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Hams Hall Power Station.

Here is a photo of the loverly little Church (note the oval grave) that is just or was next door to Hams Hall and the cross outside which speaks for itself
pic 4 is the only bit left of Hams Hall, and that is the old wall of the grounds that backed onto the River Tame.
I was saddened to learn that the church had been robbed of all its treasures as were all the other churches in the area including the one opposite the Griffin Inn ...even the lead has been stripped from one old church roof
 
Hello

My Father worked at Hams Hall I think during the late 50's early 60's.His name was Arthur Read.I can remember being taken on a visit there as a little girl and have a memory of climbing up a metal staircase on the outside of one of the Great Towers...did this climb happen ...would we have done that or is my memory playing tricks?
Thanks
Jacqueline
 
You are quite correct Jacqueline, and today if you are a bit adventurous from where the church is from the road, go to the left hand side of the church climb over the gate and down the path and you will be in another World a bit further down you will come to a few bridges and remains of a mill pond with newts etc today I saw a fox, rabbits and squirrels and as I approached an old barn owl flew out of a tree ...just quite a magical place ....just were I need to be at this moment in time..as I needed to get lost from my thoughts ....but I will go back
 
Perhaps it was where you were mean't to be at this time Graham. Your discription made it a picture so magical for us!
 
Jacqueline Flavell said:
Hello

My Father worked at Hams Hall I think during the late 50's early 60's.His name was Arthur Read.I can remember being taken on a visit there as a little girl and have a memory of climbing up a metal staircase on the outside of one of the Great Towers...did this climb happen ...would we have done that or is my memory playing tricks?
Thanks
Jacqueline
Click to expand...

Hi Jacqueline,
Yes, there were steps leading from ground level to inspection points in the towers, so you didn't imagine it!. I'm not sure of the height of the stairway, but it would have been a fair way! Obviously it was used by the engineers to check the condition of the tower etc. and to see if it was operating properly. Do you recall what station your father worked at ... A, B or C?
Best wishes, Graham
 
One of the best books on Hams Hall ( in photographs) is by a chap who used to work their.. Jeff Bellis from the building of it... to its demolition in 1993 packed with great photos of the men who use to work their and great pics of all over the site and inside the buildings
the cost is only £4.95p and you can get it from Coleshill High St or from
Mr & Mrs Bellis
P.O. Box 3911
Castle Bromwich
Birmingham
B36 HR
 
I go to coleshill once a month for the antiques fair so next time I will pop in and get this book, thank you Cromwell.
 
All the local History Books are for sale in the Local Undertakers ( Funeral Directors) and are all in the window
 
cromwell said:
One of the best books on Hams Hall ( in photographs) is by a chap who used to work their.. Jeff Bellis from the building of it... to its demolition in 1993 packed with great photos of the men who use to work their and great pics of all over the site and inside the buildings
the cost is only £4.95p and you can get it from Coleshill High St or from
Mr & Mrs Bellis
P.O. Box 3911
Castle Bromwich
Birmingham
B36 HR
Click to expand...

Thank you, Cromwell. I know Gascoignes well (for mostly the wrong reasons) so I shall pop in some time.
 
I am so dissapointed I went to coleshill today for my antiques fair and while I was there I going to get the book on hams hall from the high street and there it was in the window but I couldn't buy it they were closed, I'll have to go back on a weekday.
​
 
mariew said:
I am so dissapointed I went to coleshill today for my antiques fair and while I was there I going to get the book on hams hall from the high street and there it was in the window but I couldn't buy it they were closed, I'll have to go back on a weekday.​
Click to expand...


Marlew,
Can I ask a favour please?

When you call back to get your book - would you please ask the people if they would post a copy to me please (ordinary UK postage to Wales) - could you ask the price of them posting a copy please? I know it's £4.95 from the previous poster here - I just want to write and send postage costs too for a copy of this book.

I would love to get a copy of this book for a stocking filler for my mum for Christmas - her dad (my Grandad) used to work there for many many years.

Grandad got very ill and died unfortunately - something to do with the coal etc.. from what I understand etc.. Grandad had very bad breathing problems and was on oxygen cannisters for a long time after working there.

Mum always used to walk us around by the Hams Hall when we were kids and show us where Grandad worked etc.. - so I am sure the book would be special for mums memories etc.. I was always amazed at the sheer size of this place!! Interesting to learn now what it was all about. Fascinating posts by everyone here I have collected some amazing photos towards my tree stuff THANK YOU (I hope nobody minds me copying)

Thank you. Don't worry if you forget - or don't see this message first - I can look the number up and ring and ask them how much - it's won't be a problem.
 
