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Hughes Biscuits

Hi paul hinton if my memory serves me correctly ted is a cousin to the phelps family of hockley whom i may say is alsoa cousin to me i beleive he was related to there parents harry and winnie phelps whom are the parents of two guys namely bryan phelps and his brother barry whom died afewyears back now and i think it was i will have to check my records againi think it was winnie whom he was related to not harry phelps
 
Hello All, Does anyone happen to know anything much about Hughes's during ww2? For example what the working week was - 5 days, 6? Or what? Also how did products change with rationing etc and did they have their own air raid shelter on the premises/a cellar? Any light shed of any of the above would be hugely appreciated.
All good wishes,
Annie
 
I think the BBC might have had a transmitter at the factory during WWII.

They had a series of low power Group "H" transmitting stations around the country.

A BBC engineer died at Bordesley in 1940, he was described as being at a New Station there.

His probate shows he died at the Hughes Biscuit Factory so makes me wonder whether it was a Group "H" station - they often used factory chimneys as aerial supports.

Also these sites often continued to be used through the Cold War for the Wartime Broadcasting Service though their use was kept secret.

Some became local radio transmitters later.

I would be interested to here is anyone can confirm this.
 
For those unfamiliar or interested there is a lot to read here. It is principally about Daventry, but at least that is in the Midlands.http://www.bbceng.info/Operations/transmitter_ops/Reminiscences/Daventry/bowman1.htm
 
If the Bordesley site was Group "H" then the pictures of Daventry are a bit irrelevant, it would have used a much smaller transmitter, probably the ET4336 as here.
 
If the Bordesley site was Group "H" then the pictures of Daventry are a bit irrelevant, it would have used a much smaller transmitter, probably the ET4336 as here.
If you read some of the information contained in the link you will read why these stations were setup, you may know but others ma.y not.
 
According to the London Gazette, Alfred Hughes & Sons Limited, biscuit manufacturers, were still operating from Bordesley Green Road in 1972, but I can't find a liquidation notice, so I presume that they were either absorbed into another business or are still operating somewhere out there!

Maurice :cool:
I worked at a Rowntree biscuit manufacturer in Birmingham which was listed as Hugh’s Biscuit factory when I tried researching it on history of Rowntree. Never heard it called that when I worked there. At that time we shipped worldwide to all the Woolworths and they were their only customer. Used to ship to Marks and Spencer’s and kept trying to get them
back as a customers. We had a little store where we could buy Rowntree sweets and rejects including our biscuits. My family got sick of me giving them boxes of biscuits. We had a great canteen too. I tenner the smell in the morning and could tell what we were making that day, lemon etc. The roadway entrance was lined with flowers.
I dealt with customer complaints, like rings or mice tails etc found in biscuits. I did taste testing for the r&d, officially I worked as a junior secretary to the President Sir John and also I helped in several departments including HR, accounting and sales. Head of sales was a lovely gentleman who was married to a member of Rowntree family. I worked there for about 2 years I believe the time was I was age 16 -17 or 17-18 . Right before it closed In either 1971 or 1972 I got another job and worked both till the end.
 
Welcome GBINUS. Thank you for recording your memories on this thread. Sounds like the original name was dropped after Rowntree took over.

A couple of adverts from the 1920s and 30’s when the Hughes name was still in use. Interesting that their advertising seemed especially targeted at children. Viv.
 

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My sister Pamela Floyd worked at Hughes early 70s.Irene
The factory occupied by Hughes Biscuits was built by Wolseley Motors in WW1 to produce complete aircraft and airship machinery. The first planning application to start building the factory was submitted to the council on January 21st 1915.
Boomy
 
Hi all
My mom worked at Hughes/rowntree biscuits in the early 1970s, most nights after school I would wait outside the factory gates for her to finish her shift and then we would walk home together, I remember the boxes of broken biscuits she would sometimes bring home and one biscuit in particular that was covered in caramac chocolate
I also remember attending the children's fancy dress party at Christmas
hughes biscuits xmas party2.jpg
 
Hi all
My mom worked at Hughes/rowntree biscuits in the early 1970s, most nights after school I would wait outside the factory gates for her to finish her shift and then we would walk home together, I remember the boxes of broken biscuits she would sometimes bring home and one biscuit in particular that was covered in caramac chocolate
I also remember attending the children's fancy dress party at Christmas
View attachment 144417
What a lovely picture
 
Hello All
My Mom worked for Hughies on the mallow machine and the cream machines around the 60s I think
if anyone recalls her name Christine Loveland , she worked there for a few years and spoke of her friend an Italian girl often,
be nice to hear off anyone who knew my Mom ,,,

I think there are some photos I shall have to try find them

Paul
 
Welcome Paul. We’d love to see your photos when you find them. Love mallow so, to me, your mums job would have been bliss !!

Viv.
 
Welcome Paul. We’d love to see your photos when you find them. Love mallow so, to me, your mums job would have been bliss !!

Viv.
Hello Viv
I wished id found this site sooner as my Mom would have loved this as she was always telling me of her fun times at Hughies.
unfortunately she passed away in Heartlands hospital in April 26th 2020
her funeral was Monday 1st June 2020 , :(

I will try find the photos she had , and post here in her memory as I know she would have loved to share them

Regards Paul
 
Condolences Paul to you and the family. That'll be a lovely and fitting tribute to your mom. We'd be interested to see or hear of anything you feel able to pass on when you're ready to.

Kind regards Viv.
 
Hi all
My mom worked at Hughes/rowntree biscuits in the early 1970s, most nights after school I would wait outside the factory gates for her to finish her shift and then we would walk home together, I remember the boxes of broken biscuits she would sometimes bring home and one biscuit in particular that was covered in caramac chocolate
I also remember attending the children's fancy dress party at Christmas
View attachment 144417

When I was at Wyndcliffe Junior school in the late 60s, early 70s a little boy started who couldn't speak English very well . Because I was a good reader my teacher asked if I would help him learn to read and write. The little boy's Dad had got a job at Hughes and every so often would come into school with a box of broken biscuites for me as a thank you. And yes my favourites were the ones covered in Caramac!
Lynn.
 
Hello everyone

My late father Abdul Ahad worked at Alfred Hughes & Sons in the 60s, I wondered whether anyone recalls working with someone by that name? He was Bangladeshi so probably stood out!

Thank you for your time

Nazima
 
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