived in Aston area but having great difficulty in finding any details other than his birth. in 1870.

Ray
 
The Baron said:
EDO ( ENGINERING DRAWING OFFICE ) was based on the top floor of the large admin block, at the end of the main drive of the Witton Estate,this office was my first port of call when joining the GEC on 5years Training , (THAT WAS BACK IN 1957).
Names I remember ( forgive the spellings ):
MR BOB ROBERTS
MR GRIFITHS
MR GORDON WALL
MR SEENEY
MR A WOODWARD
MR BIRD

Can see many more faces in my minds eye but names have never been one that stick?
LOL
Click to expand...
worked there from 5 jan 1959 as section boy on DC section for one year then 2 years shop floor and finally straight thro till mar 1984. we did move a few times over turbo shop during 1970s then back to old fan DO other side of bridge between EDO and big shop.Other names to think off Harry sedgely water wheel section,bill atwood DC,J iafrati,stan hughes bill pitchford [ Eric mears SM machines] lol hopkins Phil gilbert dereck walker les barrow bob roscorla, jim turner john hodgettes and at that time we section boys me john hughes on DC, pancho dont rem his name on water wheel, eric bayley SM do. Other names, Turbo DO down the corridor,pete evans stan aldridge ted richards,he became personnel manager,ken mather, brings back some good mems
 
The Baron said:
When you think of the number who worked for theGEC WITTON over the years, we have very few posts todate come on you witton nites lets get up & running.
MORE PHOTO & NAMES from the past Please
Click to expand...
Most of my family worked at the GEC in Witton named Salsbury,anyone remember them I think it would have been in the 1930's. Polyanna
 
Hi those names from EDO bring back my days as a section boy on Mr ROBERTS STD SECTION.
Played bowles with Joe Iafrati for a number of years (THAT CROWN GREEN BY THE WAY)in the Magnet club team.
Ted Richards,Stan Aldridge,Derek Walker were among some of the guy from the DO, that moved with PARSONS PEEBLE to the offices on the Tyburn Road when PP LEFT Witton.
You & I must have been at Witton around the same time I stated in EDO in 1957.
Keith Jenney
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top