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Valor Heating

My brother in law Mervin Smith worked there for some time before leaving for the IMI. Will pick his brains in the morning. Oh next week he's in Ireland at the mo. Love your name Geri8trick. Jean.
 
Valor Heating Ltd is still going strong in Wood Lane. My company still gets the occasional order from them. My wife went there for an interview as a telephonist, and it took then about 4 months to tell her that she hadn't got the job...

Next door was Aeroplane & Motor Aluminium Castings Ltd, an old-established Brum company that was an early victim of the 1980's recession.

Big Gee
 
I haven't got a clue about the factory, but I do remember the paraffin heater. When I lived with my grandparents if it turned cold on summers evenings out came the valor.

By the time it warmed the room it was time to go to bed, so we suffered a couple of hours of being cold and the terrible smell only to be told it was bedtime by the time it was heating the room up and burning smell free.

Phil
 

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Type in search- Southalls, HP, Lathems,The Valor, Osram, Expelair, Concentric Pumps for more info. my Dad worked there in WW2 as a Sheetmetal Worker making jerricans for water & fuel, and do you remember the Baseball Diamond on the corner of Wood Lane?. Len.
 
It really is a good idea to use the search box, as we have had menbers over the many years the forum has been operating who are no longer active. However during their time on here they may have made some very good posts with lots of information.:)
 
How i remember that paraffin heater and the smell,we had one just like the one shown down the shelter, and what with the lamp smell and the damp smell it all had an ador never to be forgotten, brenda.
 
When I was student I worked at Midland Counties ice cream. Many of the ladies working there in the summer months combined their Midland Counties work with jobs working at the Valor factory at other times of the year. Viv.
 
I was born in the houses opposite the Valor sports field and in the 50s, when I was about 8 or 9, used to kick a ball about when there was a football match on. I always ended up at my Nan's (who also lived in the houses) for a bitter shandy - probably very weak!
 
Was there a 'bridging' section of the factory over the canal joining two parts of the factory ? I remember walking along the towpath in the late 1970's I think it was, when the canal was drained for repairs. There were loads of white plates and saucers in the bottom of the canal which looked as if they had been thrown or skimmed out of a window in the 'bridging' section. I wonder how many bounces would a saucer make before sinking. The canteen must have been upstairs there somewhere.
 
davidfowler said:
I was born in the houses opposite the Valor sports field and in the 50s, when I was about 8 or 9, used to kick a ball about when there was a football match on. I always ended up at my Nan's (who also lived in the houses) for a bitter shandy - probably very weak!
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Hello David. From leaving school 1967 and upto my mid 20s I worked at the AMAC next to the Valor. If I'm correct there were not many houses opposite the valor so you was not far away from the shop (A little gold mine). I used to get off the No11 bus outside the shop and walk up Wood Lane. My mother and two sisters used to work at the valor. One year the valor ran a beauty contest, one of my sisters came 3rd, not bad considering. Alma Cogan presented the crown etc. In those days the Valor and the AMAC was great companies to work for. Sorry for the delay but I was making a cup of tea :)
 
geri8tric said:
Does anyone remember the Valor factory? It made fires. I remember it from the late 60's?
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Served My Apprenticeship there and stayed another 5 years. Also contarcted for Servis In Darlaston, Parkinson Cowan and Serck Heat Transfer before I moving to Peterborough.
 
I remember our Valor Heater from the 50's and 60's, the smell of paraffin, takes me straight back to 8 years old, with the old fire on the landing , in the winter, only a coal fire in lounge and a valor to heat a 3 bed house. Paul
 
we had a couple of there heaters. i once took one to the works in erdington.for a service. they gave me a brand new one instead. not many co did that:grinning:
 
Served my mech engineering apprenticeship and Worked there for 4 years after the apprenticeship. I remember a paraffin heater being returned with a teapot lid in place of one of the internal components. We replaced it.
 
paul stacey said:
I remember our Valor Heater from the 50's and 60's, the smell of paraffin, takes me straight back to 8 years old, with the old fire on the landing , in the winter, only a coal fire in lounge and a valor to heat a 3 bed house. Paul
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Without our heater we used to wake up to ice on the inside of the windows
 
my moms house always had a paraffine smell. i used to get it from a token machine outside of the petrol station.you got a token for 50p. she had a valor heater at the bottom of the stairs. and a hurricane lamp in the loo
hanging on cistern so it did not freeze.
 
Jack Frost formed some lovely patterns, but we don't get any where we are almost at the top of a long valley. Go up another 150 feet and they get it every day in the winter and all on their car windscreens. I can do with out it now, but nice memories.

Maurice :cool:
 
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