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A gnats Knacker was a tenth of a thou. The company I worked for had dealing with a tubing company, one of their products was to manufacture a tube for the insemination of gnats (research?) the bore of the said tube was one tenth of a thou'.

I think that these tanks were installed after the War, probably in the late '50's or early 1960's. Working in Central Millwrights one of my jobs was to renew the rubber blades at the bottom of the wiper/scraper arms on the equipment in these tanks. On one occasion a river official was on a...

Those we Have known and Loved? -14 I have tried to put on record some of the people that I knew and worked with in my time at IMI (Kynochs). In no way have I tried to demean any of them. The period in the 1960’s was a time when many that were at work in the factories had gone through the...

Those we have known and loved? - 13 Dennis; was an electricians mate, a very amenable chap, unless he was riled. On one job Dennis sent the apprentice to the other side of a massive wall, with instruction to pass through a small hole, a cable that they had got to connect up. Dennis was kneeling...

Those we have known and loved? - 12 Freddie Feather; Derived his name because he bred budgerigars. Fred was a millwrights mate, and could be a bit vociferous. Following an illness Fred was put into the stores to help him recover his health. Knowing that he hated to be caught out by pranks, one...

Those we have known and loved? -11 Henry; was one of many poles that had stayed in the UK after the war. During it he had to work for the Germans as slave labour, each family in Poland had to provide one member for this work. Henry was the only one able to go, because he was so small, and still...

Those we have known and Loved? -10 Bob C; was one of those people who always looked as "old as Gods dog". he appeared to be well beyond his retirement age(65). He originated from Liverpool, and joined the company just after the war. he was an ex navy/merchant seaman as were most of the men in...

Those we have Known and Loved? -9 Jack W; Jack was a "card" he was up to every dodge in the book. he had had an industrial injury and wore a back support, and was therefore on light duties. Our dept. used to service the lifting hoists and ancillary equipment in a number of mills around the...

Those we have known and Loved? -8 Joe C; Was a very slightly built chap, and because of this he had served in the light infantry during the War. He was very keen on boxing, and given his build, I asked him one day how he was so keen on boxing. It turned out that he had been an army champion in...

Those we Have Known and Loved? - 7 Cliff; I met Cliff through our mutual interest in the Villa. Both he and his mother were avid fans, both having a season ticket for many years, mom at the time was well into her 80's, and never missed a game. He told me of a time when he was serving in the far...

Those we have known and loved? -6 Don C. Had been a POW of the Japanese during the war. He was captured in Singapore and held in Changi Barracks. He ended up working on the notorious railway. When I was told to work with him , the foreman had me in his office, and said that if Don ever started...

Those we have known and loved? - 5 "Corrugated" was well known as being light fingered, he got his nickname from his hair style. It was a series of waves across the top of his head, it reminded us of a sheet of corrugated cardboard or steel as used in air raid shelters, hence the name. If...

Those we Have Known and loved? - 4 Characters; working in such a huge factory, there were over 14,000 employed on the Witton site there were more than our share of "characters". Blue Brick; was the nickname of one millwright, and when you asked how such an unusual name came about, one of the...

Those we Have Known and Loved - 3 Johnie B was the millwright that most of the lads liked to work with, he was a lot younger in both years and outlook to most of the others, and therefore you could have a laugh with him. One lesson he taught me was the art of "kidology" The mill operatives...

Those we have known and loved? -2 When I left the Apprentice School I arrived at the foremans office in Holdford Sheet Mill. The sight that I saw was a group of men on their hands and knees studying a variety of newspapers, from amongst the smoke (fags were definately OK then) the foreman...

That is one heck of an area what are they going to do grow the fruit and veg. there?

I worked on the Witton site from 1960 to 1978.

Those we have loved? I have many memories about my time at Kynochs and some of the "characters" that I encountered during my time there. The names have been shortened to protect the guilty as well as the innocent! When at the Apprentice School I tried to pass off one of my test pieces with the...

I think that the reason that the factory was located there was that it was in the countryside but near enough for employees to get there. Also next to the River Tame there would have been a good supply of water should there have been a fire/explosion. My Grandmother told me that as a girl she...

I think that the reason that the factory was located there was that it was in the countryside but near enough for employees to get there. Also next to the River Tame there would have been a good supply of water should there have been a fire/explosion. My Grandmother told me that as a girl she...