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John Rabone & Sons of Hockley rulers tapes and tools

Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

Hi animal7uk, I have just read your post and I wondered if Alan Layton was the same person that I went to school with? This was Dennis Road school 1961 to 66.
My Uncle Alan Layton worked at Rabone Chesterman he was a tool setter/foreman from 1970 till they closed when they were bought out by Stanley Tools, they moved everything up to Sheffield and Alan Layton helped them with all the tools for a few weeks, he actually stayed up there hoping they would take him on but they just picked his brains for all his knowledge then said thanks and and goodbye
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

Hi Brookieboy there's a new building on the old Rabone site it's a large cash and carry
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

Hi Bobj he went to Schools in the Winson Green area of Birmingham I do know he went to Handsworth Grammer School
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

Hi animal7uk, thanks , It sounds like the wrong person ah well! BOBJ
Hi Bobj he went to Schools in the Winson Green area of Birmingham I do know he went to Handsworth Grammer School
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

A four-section boxwood Rabone ruler. Each section was 9 inches long and it could open out to 18, 27 or 36 inches (max). It had the advantage that a folded ruler could easily be kept in the pocket. The gradations of this ruler are either 1/8 inches or 1/16 inches. It contains a spirit level and a protractor reading from 0 to 180 degrees. Dave

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Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

I remember these well my dad use to make them and mark them up. Carole
 
This was taken just before they closed down does anyone recognise themselves or anyone else 2 of my family members are on this photographRabone picture - Copy.jpg
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

I remember these well my dad use to make them and mark them up. Carole

Hi Casey, Would your Dad have worked in Wilmot Street, and what years did he work there, I worked there in the early Forties and used to file the Brass ends plus the centre brasses, I cannot remember the Man's name that I worked for but there was a man by the name of Mr Chew. Norman
 
My brother Philip Dauncey and my mother in law Pauline McKee both worked at Rabones. My brother I'm sure worked as a tool setter with Alan Layton and my mother in law worked putting the bubble into spirit levels. They both worked there for a good number of years during the '70's '80's and 90's I think.
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

Hello,
Yes my dad would have been there in the 40s he was at Raybones till the late 60s. His job was a precision Rule Maker. My nan, uncle, auntie, and sister-in-laws father were there as well. There surnames were Alexander, Tandy, Burns. There was a friend of the family called Bobby but don't know any surname.
My mom used to say if your dad could change his knowledge that he used to teach Raybone all he new into £s we would have been better of.
I remember when I was very young being down there at one time when the whole factory clocked of there were hundreds of people coming out. Nearly as bad as Snow Hill station when we used to go on holiday.
Casey
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

Did Rabones leave Hockley in 1990? Is this where Bow Works was located? Found this tape measure among some old stuff of my brothers
 

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Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

They moved to Camden Street in 1984 then I think it was sold in 1989 to Stanley .. my photograph was taken at Camden Street around 1988
 
Re: raybones rulers and tapes and tools ;of hockley ;

My Uncle Alan Layton worked at Rabone Chesterman he was a tool setter/foreman from 1970 till they closed when they were bought out by Stanley Tools, they moved everything up to Sheffield and Alan Layton helped them with all the tools for a few weeks, he actually stayed up there hoping they would take him on but they just picked his brains for all his knowledge then said thanks and and goodbye
My Aunt rememberers your Uncle Alan well
 
My future wife lived at 45 Whitmore St and at the back up the yard lived there family friends Winn & Harry Phelps.Many year later her mother got a job making the rulers and finished up Marrying Jim Day who was the Forman for many many years at Rabones before retiring in the 70s
 
An interesting catalogue of John Rabone & Sons, Whitmore street, they did measuring equipment, spirit levels etc. The catalogue is 83 pages. Their factory was quite big, I wonder what replaced it


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