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T. Elvins & Sons Ltd

hope you are very well i am ok still working still not found most of elvins pension get together still takes place in december numbers dwindling tried to get burthday rise out of bill but he jusr laugths now and does no tgo red and blue
 
I worked for T Elvins from 1947 till about 1960,serverd my time as apprentice plumber & I worked with your Grandad Eddie Priddle very many times he was a great guy.Other plumbers I can recall are Jack Whitfield,Billy Rodgers,Les Jeavons,Les Pheasey,Harry Birch,Barry Birch,Fred Hodgkinson,Len Harding & many more who's names I can't recall,I worked for about a year with Eddie at Burman Gear Boxes At Kings Norton when Elvins built a new factory in the 1950s,I gave Eddie a racing bike & some fishing rods,they where for his son that might have been you dad !!!does he remember that ?
I moved on after a big row with Len Sims,the manager of the Plumbing Department,& I earned a lot more money & realized how behind the times Elvins had become,
Best wishes, Brian Harding
 
are you the brian that was on the way ithink to the docks to go to egypt suez canal area i recall you very well i used to work with len page quite often iwas n the TA at the time
 
Yes that was me I was doing my Natioal Service with the Royal Engineer's at the time & I remember Len Page I recall working with him at Barclays Bank in Colmore Row,I didn't think any one was still alive that remembered me as I moved from Birmingham in January 1964 & only have a brother living in Birmingham now he also worked as a plumber at Elvins his name is Len Harding he's 11 years younger than me,Happy days Ron & many thanks for contacting me it was a very big surprise
Brian
 
image0-002.jpgimage0-003.jpg

Do you remember 1st photo Charlie Lees & Fred Hodgkinson
"" "" 2nd Photo Brian Harding & Barry Birch
We where all plumbers for T Elvins & Sons for many years,I started in Xmas 1947 at 6pence halfpenny [old money] per hour after 6 months I was taken on as an apprentice & my wages were reduced to 4pence farthing per hour & my Dad had to pay "The Master"[Elvins] £50, where the hell my Dad got £50 from in those days I just can't think as I was the eldest of 4 kids & £50 was a lot of money for a working man back then.I hope this jogs some memories !!!
Brian Harding
 
Yes Brian you were a bit chubbier then. I started in December 1952. I knew Harry Birch - was this Barry?
I knew the rest of them in the photographs very well. I worked at Haddon and Stokes quite often and
got burned quite often on my arms working on the steam pipes.

Do you remember Bert (Emms) he worked a cross out of a small piece of lead pipe. The cross sat on Dad Derby's
and Len Simm's desk. I wonder what happened to it.

Funny you should live in Brixham my wife has been trying to get me to move down there for the last 5 years! We try
and spend time there each year. Our youngest son keeps his boat in Dartmouth so we go as often as we can.

Len died eactly one year after he retired, we still keep in touch with his wife and daughter. They live near Kingsbridge.

When Len Simms passed on Bobby Edwards took over but I am not sure if that was in your time. When his father died he left to
take over J.T. Edwards which is quite a large plumbing merchants.

Did you know Bill Askew and Jimmy Allard I think they were both bricklayers at the time. Bill Askew became Chairman and Jimmy
Allard are both still alive (although Jim had a stroke a few years ago and is in a wheelchair). We all meet up at Christmas for a drink
and a catch up.

Best wishes,

Ron Chiles.
 
Yes Brian you were a bit chubbier then. I started in December 1952. I knew Harry Birch - was this Barry?
I knew the rest of them in the photographs very well. I worked at Haddon and Stokes quite often and
got burned quite often on my arms working on the steam pipes.

Do you remember Bert (Emms) he worked a cross out of a small piece of lead pipe. The cross sat on Dad Derby's
and Len Simm's desk. I wonder what happened to it.

Funny you should live in Brixham my wife has been trying to get me to move down there for the last 5 years! We try
and spend time there each year. Our youngest son keeps his boat in Dartmouth so we go as often as we can.

