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William Newman & Sons Ltd., Hospital St., B’ham

Hi Phil ,Dave.
Hopefully the photos will send this time.
Derek.
Hi Again
Great photos - some a little before my time - One of the football pictures did jog my memory a little and I think the small blonde haired chap was Colin Howard (his uncle Fred worked in the Polishing shop) Signing off for a while now back later. Kindest regards Phil
 
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what a wonderful photo viv...i think there are at least 2 members on the forum who were at tonks in 1973 who maybe able to put names to a face or two...just another example of how the bosses appreciated their workers back in the day :)

lyn
 
Hi Viv, Lyn.
Yes I remember it well particularly the numbers of staff who were on tenterhooks waiting to see if they were among the lucky ones who had been selected to be part of the employee group. In our office from memory there was only one person selected a lady - who's name escapes me, and I can recall the joy on her face today that she was included in the numbers. Unfortunately due to the passage of time, names and faces evade me other than the person wearing glasses and standing adjacent to the coach door who I am pretty certain is Mr Barnes Colonal Newman's nephew and who looks like he is waving the party off. I think that they had a pretty enjoyable time despite the degree of poverty in Tunis but then that was going on 50 years ago and I am sure things have moved on since then. Thanks for yet another reminder of my days at William Newman's.
Best wishes,

Derek.:)
 
Hi derek ,
Thanks for your reply regarding wm Newman’s, you would have been there at the same time as myself .
I can,t think what the personnel managers name was ,but I recall he had an interest in clocks. Thinking of names you would recall to name but a few .
polishing shop foreman Len Humphries, plating shop foreman Mason, alias Maggot ,can’t remember his first name. I would have met all of them in my time there through my various duties, having been chased by a few of them for being cheeky.
Do you remember the old chap who operated the lift, I think he was past retirement when I started there.
Did you ever taste the sausage cobs from the ground floor canteen .i would be in and out of there most of the day.
I used to live in Prestbury road off witton road in Aston.
We now live in Derbyshire and have done for the last 20 years.
happy days.
Dave ex briton worker
personnel manager was bushall
 
I have just being reviewing the posts on William Newman in hospital street . I am paul Fellows and my father used to work in the Britain assembly shop his name was George Fellows commonly known as "stroller" he was a great friend of Jimmy Clarke. He is in one of the cricket photos, he is the umpire on one and sitting in the middle next to Jimmy Clarke on the other. He was there from 1930 to 1972.
He met my mother there Annie (Betty ) Wardell who was charge hand over the cellulose spraying dept, they married in 1939.
 
I have just being reviewing the posts on William Newman in hospital street . I am paul Fellows and my father used to work in the Britain assembly shop his name was George Fellows commonly known as "stroller" he was a great friend of Jimmy Clarke. He is in one of the cricket photos, he is the umpire on one and sitting in the middle next to Jimmy Clarke on the other. He was there from 1930 to 1972.
He met my mother there Annie (Betty ) Wardell who was charge hand over the cellulose spraying dept, they married in 1939.
Yes I remember George
 
Yes I remember George
Hello Paul, been a little while since I made a contribution to the forum and was pleased to receive your comments. I definitely remember the name of your father particularly because I spent a lot of my time in the Briton assembly shop chasing up customer orders with the manager Eric Garner and also with the Clark brothers and others when I was sorting out who was available for the companies football fixtures. Its been 44 years since I left the company and memories do fade but some people do leave lasting impressions. Your mother Betty was one of those people because I was also a frequent visitor to the lacquering shop when I had t arrange urgent deliveries for customers and she would always drop what she was doing to help me out. I seem to recall their was a youngish girl who worked with her and mother was often trying to get us fixed up together, something we could have a laugh about. I actually met my wife Violet at the company she lived in Gt Russel Street which was not that far away from the factory. Sadly she passed away at the end of July this year just a couple of months short of what would have been our 60th wedding anniversary. You mentioned Jimmy Clarke and it reminded me of a tale I have often told about Jimmy when we were warming up prior to the start of a football match a Penns Lane Sutton at the companies football ground. Someone kicked the ball into the adjoining fenced off field and Jimmy scaled the fence to retrieve it only to be chased round the field by a goat which he hadn't noticed, my abiding memory was seeing Jimmy trying to outpace it and you can imagine there was considerable laughter among his team mates. I played Football. Cricket and Snooker for the firm so no doubt George called me out for a few no balls during his umpiring stints, I think he was pretty dedicated to the sports section of the company and he was probably proud to have married Betty because my memories of her was that she was a lovely lady. Will catch up again next time Paul.
Best wishes. Derek.
 
