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Samuel Groves Factory

L

Linda Knowles

Guest
This factory used to be in Musgrave Road Opposite the Wreck where we used to play there was an alley way beside the wreck which was very steep and we used to drive our moke down there even when it was icey. There was a park-keeper at the wreck who was very funny and always had a fag hanging out of his mouth :Aah:
 
Linda, I worked at Samuel Groves from 1978 to 1986 and it was situated in Norton Street, it was quite a modern building then, so perhaps they relocated from Musgrave Road. It was an old established Birmingham factory going back over 100 years, maybe longer. They made cookware for the restaurant trade, and also parts for the motor industry.
 
I believe it is Alf, but it was bought by an American company not long before I left and was called The Zero Corporation.
 
samuel groves

My father worked there as a toolmaker - foremand and also looked after the premises opening up and locking up. Nearly all my family worked there - mom was the cleaner - brother a polisher aunts and uncles also worked there My sister got a job there under my father she was late for work a few times thought she could get away with it but he sacked her she went of course running home to my mother crying - he was very strict

I always remember the Christmas parties at the Vittoria Restuarant in the jewellery quarter
 
Samuel Groves

Hi Linda ,and Alf.
Just Been Reading The Thread On Samy Groves .
I,m Really Amazed That They Are Still There
I Can Recall Samuel Groves Many Years Ago ,i Had A Sister In Law Whom Lived Up There In The Back To Back Old Houses ,and I Can Recall The Years Gone Bye When They Started To Demolish
Noton Street And The Surrounding Area
She Almost Lived Oppersite Samuel Groves
Mysister In-law Was Named Patricia Williams ,
She Died In The Early 70,s
I Believe She Worked There As Well ,like Most Women Around There .
And My Auntie Maud ,and Uncle Bill Smart ,
Was The Caretakersof The Church Around The Corner Of The Block
On Lodge Road It Was The Little House Ajoining The Church
Auntie Maud Was The Cleaner For The Church
And Uncle Bill Was Working At The B,ham Bottle Exchange
Along With His Brother , His Brother Was Joe Smart ,and His Sister Was Pat Smart They All Came From That Area
My Aunty Maud Came From George Rd Erdington ,and Was Brought Up In White House St Aston When She Was Young She Workrd For My Grand Father At The Cafe In Jelfs Coffee Rooms
On The Corner Of Rocky Lane As A Waitress
When A Young Gentleman By The Name Of William Smart
Came Along And Waltz Her Off Her Feet
I Remember When I Was Young Not Very Old And When They Got Married At White House Street I Was Her Page Boy At Her Wedding She Had Five Brides Maids And She Had Her Wedding Reception
At Elliot Street School
Sadly Bill Died Some Years Ago, But Aunty Maud Is Still Alive
And She His Beingcared For By A Nursing Home
Some Where On The King Standing Rd
Afew Years Ago The B,ham Mail Had Took The Photograph
And Done A Story On Them They Was Never Ever Seperated
In There Entire Life
But I Am Amazed That Samuel Groves Is Still There Amongest
What I Call New Houses Of Today
Astonian ,
 
Samuel Groves update: They have now relocated to Western Road Oldbury. The old factory is now some sort of Training Facility. Zero, the American Company, sold out to Metalrax of Kings Norton. Due to more and more imports of finished manufactured goods at a great saving to the company all but a small area of the manufacturing was made redundant, hence the need for smaller premisies. A lot of unrest was created when Metalrax amalgamated Buncher & Hassler and Groves at the Norton Road site. Mr Joynson retired and was replaced as COE by Roger Brain who owned Bunchers. They brought with them most of their workforce and office staff which ment duplication in most areas. Mr Roy Smith left shortly after Bunchers came, as they now seemed intent on promoting their own line of work over the better quality work of Groves's. Mr Joynson is sadly no longer with us. A few names I can recall are; Dennis Padley, press shop forman, Dave Pierre, maintenence, Brian Blakleway, Rene Evans, Sue, Rene's daughter, Hazel, Betty Whiter, Edna, Seesuie, Jan, Fred Ball, Arvinda, Darshan, Balbir, Nasib, Russel, Ron forman over the warehouse and in the offices, Dave Wooley, Graham Fieldsend, Jenny, Laurence and Dudley the computer wizz kid.
jimbo
 
