my name is jennifer ann tipper. Née cutler. Daughter of PETER CUTLER. Sister of clive Cutler. Many memories of pearce and CUTLER when the firm was in broad street and then POPE ST
Hi Jennifer. I am also very late to this thread, but have a few distinctive memories of visits to Pierce and Cutler.
In the mid to late '60s while I was still at school, into my driving years and the early 70s, I worked part-time for Wheelers Timber and Builders Merchants in Hampton Road off Slade Road, before their move down to Short Heath Road.
We made many pickups of sheets of glass in Wheelers company vehicles and I actually assisted with some construction at Pierce and Cutler with Wheeler's owner Bernard "Bunny" Bromley, of a partition wall in one building. I think that was the location off Broad Street. Wheelers purchased all of their glass from Pierce and Cutler in those days.
One time, I drove an aging Wheelers Austin/Morris LD van there. It was an ex-Erdington Laundry van. It had been modified to carry various building materials including a glass rack inside that was bolted in place to the wooden van body structure. We loaded several sheets of glass, probably to about a thickness of about 6", which would have weighed well over 1/2 ton. I strapped it all securely to the rack and trundled off towards Erdington.
I turned the first corner and there was a huge bang in the back of the van, as the glass rack with its load broke completely free of the van and fell over. When I got out and looked in the back, not a single sheet of glass had as much as a chip! That was my lucky day. However, it took forever to unload and reload that day. Thankfully one or two of the employees gave me a hand!
I have extremely clear recall of Pierce and Cutlers and Wheelers having a real issue with one particular sheet of glass in which it seemed that the entire batch been overtreated. It was "Autumn Leaf" pattern, which was a popular almost frosted leaf design use to allow light in, while providing relative privacy. I believe that we went through something like 27 sheets of glass between us and the Pierce and Cutler staff workers to cut a single piece for the front door of a house off Marsh Lane in Erdington.
No matter who attempted the cut, the glass broke every time until one day at Wheelers' yard, I managed to cut the requisite sized piece. I was so proud, happy and relieved, that I wouldn't let anyone near it and I delivered it to the house myself, with phoned instructions before I left the yard, for the fellow to have the opening ready.
He installed it straight away into a nice bed of linseed oil putty, as I stood and watched. He carefully tacked it in place and installed the trim. All was well until he shut the door and the glass shattered! Back to the drawing board and a different pattern was finally chosen and used with no issues! I think that was the last piece of Autumn Leaf that I ever cut!
I have an excellent long term memory, but honestly apart from the usual exchange of greetings and invoices with those releasing the glass to us at the shop floor, I don't recall any names. However, I do remember assisting with construction of the partition wall and that darn piece of "Autumn Leaf" glass. It think it was 32oz since it was for a door rather than a window (24 oz), but can't be sure.
. E.
