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H W Wards Lathe Makers, Selly Oak. Any ex Apprentices out there?

Hi
I was an apprentice at Selly Oak in 1964 -1969 then worked in R&D on the 10D Lathe til 1972 when 3day week kicked in.... then left & Joined Bham Social services.
John Forth ( then known as Lofty as 6ft 6" tall ) [email protected]
 
I am Malcolm Southon and was an apprentice at HW Ward from 1955-1960 I became an technical representative for Almco Co Ltd marketimg metal finishing equipment . I was transferred to the USA in 1977 then started my own company in 1980 as Superfine Co. Ltd. and we are in business today with seventeen employees, operating out of Osprey , Florida., USA
 
Hi I’m Alan Hall I was an apprentice at HW Ward blackpole 1965-71 are there any other ex apprentices from my era out there
 
Never an apprentice at Ward, however, I'm quite familiar with the product. I had a Ward 3 & 4 in my shop for a few years...
Dave A
 
Union shop convenor Arther Parish tells the workforce of lmpending redundancies with tears in his eyes .many had served from boys to men , I worked in the maintenance department under Norman prust , and possibly one of the last apprentices to leave the selly oak works when it closed . I remember many people that worked at wards with great respect for there skills and devotion to the company .it was a sad day for British engineering when it closed .bob I dalton.
 
Hello everyone,
I am an ex-apprentice to 1964 to 1970. I started with Lofty Forth, Dick Page, Trevor Kilby, John Day, Dave Duffield, Mike Povey etc at the new Apprentice School in No2 Factory. Phil Luke was in charge (ish)
Worked in most sections including 7D Erection with good old Harry Woodward and ended up in R&D under peter Fraser and Edgar Powell working mainly on the new 10D and other Autoward projects. Anyone recall Dilip Chawathe who is now lives back in Bombay. Steve Pitman? About 10 of us met up this year pre-lockdown at Hopwood Services on the M42 and had a good old natter. I am still great friends with Les Wilkes (his Dad was Dick Wilkes under Norman Prost)
Happy days! Phil
 
Philip Cresswell said:
Hello everyone,
I am an ex-apprentice to 1964 to 1970. I started with Lofty Forth, Dick Page, Trevor Kilby, John Day, Dave Duffield, Mike Povey etc at the new Apprentice School in No2 Factory. Phil Luke was in charge (ish)
Worked in most sections including 7D Erection with good old Harry Woodward and ended up in R&D under peter Fraser and Edgar Powell working mainly on the new 10D and other Autoward projects. Anyone recall Dilip Chawathe who is now lives back in Bombay. Steve Pitman? About 10 of us met up this year pre-lockdown at Hopwood Services on the M42 and had a good old natter. I am still great friends with Les Wilkes (his Dad was Dick Wilkes under Norman Prost)
Happy days! Phil
Click to expand...
Hello Phil, I was a technical apprentice from 1967 to 1971, when I shortened the apprenticeship to 4 years so that I could take a job at the Worcester plant. I remember Phil Luke very well. Having recently left school I remember being told off by him for calling him sir! My first placement on the shop floor was on the screw section, which was run by a section leader called Bass, but I can't remember his first name. The labourer was called Johnny. After that I too was on the 7D section under Harry Woodward. The big day came for me to take the lead in lowering a turret saddle on to a bed. Despite great care, when the saddle was moved along the bed there was an awful noise and it was scratched! Harry was far from impressed as the machine had to be stripped so that the bed could be reground! I had a placement in R&D and I remember Edgar Powell and Dilip Chawathe very well. Dilip was very bright. I think I also remember Steve Pitman. Was he an apprentice that the company had sponsored through university? You must have been in R&D when I was there. I went to work in the drawing office at Worcester and was part of the team that designed the tooling for the 10D Autoward. I left the company in 1973 to work on light commercial vehicles at British Leyland, Longbridge. I have many happy memories of H W Ward, both in Selly Oak and Worcester. I remember fellow apprentices, Trevor Hemus and Neil Buffery, who bought a house near where I was living in 1975.
 
Not an apprentice but I worked in the sales office there in 1960- June 1963 when I got married in Northfield. My dad and I were very surprised to see lots of apprentices outside the church when we arrived. I didn't know any of you personally but you used to embarrass me when I walked down Dale Rd every morning as you whistled to my footstep lol if I walked slower you slowed your tune and went faster when I did. I was so shy I used to be mortified, but I would laugh if you did it today, I was 19 then nearly 77 now. Fond memories stay safe.
 