Thanks for the update Jimbo, you must have worked at Groves, wonder if you were there in my time, I was Secretary/PA to Mr. Topping, Financial Director, I remember Dennis Padley, Dave Pierre, Brian Blakeway, Graham Fieldsend, Buyer, Dudley Bachelor, I used to type Bowling Fixtures etc., for Dudley, is Jenny's surname Byrne/Seeley I can't remember now which was her married name. I saw the death notice of Tony Joynson last year? I can remember his first day as MD. following Mr. Mac Freeman, who was called Daddy by the staff, my son worked as an Order Picker on holiday from University, and worked in the offices on his year in industry, thanks to Mr. Freeman.
 
sylviasayers. Yes I was there during your time there. I remember Jim Topping but only vaguely. Sorry,I haven't a clue about Jenny's married name, but I could find out for you if you want. I replaced George the polisher who had been there for over 30 years and was retiring. When Brian Blakeway retired I became foreman over the View and Wrap Department before being made redundant/surplus to requirements by Roger Brain.
jimbo
 
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Jimbo, thanks for your reply, if it is the same Jenny, she worked in the Export Office and started about the same time as me in 1978, she was about 17 years old then. I don't know Roger Brain, but of course it is a long time ago, and things had started to change when Zero took over. I was made redundant in 1986 - voluntary.
 
sylviasayers. I think it is the same Jenny, she now works in Sales. Roger Brain came to Groves's when Metalraxx bought out his company. He replaced Tony as CEO. He had worked at Groves in the early 60's but had left under a cloud. Came back with an attitude "I'm the boss and don't you forget it" sort of thing.
jimbo
PS do you have or did have Red/Auburn hair?
 
Hi Jimbo, thanks for your reply, I do have a sort of reddish tinge to my brown hair. When I was young I was told I was a Strawberry Blonde. If you are still in touch with Jenny & Dudley give them my regards. Sylvia
 
Enjoyed reading reminiscences of the past few years of working at Samuel Groves - I have been doing a lot of research into the company and the family connections prior to 1917 when Samuel Groves and Co Ltd was created. (Not because of a family connection but in relation to their connection to pewter and Britannia metal).

For anyone who is interested this is a business card from 1946/47 found amongst family belongings brought to Australia in 1953.

1946-47samuelgrovesdated.jpg

The firm of Samuel Groves moved to Musgrave Road about 1916 and according to their website moved to Norton Street in 1960 although I have found them listed in the telephone directories at Musgrave Road until 1963 so presumably they retained those premises for a few years.

Some of the names of later company officials which were mentioned in the memories, such as Tony Joynson and Mr. Mac Freeman, I recognised from some of the things I came across in my research :

1981 The Financial Times January 3
Mr. J. R. Bettinson has become chairman and Mr. G. M. Freeman joins the Board as a non-executive director of Samuel Groves & Co., Birmingham. Mr.D.F.Didd has retired as chairman.Mr. Tony Joynson, Samuel Grove's managing director, said the U.S. parent had moved production capacity to Britain because the strong dollar made it difficult to supply direct to Europe. "I would not be surprised to see further developements of this kind from our own company and from other big American manufacturers".

Not sure who this U.S parent company was in 1981 as the US. company Zero didn't buy Samuel Groves until 1983 - Zero was then taken over by another US company, APW, who then sold to Metalrax in 1999.

Wonder what the original Samuel born in 1799 would think about what he started!

Christine





 
Samuel Groves are once again being "taken over". This time by a Consortium. They now trade as Samuel Groves Housewares and are no longer part of the Metalrax Group who I believe are no longer trading.
jimbo
 
Hi there, I worked as a comptometer operator (calculating machine) for Samuel Groves in the late 1960`s. They were then in Norton Street, Hockley. After I had been there for a few weeks I mentioned my new job to my Grandfather and was amazed to find out that his father in law, my Great grandfather , had worked for Samuel Groves himself ! At the time that he worked for him, his factory was located in Broad Street in Birmingham. This is now a thriving night life area of the city. Apparently it was common for Mr. Groves to be taken home in the afternoon, by Hansom Cab, as he was frequently drunk ! I was also shown a milk jug and sugar bowl that my Great Grandfather had made while working at Samuel Groves. These have now been passed down to me. They are made of pewter and are of a neo-classical style. I took them to show the managing director at time (Mr. Freeman ) and he had them polished to their original condition for me. There are no markings on either of the items and my Grandad inferred that they were made as a`foreigner`, a job done without his employers knowledge ! Whatever, they are a lovely piece of workmanship ! and I am proud to own them.
 
