• 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

Hercules Cycles

gingerjon

master brummie
My first job on leaving school was at Hercules Cycles in Rocky Lane I was employed as a case maker all cycles that where exported were packed in the cases we made. The forman was Edgar I only knew his first name nice bloke it was a huge place to work at there were numerous different departments my favourite was the wheel assembly shop that's where all the girls worked this was the first of many jobs I had next port of call Ansells in the bottling conveyour room directing the grates of beer to different dispatch areas.
more to follow later
 
My first job on leaving school, at Easter 1952 was in the Export Sales Office of Hercules at Rocky Lane. I started off as a filing clerk, we covered countries like Kenya, Uganda, Tanganyika, Zanzibar and Rhodesia, the last three have now been renamed. Also all the Americas and West Indies. It was really interesting. Not the filing but the letters from those countries.

I went to the secretarial college on day release; for shorthand and typing, this was at Kingsbury Road Erdington. We went every Friday, and would call back into the office at about 4.30 for our wages all 30/- of it (£1.50 in todays money). It never occured to me that i should really have stayed and not gone home because the day didn't finish until 5.45; after all, i was on Day Release!.

Funny you should say that you worked at Hercules John, because the Office Boy, with me (the Office Girl) was named John Houghton. It wasn't you though was it :?: :wink: He used to be in charge of the transfers that were put on the Hercules Bike frames. And when the girls from the factory would come with a docket for transfers he was across that office :arrow: like grease lightening. God but he was handsome (so he said) :lol:

A few of us decided that we were 'not bad' cyclists, so thought it might be a bit of a wizz to start the Hercules Cycling Club. Which we did, but we never got further than Stratford on Avon, or the Cyclists Memorial Service at Meriden every year. We did try to cycle to Malvern one Sunday, what a joke :!: Some of the lads carried on - or so they said, we couldn't prove that they DIDN'T get to Malvern. But we gals gave it up as a bad job. The company did encourage us though, and supplied us with cotton sew on badges for our tunics, with the Hercules Logo and HCC enscribed.

From time to time there were weekend trips, to Lilleshall for a sports weekend, i usually took the easy option and had the table tennis coaching. We went with the apprentices on these weekends; (which was a lot of the attraction for most of us girls). Actually, we did get quite good at the Table Tennis as well :!: And we started going to the Hercules Club to play table tennis - I'm not completely sure were that was, but i think it might have been along Witton Road somewhere, what am i like :?:

My boss was Mr J Kendrick (known as JK to us minor mortals - but never said within his hearing) I remember that we had a rise every 6 months, which was usually about 5 shillings, but i always had to go in and ask for mine, we never got our rise automatically. Not in our office anyway, my friend in the Commerical Office, got her rise 6 monthly (but then she did have a bit of a harriden for supervisor). :twisted:

There was a dinner and dance every Christmas at the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row, I remember being shocked :eek: to see the very starchy JK getting legless. What a giggle though :lol:

I only worked at Hercules for about 2 years (seemed like a lifetime)
 
My mother worked at Hercules during the war. Her name is Violet Toseland nee Maisey. She also worked for Wrights Ropes, and BP Agents in Corporation St. She is still fit and well at nearly 85!!
 
Hercules

Elaine, my mom Annie, Nellie or Nancy Wallace as she was variously known worked at Hercules during the war, she was then in her 40s, ask your mom if she remembers mine. Mom used to tell us that people swopped various items of foodstuffs which were on ration, such as people who didn't take sugar would swop for tea etc. I remember as a little girl
being allowed to go and see a "Workers Playtime" show at the factory one lunch time. Mom also used to bring dinners and puddings from the canteen home in basins, anything to eke out the rations to feed the family.
 
Reading this thread it seems I must be the only person on these boards who never worked at Hercules. :shock:

I remember going to see "Hercules Unchained" at the Regal - that's as near as I ever got. However, the company must've been at the forefront of advertising as there was a display of their products lined up in the foyer of the cinema with a chain running through them and a big notice, "Unchain a Hercules today". But I struggled to afford the pictures, never mind a brand new top of the range bike. :?
 
Sylvia, I asked my mom if she remembered yours and she said that the name rang a bell but that was all. My mom worked in the office and was only about 20, she helped sort out the wages so she would have seen all the names on the payroll.[/b]
 
Oisin said:
Reading this thread it seems I must be the only person on these boards who never worked at Hercules.  :shock:

I remember going to see "Hercules Unchained" at the Regal - that's as near as I ever got. However, the company must've been at the forefront of advertising as there was a display of their products lined up in the foyer of the cinema with a chain running through them and a big notice, "Unchain a Hercules today". But I struggled to afford the pictures, never mind a brand new top of the range bike.  :?

No paul your not the only one, cuz the only Hercules I remember was Steptoes horse. :2funny:
 
Oisin and Postie, I too am amongst the few that never worked at Hercules. The closest I got was working for Tubes Ltd in Rocky Lane. But that was in the 60s.
 
Anon, my parents met at Hercules also in 1933 in the Paint an Enamel Shop Dad did the Enameling and Mom Flating Mud Gard's, Flating was just Sandpapering the parts before the Enamel process.

I never worked there but most of my realatives did in the Cycle industry 4 at the BSA, 2 at the Runwell my Gran and Aunt at Hercules.
:)
 
hi there bazz, i also worked at tubes in rocky lane in the sixties , down in the foundry i started as a labourer, slingrer , and then a chap called stan price senior foreman asked if i would like to learn to drive an over head crane , and i jumped at the opportuinty and he gave me a weeks crash course training before sending the health and safety officier board to climb up above with me for the test , and of course bingo . i passed the test and got my licence , and the extra pay , and eventualy got to be no .1 over head crane driver there a great firm to have worked for and the guys whom workrd there was brilliant, incidently i think his name was stan fisher,now i seem to recall, co,s when we was kids i used to live by him , and his son,s named was colin , and i recall asking him about him and jenifer gough whom was my child hood sweet heart , whom got married years later , and asking them how are they making out . stan price was an furnace asstiant to a furnace operater .
 
Hi Astonian. At last I,ve found someone else that worked at Tubes. I worked in the Forge Dept for 6 years, from 1971 to 1977, when I left to come up here to Scotland. I remember Stan Price, he was a foreman as you say. He was in the same office as Bill Antrobus. As soon as I can remember some more names I will let you know. Nice to hear from you. BazzM.
 
hi
my nan and grandad met at hercules like so many and got married in 1936. the story goes that they worked around a large vat does anyone know what they may have done
 
Also Parker all cycle works had a Vat for Chrome Plating Wheels, Brake Levers etc
 
trico - ethylene vat as you say Alf a degreasing vat for frames and handle bars prior to dipping or spraying


CLEVER CLOGS :2funny:
 
OldTimer said:
My wife worked at Hercules in the early 50's as a wheel-spoker and truer. But she was at the Salford Bridge factory, later moving to Webbs the lawn mower people in Electric Avenue.

Old Timer My Uncle worked at the Runnwell Cycle off Newtown Row where he balanced the wheels I believe it was called Wheel Lacing
 
Hercules

Well this is my first post and there is lots of info on this site, and i'll probably asking lots of questions.

Both My Grandfather and my Mother worked at Hercules. My mother used to paint the lines on mudguards also.

I have my Grandfathers Gold watch for 25 years service.. still working all be it a new winder.
 
Back
Top