Not an apprentice, so apologies in advance. I understand that my grandfather worked at Ward's as a designer. I only met him once when I was about 3 and he lived in Bromsgrove. George Conway Hooson, originally from Halifax in west Yorkshire. I'm pulling together the family history, so any memories shared would be greatly appreciated. Thanks & regards,

Mick Hooson
 
Mick Hooson said:
Not an apprentice, so apologies in advance. I understand that my grandfather worked at Ward's as a designer. I only met him once when I was about 3 and he lived in Bromsgrove. George Conway Hooson, originally from Halifax in west Yorkshire. I'm pulling together the family history, so any memories shared would be greatly appreciated. Thanks & regards,

Mick Hooson
Click to expand...
Welcome to the Forum Mick............I cant help you although I know their equipment quite well. I'm sure you will find some help shortly!
 
Mick Hooson said:
Not an apprentice, so apologies in advance. I understand that my grandfather worked at Ward's as a designer. I only met him once when I was about 3 and he lived in Bromsgrove. George Conway Hooson, originally from Halifax in west Yorkshire. I'm pulling together the family history, so any memories shared would be greatly appreciated. Thanks & regards,

Mick Hooson
Click to expand...
 
I knew your Grandfather George Hooson,he was chief designer at H W Ward &Co, I was an apprentice in the drawing office and remember him well.
David Godwin
 
Denis0151 said:
Hello Phil, I was a technical apprentice from 1967 to 1971, when I shortened the apprenticeship to 4 years so that I could take a job at the Worcester plant. I remember Phil Luke very well. Having recently left school I remember being told off by him for calling him sir! My first placement on the shop floor was on the screw section, which was run by a section leader called Bass, but I can't remember his first name. The labourer was called Johnny. After that I too was on the 7D section under Harry Woodward. The big day came for me to take the lead in lowering a turret saddle on to a bed. Despite great care, when the saddle was moved along the bed there was an awful noise and it was scratched! Harry was far from impressed as the machine had to be stripped so that the bed could be reground! I had a placement in R&D and I remember Edgar Powell and Dilip Chawathe very well. Dilip was very bright. I think I also remember Steve Pitman. Was he an apprentice that the company had sponsored through university? You must have been in R&D when I was there. I went to work in the drawing office at Worcester and was part of the team that designed the tooling for the 10D Autoward. I left the company in 1973 to work on light commercial vehicles at British Leyland, Longbridge. I have many happy memories of H W Ward, both in Selly Oak and Worcester. I remember fellow apprentices, Trevor Hemus and Neil Buffery, who bought a house near where I was living in 1975.
Click to expand...
Just came across this site and glad to declare I'm a h w ward old boy although I was a trainee rather than an apprentice. Some of the names I see in the posts bring back memories.trevor hemus was amongst my group as was Tony gough and Paul Atkins known to his friends as pussy.someone mentioned a chap called bass that would be Ronnie bass my old foreman.ronnie was a villa supporter and I supported blues.great banter.iwas always late for work and my excuse was I'd missed the bus it became a standing joke as I actually lived in dale road.the other chap mentioned was the labourer Johnny Goldberg he took some stick off the boys but it was all good natured.happy days even through the three day weeks.day release to matthew Boulton and football in George road park in our lunch hour.arrh where have all the years gone. Best wishes to all the old boys. Laurie Mackin.
 
Thanks Richard and Thanks David, Much appreciated.

As regards George Hooson, (and appreciate that this is a history forum), I am hoping to pick your brains David (if I may please?). George and Grandmother Kathleen divorced, which was a cardinal sin in those days from what I can gather, and so there was little to go on as regards contact and memories etc. My dad told me that George was a draughtsman in Engineering, but I have found out a bit more, and the Chief Designer at HW Ward & Co was an interesting and pleasant surprise.

I am guessing he was at HW Ward & Co for a long time, but do you know how long approximately please?

I have looked at the equipment on the internet and recall a Ward lathe in the metalwork room at secondary school, and regret that I never used it (or any lathe, but that is now added to the proverbial bucket list), as I didn't take metalwork as an option. I did however study technical drawing and recall drawing a chuck, fly-press, pawl and ratchet etc.

Looking at the HW Ward & Co equipment and different models, which were exported all over the world and there is still a spares business operating today, which is incredible, given they ceased production in the early 1980's. I am getting the impression that Ward's were a bit like Land Rovers and can potentially run forever!?

Apologies for droning on, and in keeping with the history objects of the forum, I will be grateful for any memories you would like to share, and absolutely no pressure or obligation.

Much appreciated and thanks for getting in touch.

Best regards,

Mick Hooson
 
I took this photo of a Ward Lathe in a machine shop in Vancouver Canada in 2011. Not sure if it's an 8 or 9...
Dave A
Ward 8 or 9.JPG
 
I started at Wards after leaving school in 1959 and left in 1964. I worked in the bottom shop on the 2a lathes and moved to the planners. My dad Tom Bryant worked from the age of 14 until it closed..
 
Photos of the Selly Oak apprentice football team that played the Worcester apprentices 1963
 

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