Len died eactly one year after he retired, we still keep in touch with his wife and daughter. They live near Kingsbridge.

When Len Simms passed on Bobby Edwards took over but I am not sure if that was in your time. When his father died he left to
take over J.T. Edwards which is quite a large plumbing merchants.

Did you know Bill Askew and Jimmy Allard I think they were both bricklayers at the time. Bill Askew became Chairman and Jimmy
Allard are both still alive (although Jim had a stroke a few years ago and is in a wheelchair). We all meet up at Christmas for a drink
and a catch up.

Best wishes,

Ron Chiles.
 
Ron, I'm even chubbier now.Yes i remember Bert Hemmings he was the first plumber I was put with as a mate I used to have to fetch him a pint of mild beer every lunch time in an old cocoa tin,the lead cross was donated to the plumbing dept at Sulfolk St Tec.
I remember Bill Askew & Jimmy Allard also Con Sullivan & !!!!!!! Musgrove both site foremen & Con's son John Sullivan he was a bricklayer nice fellow I recall
Bobby Edwards meets up with my brother to play golf sometimes,my brother lives in Sutton & had quite a big plumbing & heating company for about 40 yrs until he retired
there are a lot worse places to live than Brixham we have lived here for almost 50 yrs & we would'nt live anywhere else
no snow or ice & only one night of frost so far
Best wishes Brian
 
Well, well, well, after all these years you bunch of layabouts have been hiding on this site,I am John Coffey, remember me, I have just retired may 5 th, good times 24 years I slaved in the garage, first under Percy Emma and then steve o'nions, and then I finally got the bosses job and Noel chesterman and I, did our best to cause chaos around the place until we were finally rumbled and made repugnant, for all those not aware, we have a reunion every Christmas, organised by bill askew ,just a drink and some nibbles, and counting of wrinkles,and how many joint have been replaced in the previous twelve months,, good giggle, we are all still as daft as we were then. Old offices now redeveloped, sat weeping there other day .
 
I,m an electrician and worked on many Elvin jobs but one that sticks in my memory is Garth House Edgbaston Park Rd for B,ham Uni. the year 1976 it was the summer that we all remember we stood in amazement looking at this garden shed completely covered with ladybirds turning it red. I cannot remember the foremans name but he and I were keen Chess players and we spent most of our days playing a game going backwards and forwards making our moves.
 
Hi Ronny baby, why should I want to look under a hermits cave, have you finally flipped, I presume this is something that you are researching,
 
Hi, elvinions, does anyone remember george the tailors dummy that Noel chesterman and myself caused chaos with in the garage, it got to the stage where no one would come any where near us,, Noel and I were very hurt by this, but we had our revenge when muck and brass was filmed in the yard, and their pyrotechnics chap george,gave us a load of explosive devices to have fun with, remember the exploding kettle, to just name one.
 
Hello, Fred Hodkinson is my Dad and both he and Mom will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversery in August. Great photo of him , i remember loads of the names mentioned .

Peter Hodkinson
 
Hi Peter,
That old bugger Fred isn't still alive is he !!!,I was his "mate" for a while so I do know Fred quite well,I also came to his 80th birthday party with my brother Len Harding.Please tell him that I'm 80 years old now so I'm catching him up it is also our 60th wedding anniversery next year 2015 both he & Charlie Lees came to my wedding back in 1955,Peter do please remember me to him I have some great memories of those long ago days when we worked together,Ask him if he is going to Bob Crows funeral !!!! as I know Fred was a very strong union man.

Brian Harding
 
I worked for Elvins from 1981 to 1993 and have very fond memories of the place. They were originally in Naden Road which is just off Hunters Road. I don't suppose anyone has any pictures or memories they would be kind enough to share.

Julie dauncey?
 
Hello, Fred Hodkinson is my Dad and both he and Mom will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversery in August. Great photo of him , i remember loads of the names mentioned .

Peter Hodkinson
I broke your Dad's plugging chisel, at Brittanic Assurance in Kings Heath on my second day as an apprentice plumbers mate in 1968.
 
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