I got the book today it has got lots of photos in I was hoping maybe my grandad might have been in one of them but he wasn't, elizabeth I enquired if they would post you a copy but they weren't willing to do that so I bought a copy for you and I enquired how much the post would be and it is only 98p so if you PM me your address and I'll PM my address I will post it to you.
​
 
I've just started reading the book and Hams hall and they have a picture of the top two stories rebuilt in coates in cirencester, it as got some photos in it I am glad you told me about it.
 
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mariew said:
I got the book today it has got lots of photos in I was hoping maybe my grandad might have been in one of them but he wasn't, elizabeth I enquired if they would post you a copy but they weren't willing to do that so I bought a copy for you and I enquired how much the post would be and it is only 98p so if you PM me your address and I'll PM my address I will post it to you.​
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Thank you so much!! I can't thank you enough really I will PM you now :)
 
Just to let you all know I got a beautiful card and payment for the book off elizabeth a bit too much money, but I want to say what a lovely honest lot of people you are here I only wish I would have joined earlier as this site brings me so much enjoyment and happiness, thank you elizabeth and thank you all.
 
That's lovely to hear Mariew. You were also very kind to buy the book for Elizabeth and post it to her. As you say so many kind people sending information, books and photo's to each other. I am sure this site is quite unique!:)
 
Absolutely Mom P I don't know what I'd do with out this site I found so much about my family tree and of course my grandads work at hams hall, I just could not have got all of this info without all of you, your all such a great team.
 
I have just recieved a copies of my moms birth and marriage certificate off my brother, and on the birth certifcate in 1932 her father was a fitters labourer at hams hall but he must have worked his way up the ladder, because on moms marriage certificate in 1952 he was a foreman fitter, so he worked there at least 20. I must ask my uncle exactly how long he worked there.
 
I have just recieved an email from my uncle telling me that my grandad first started work at saltley power station when it first opened which is part of the same group as hams hall so he actually worked there for 30 years or more and even though he had cancer and had to retire from there he was that good at his job they asked him to come back to repair a generator that no one else could cope with, I am so proud of him.
 
Hams Hall Power Station

My father used to work at Hams Hall C Power Station, from the mid 1975 to 1984. His job was also as a fitter, eventually he moved on to work at Rugeley A Power Station as a fitter/crane driver. His name was Larry Todd, I have over the years collected original photographs, drawings and tons of information including technical specifications for the three stations that were once the largest generating complex in europe. I have found many original items of interest that were once stored on site at Hams Hall including being given an original fibreglass cooling tower, that was part of the power station scale model.

When look back I was lucky enough to spend alot of time at the Hams Hall site when I was younger, I remember the A Station demolition very well, and was there when the two 350ft chimneys were demolished. I also cried as well when that happened. I also remember a very loud cheer from some of the staff that worked in A Station, the reason for this? they were happy to see the station demolished, some of them stating it being a filthly dirty environment to work in particularly towards the end of the station's working life, they also stated A station was full of asbestos due to lagging on pipe work and insulation the trunking on the station boiler house was also asbestos lined and covered with a concrete fondue. My dad used to go and strip parts from A Station for use in B and C stations, and always remarked on how erie the place was when he as over there.

Hams A Station was also the place where the CEGB apprentices that were based on site at Hams, carried out there training. There baptism of fire in the world of power generation. I remember one engineer stating Hams A was a proper power station, utilising technology old and new, particularly the boiler plant the first half of the station pulverised fuel and the later chain grate stoker.

Hams Hall A was one of the very first super stations, built for baseload operation and without stations like hams A the super megawatt giants of today could of just been a pipe dream.


Anybody who has an interest in Hams Hall Power Station site is more than welcome to contact me.
 
Nice one Emerson, I'm glad to hear someone else cried when they demolished Hams Hall. I looked at those towers all my life from my bedroom window, even when I first got married I could still see the towers. What a scoop to have one of the model towers....:)
Regards
 
Very good post Emmerson. It's great to hear that private citizens are accumulating such important collections regarding such places as Hams Hall for historical knowledge purposes. This information will be especially valuable in the decades to come.
My father visited Hams Hall a lot and his job was regarding the switching of power in the power station and putting it on stream for the big electricity users in the Birmingham area. He worked for the Midlands Electricity Board and after a few years in Bournville they made him mobile and Hams Hall was one of his regular "calls".
 
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