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Southalls, HP, Lathems,The Valor, Osram, Expelair, Concentric Pumps

C

Chrissy

Guest
Southalls was my first job after leaving school as a machinist for sanitary towels. Then onto HP as tea girl or should I say Lackey. Then to Osram packing fluorescent lights, worked with some really nice people there. Next Expel air so boring, then to The Valor, assembling paraffin fires. Lathem s measuring and cutting yards and yards of net curtain etc. Concentric Pumps, assembling oils pumps, where I met and married my John. I have worked at quite a few places. But I have never been happier than I am now working in Health Care. :angel: :laugh:
 
Hiya Earp
I worked at Expelair 1965 - 1970, what department was you in?
 
Hi Jerry.
I was soldering wires together. Me and my sister in-law Jackie, both worked there for a short while then we both went to Concentric Pumps.
Christine :)
 
I used to do night maintance at Southalls removing all the fluff from machinery and girders I don't think health and safety would allow people to work in the conditions those women had to work every day I wonder how many suffered with chest complaints the dust was worse than asbestos we had to wear masks I will not tell you what we used as masks but it was not industrial masks this was in the early 1960's
 
:angel: John the mind boggles with just the thought... I've seen mothers  use them as ear muffs wrapped around little kid's heads with scarfs when they had ear ache. Could you imagin mother's doing that today ??? :2funny:

Chris :angel:
 
I only stayed there a couple of months, I was so bored feeding these towels through to the sewing machine to have the loops stitched on. :(
 
I got a job at Southalls in the 60s and i didn't know what they made then.
When my mates told me I was so embarrassed I never showed up on the start day
Silly I know but hey I was only a teenager :-[
 
I spent many an hour up in those girders it had not changed much from the photograph
 
In about 1945 or 46 I used sometimes to visit a schoolmate who lived at 8 Underhill Road, and I had to walk past the Southall's factory which you can still see from the railway, on the corner of Alderson Road and Woodlands Road. Being only 12 or 13 at the time, I didn't have much idea of what was being made there, but I do remember the very square outline of the factory, and the fact that there always seemed to be somebody doing something there.
Peter.
 
Thanks for the photo Postie.....my goodness those women were packed in there weren't they. All dressed in uniforms with hats...... and with John scrambling about in the girders removing all the fluff, the place must have been very clean and sterile overall.
 
needless to say there were no women around (just my luck LOL) when we were cleaning all the fluff from the girders as it was in the middle of the night earning a crust for my kids happy days some hope
 
John when my husband Michael left school he went straight to Southalls as an apprentice, his Dad worked there his Mom and older sister. He says it was a big shock as the initiation was to seal the appentice in a box and send them on the conveyer round the factory. He says the problem was you didn't know if you were on the floor or the ceiling a very scary experience! He didn't stay long either.
 
Southalls Closure

I see Southalls is to close today and move abroad, another one bites the dust!:|
 
Anyone remember the greengrocers opposite Southalls on the Alum Rock Road.This was one of three shops that myself and two mates had during 1969-72.We brought it off a old couple who had run it for years,they had a horse and cart that they used to sell fruit and veg around the area,we had no experience of horses,and already had a couple of vans so didn't include it with the other fixtures and fittings we brought off them. Jean Johnsons dance school was behind the shop and there was a snooker hall above.


Colin
 
Southalls Cricket Team

Here's a photo of Southalls cricket team around the 1930's.
 
southalls

we called it wafting down when i used to clean the girders down in southalls for the cleaning contractors, always done in the night
 
Southalls

1927 photo of a Southalls workshop with 450 Girls. Can you imagine what Health & Safety would say today.

Phil

001-5.jpg
 
Snooker/jean Johnson

I can remember the shops the one in front of jeans dancing school changed to a junk shop. i think.My mom went to JJs in the 70s. she kept telling me to get my hair cut.it was down to my shoulders. Now,it bearly covers my head. catch u later.
 
Valor Co Ltd & Aston Brass Co Ltd, Wood Lane, factory foundation stone laying. 1925. Len.
 
I used to work at the valor from 1962, i worked in the tanks i used to put the grills and the lugs for the doors, the supervisor was a man named Bill (can,t remember his other name). had some good times there. I remember a big arguement by the bus stop one evening caused by people pushing in trying to get on the bus first. I think the police were there for a few evenings after.
 
JONACS1
i THINK THEY HAD JUST STARTED DOING ELECTRIC FIRES JUST BEFORE I LEFT
 
My sister in law has the records for the family when they worked at Southalls. I am not sure where she got them from I will ask her.
 
Annveitch said:
JONACS1
i THINK THEY HAD JUST STARTED DOING ELECTRIC FIRES JUST BEFORE I LEFT
Click to expand...
I worked there in 1972 , 4 assembly lines all making electric fires, I was one of 4 chargehands making the line run smoothly and changing the air tools and jigs ready for the next model to come down the line...the lines could never stop.
 
Wendy said:
My sister in law has the records for the family when they worked at Southalls. I am not sure where she got them from I will ask her.
Click to expand...

My wife and her sisters worked at the factory in the 1960s, and their father worked in the cotton stores. This was a square building just
below the railway embankment. They used to have to make up various loads of mixed grades to send down the road to the factory.
I remember the loads were called 'keyers' - I wonder if anyone knows why?. Does anyone remember the outwork provided by Southalls
'recycling' Lillets which were damaged or misshapen on the production
line. A man delivered them on a weekly basis in a bin bag, and you had to
'strip' the product and recover the cotton wool , which had to be fluffed
up and returned to the bin bag. They paid £1 for a bagful. I used to help a relative with this, and you certainly earned that pound!!

Dave
 
i worked at john morgans in spring hill passage we used to assemble mirrors and the likes for cars all for 5 shillings an hour (25 pence) and my wages at the end of the week £10 and i could buy loads with it, used to go to c & A and henrys does anyone remeber henrys bargain basement, i bought my first mini skirt there and my dad told me to take it back as i had forgotten the skirt and just bought the belt oooh happy days

regards annie
 
anniekei said:
i worked at john morgans in spring hill passage we used to assemble mirrors and the likes for cars all for 5 shillings an hour (25 pence) and my wages at the end of the week £10 and i could buy loads with it, used to go to c & A and henrys does anyone remeber henrys bargain basement, i bought my first mini skirt there and my dad told me to take it back as i had forgotten the skirt and just bought the belt oooh happy days

regards annie
Click to expand...

I remember Henry's basement very well. My wife and I passed
by where it used to be last week and recalled the time when we
were looking round the basement and I noticed a kiddies' rubber
hammer on display. Picking it up I whacked her on the head with it
for a bit of fun. Well, I didn't know it was that hard, did I? (the hammer, not her head). She didn't let me live that down for a long time. Still,
we've been married now for 44 years, so I guess she must have
forgiven me!

Regards Dave
 
dave89
my mother law used to make the masks they used in hospitals on outwork for southalls
I remember Henry,s used to buy my stockings from there, i remember of an easter they used to have little yellow chicks in a pen and baby rabbits,
 
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