Hi derek ,
Thanks for your reply regarding wm Newman’s, you would have been there at the same time as myself .
I can,t think what the personnel managers name was ,but I recall he had an interest in clocks. Thinking of names you would recall to name but a few .
polishing shop foreman Len Humphries, plating shop foreman Mason, alias Maggot ,can’t remember his first name. I would have met all of them in my time there through my various duties, having been chased by a few of them for being cheeky.
Do you remember the old chap who operated the lift, I think he was past retirement when I started there.
Did you ever taste the sausage cobs from the ground floor canteen .i would be in and out of there most of the day.
I used to live in Prestbury road off witton road in Aston.
We now live in Derbyshire and have done for the last 20 years.
happy days.
Dave ex briton worker
Personell manager was bushell
 
Hello Paul, been a little while since I made a contribution to the forum and was pleased to receive your comments. I definitely remember the name of your father particularly because I spent a lot of my time in the Briton assembly shop chasing up customer orders with the manager Eric Garner and also with the Clark brothers and others when I was sorting out who was available for the companies football fixtures. Its been 44 years since I left the company and memories do fade but some people do leave lasting impressions. Your mother Betty was one of those people because I was also a frequent visitor to the lacquering shop when I had t arrange urgent deliveries for customers and she would always drop what she was doing to help me out. I seem to recall their was a youngish girl who worked with her and mother was often trying to get us fixed up together, something we could have a laugh about. I actually met my wife Violet at the company she lived in Gt Russel Street which was not that far away from the factory. Sadly she passed away at the end of July this year just a couple of months short of what would have been our 60th wedding anniversary. You mentioned Jimmy Clarke and it reminded me of a tale I have often told about Jimmy when we were warming up prior to the start of a football match a Penns Lane Sutton at the companies football ground. Someone kicked the ball into the adjoining fenced off field and Jimmy scaled the fence to retrieve it only to be chased round the field by a goat which he hadn't noticed, my abiding memory was seeing Jimmy trying to outpace it and you can imagine there was considerable laughter among his team mates. I played Football. Cricket and Snooker for the firm so no doubt George called me out for a few no balls during his umpiring stints, I think he was pretty dedicated to the sports section of the company and he was probably proud to have married Betty because my memories of her was that she was a lovely lady. Will catch up again next time Paul.
Best wishes. Derek.
Hi Derek,
Thanks for trip down memory lane, sorry to hear about your wife. It's strange how things seem to go full circle I did end up working at Newman Tonks in 1986 I worked at pitsford street if memory serves I worked in the R&D dept. developing brass door handles, locks and other door furniture. You also mention the sports ground at Penns lane its up shrubbery close off penns lane, I did go there with dad on a few occasions an strange as it seems my son played there a few times while at school .
I do Remember mom and dad taking me to the social club for dads snooker match one night and they lost me, one of dads friends found me slightly wet as I decided to try the shower handle and got more than I expected. I Am trying to sort some photos out and will post when I find some relevant ones. I did find these though hopefully they will appear ok.image.jpegimage.jpegimage.jpeg
Best wishes
Paulimage.jpeg
 
what wonderful photos of your mom at work stroller...you must be very proud to have them

lyn
 
what wonderful photos of your mom at work stroller...you must be very proud to have them

lyn
Hi lyn thank you for comments, yes I was proud of both mom and dad it's strange when you see your parents at work it would have been nice to have worked along side them.
Paul
 
I have just being reviewing the posts on William Newman in hospital street . I am paul Fellows and my father used to work in the Britain assembly shop his name was George Fellows commonly known as "stroller" he was a great friend of Jimmy Clarke. He is in one of the cricket photos, he is the umpire on one and sitting in the middle next to Jimmy Clarke on the other. He was there from 1930 to 1972.
He met my mother there Annie (Betty ) Wardell who was charge hand over the cellulose spraying dept, they married in 1939.
Hi Paul.
I have just been reading about your dad George Fellows ( STROLLER). this is the first time I have seen your dad mentioned, a wonderful man ,he always had time for me ,we used to joke about the man next to him on the Briton production line. He was Frank Brown ( NODDER ).i was working there from 1958 - 1963 .I worked on what was called the back benches doing odds and ends. I knew everyone on the Briton lines and we all had a good laugh.
Another man you mentioned was Jimmy Clark the youngest of the Clark bros,again who I knew very well.
If I can fill in any gaps for you Paul ,just let me know.
regards
Dave. EX Briton worker
 
Hi Phil ,Dave.
Hopefully the photos will send this time.
Derek.

smashing photos....do you have a date for the football ones please...i have a friend who worked for william newman/tonks from a school leaver apprentice in 1969 to 2005

lyn
 
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