Christine
Directories of the time list Groves as being at Musgrave st till the 1963 edition (information for which would have been collected middle 1962-early 1963) . there isnno mention of Norton St till the 1964 edition. I would think it possible that the website is wrong, possibly because it was put together quickly by the website designer , who would almost certainly have been not even a dream in his mothers eye in 1963
 
Just heard off an employee of Groves's that they are in administration. Another one bites the dust!!
jimbo
 
jimbo said:
sylviasayers. Yes I was there during your time there. I remember Jim Topping but only vaguely. Sorry,I haven't a clue about Jenny's married name, but I could find out for you if you want. I replaced George the polisher who had been there for over 30 years and was retiring. When Brian Blakeway retired I became foreman over the View and Wrap Department before being made redundant/surplus to requirements by Roger Brain.
jimbo
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Hi jimbo,I worked at groves from 1981 to 2016, moved to the case shop in 1983
 
sue from brum said:
Hi there, I worked as a comptometer operator (calculating machine) for Samuel Groves in the late 1960`s. They were then in Norton Street, Hockley. After I had been there for a few weeks I mentioned my new job to my Grandfather and was amazed to find out that his father in law, my Great grandfather , had worked for Samuel Groves himself ! At the time that he worked for him, his factory was located in Broad Street in Birmingham. This is now a thriving night life area of the city. Apparently it was common for Mr. Groves to be taken home in the afternoon, by Hansom Cab, as he was frequently drunk ! I was also shown a milk jug and sugar bowl that my Great Grandfather had made while working at Samuel Groves. These have now been passed down to me. They are made of pewter and are of a neo-classical style. I took them to show the managing director at time (Mr. Freeman ) and he had them polished to their original condition for me. There are no markings on either of the items and my Grandad inferred that they were made as a`foreigner`, a job done without his employers knowledge ! Whatever, they are a lovely piece of workmanship ! and I am proud to own them.
Click to expand...
Hi Sue, I realise this is an old post but I have recently come across a very old Sale document from 1839 20221215_124511.jpg20221215_124523.jpg20221215_124528.jpgrelating to the sale of land near Broad Street where the old Samuel Groves factory was situated. Near Ryland street and Ruston Street. It mentions Samuel Grove and Benjamin Budge. I will probably put this original document up for sale but am wondering if it would be of any interest to someone who is researching the history of the Groves Original Factory site. John
 
John,I worked at groves from 1981 till 2016, I witnessed a lot of changes in my time including the zero takeover in 1983, I moved along to the case shop as it was known,and moved with them to the smethwick site . I would be interested in the sale of the docs you have,could you give me an idea of what you price you’d like
 
Not really sure. I was going to list it at a starting price of £9.99 on ebay. Would probably find its value then. I always include make an offer in my auctions when I do sell. I am an avid rp postcard collector (mainly Black Country) but have to restrict myself with documents even though i have a big Birmingham collection of postcards and books.
 
Keep me informed,I’ll start with £20, but I’ll need it posted to a bham address,unless you live local to northfield
 
I have just listed it on a 10 day auction. I would accept that offer plus postage as it is going to someone with a Groves connection. If you type this in the search engine WARWICKSHIRE BIRMINGHAM SALE DOCUMENT SAMUEL GROVES FACTORY 1839 BROAD STREET you will find it and you can make an offer by clicking the "Make offer" tab, once I accept the offer you automatically buy it once accepted and paid. There will probably be more interest in this but you are offering a very fair price. No pressure. Entirely up to you. I wanted to find out more about it before I sold it, hence the posting on the Birmingham History forum. kind regards, John. Hope this is not against forum guidelines, anyone welcome to make enquiries. I always obtain proof of posting.
 
John Steven Dutton said:
I have just listed it on a 10 day auction. I would accept that offer plus postage as it is going to someone with a Groves connection. If you type this in the search engine WARWICKSHIRE BIRMINGHAM SALE DOCUMENT SAMUEL GROVES FACTORY 1839 BROAD STREET you will find it and you can make an offer by clicking the "Make offer" tab, once I accept the offer you automatically buy it once accepted and paid. There will probably be more interest in this but you are offering a very fair price. No pressure. Entirely up to you. I wanted to find out more about it before I sold it, hence the posting on the Birmingham History forum. kind regards, John. Hope this is not against forum guidelines, anyone welcome to make enquiries. I always obtain proof of posting.
Click to expand...
Great,thanks,I’m on it. Please bare with me,I’ll do it
 
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