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Wright's Rope Works

My mother worked in the Wrights Ropes factory in late 2o's. I remember she talked about splicing and what heavy difficult work it was. She married in 1933 and so ,as was the custom ,stopped working at the factory. I have enjoyed reading the comments and wondered if anyone knew Lilian Hunt, Edith |Hunt and Charlie Ralph all around the 1920's. Lillian and Edith lived on Cattell Road. Mary
 
HI MILLIE AND TREBOUR
Firstlly trebour i remember your uncle frank he was one of the splicers one of twelve within the work shop and a friend of his was
a guy called johny hartnell and his son inlaw i believe as he was the union man for our company at wrights ropes [ british ropes ]
they was from sutton coldfield
I Myself along with the splicers and johny harnell and a couple of other guys was the rope makers and we would sort out the customers ordrers
As i have previuosly said of a grand old lady named emily thomas was in the office whom handled all the documents for the company
a little old grey haired lady whom started work at wrights from the word dot she was always highly dressed and imacorite person
even when she retired the company kept in touch with her and often sent her flowers right up until the day she died
whilst i was working there she told me the story of her first impression of the the attitude of the person she was to work under towards her
but she soon put him his place i will not go into details on that subject but dear old emily was highly respected lady through out the whole country
and up north at the head quarters anybody whom is on the forum and worked there would remmber dear old emily hey would never forget her
even after hours and week ends i spent alot of time at her house i was there when she died at a ripe old age her husband whom died quite young really was
A Artist painter around in birmingham and her daughter was a high class dance instructure with her own dance studios in brum she his well known
and may i add she was and is still a high class lady like her mother you could not meet another lady like emily she was know around selly park
sorry for getting carried away about emily but she was the hub at wrights and if she was alive today she could give you all the picture s and info; fromthe top to
of the ranks of the generals office of tthis office he senior forman was mick and stan blackwell and he would be another person whom could fil in the life of
wrights i am sure the name rings bells regaring millie and th other lady i think was janet from chemsley wood by the white har pub she lived
but it was a great company to work for they was the ladies in the back section of the lighter ropes of splicing us men had the big heavvy duty steel cables
and after sorting the customers steel ropes from the splicers we would put these huges wooden reels on to a turn table and coil it all on to these cotton reel
they was huge hevvy stuff the type of cables they used for big ships and cranes and you need a a crane to lift it off the machine befor geting moved
by a stack a truck and you could see these big round rolls beinused by the GPO And telecommunications
and the other great guy of frank trebour and along side working partner with him was a young guy called jerry they was great mates and jerry used to live down by the cov rd by that big pub that used to be the one that was the biggest bar in brum all those years ago i used to drink wih them
and one day i was on the sick for a week i went to get my wages and i had a lovely tweed new fashion coat frank called me across the shop and said thats a
great smart jacket how much he said and where from i told him and a month or two later frank was wearing one ; frank was abit of a smart dresser as i recall
Him any way they was the good old days happy new year to you all for 2014 ;; Astonian;;

Hi Astonian

My father worked at British ropes for many years, his name was John Dyer, maybe you knew him?
I think I recognise the names you listed as people from a fishing club which a few of them were members of, including my dad and myself, I think it was called crowhurst.
Anyway, I hope I'm correct and would really appreciate it if you have or knew of any photos in relation to british ropes, I'm sure my dad would love to see some.

Best regards

Gavin
 
hi gavin and welcome...because astonian has "gone but not forgotten" under his user name means that he has sadly passed away...hopefully other members may remember your dad...enjoy the forum

lyn
 
hi gavin and welcome...because astonian has "gone but not forgotten" under his user name means that he has sadly passed away...hopefully other members may remember your dad...enjoy the forum

lyn
Hi Lyn

Thank you for letting me know, sorry to hear of his passing.
Do you know his name by any chance? I could mention it to my father and see if he remembered him.

Best Regards

Gavin
 
Hi Lyn

Thank you for letting me know, sorry to hear of his passing.
Do you know his name by any chance? I could mention it to my father and see if he remembered him.

Best Regards

Gavin

hi gavin i think it was alan stevens

lyn
 
I used to pass the Wrights Ropes factory on the train on the way to school in the 1960s. You could always recognise it by the little clock turret. I never went there, but my father knew the managing director, Percy Shakespeare. My Dad was a Labour man and Percy Shakespeare, unusually for a businessman, was a Labour Party member. He had a big house in Wentworth Road, Four Oaks, on the private estate, and had a live steam miniature railway running round the garden. He used to open this twice a year, for the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society of which he was an early member, and the local Labour Party. He had some beautiful miniature steam engines, which I think he built himself in his spare time: a class 5 4-6-0, a Great Western 'Hall', and a big freelance ten-coupled engine called 'Sans Parents'. I loved them and on one occasion asked if could stay for a while after my parents went home. "Yes of course" he said and I ended up getting a chauffeur-driven lift home. He retired to Trelleck in Monmouthshire. I wonder what happened to his engines. They were wonderful things.
 
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