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Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Selly Oak
- Thread starter Astonian
- Start date
Janice,
Thanks. I do remember some ivy I think. It was an unusual building, but it was attractive. It was like a retail frontage but to a factory of some sort.
Peter
pjmburns
master brummie
That is the one I spotted which is why I asked about the beautiful ivy coloured building.
Many thanks. Yes, I think that is the building, but sad to see it in that state. The display window I am thinking about was in the bottom right of the picture as you look at it. The fact that it was Birmingham Battery fits with my recollection of a permanently moving model - battery-powered I guess. I can't remember what it was a model of.
Grea is correct. The firm had nothing to do with electric batteries. Originally the firm was a manufacturer of brass pans using a battery of tilt hammers, thus giving rise to the name of the company, which was retained after ceasing to use this process around 1885, when it concentrated on the manufacture of copper and brass tubes, wire and sheet.
Pedrocut
Master Barmmie
There is a thread for the Birmingham Battery and Metal Co…
birminghamhistory.co.uk
Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Selly Oak
Hi everybody i was wondering wether or not did any member on the forum ever work at the birmingham battery selly oak when back in time they used the horses i was speaking to a couple older gentlman about it and they was telling me of the days when they worked there with the horse and cart and...
birminghamhistory.co.uk
Thanks for that. Still no clearer on the moving model then, pity there are no old photos anywhere.
goldy
proper brummie kid
Hi, I’ve been reading through all the posts related to the BB&M and thought I’d add my recollections:
In must have been in my late teens/early twenties when I worked as a lab technician in the downstairs laboratory. I was there for a couple of years or so from around 1967. It was shift working (3 shift system) and you had to clock in and out on an antique contraption that was always running adrift of the actual time! They refined copper from mainly scrap, and produced many types of brass alloys. I vividly remember ‘Ally Brass’ (Aluminium Brass) that looked just like pure gold when it was cast!
The downstairs lab had an uneven blue brick floor and small cast iron framed windows and it was always filthy dirty, that is apart from where the electronic analysis was carried out. However, this fitted right into the ‘Dante’s Inferno’ / Dickensian conditions of the rest of the factory.
Ian Watkins, Vic Gumbley and Bill Bevan were all shift-leaders at the time, but the only other ‘techie’ co -worker I can remember is Micky Heaney, who was always cheerful and laughing. ‘Mad Derek’ I recall, was a general gofer who was on days and worked for both labs. We used to refer to him as ‘Derek the Menk’ due to his behavioural problems and general demeanour.
Harry Kay was a likeable chap and boss of the downstairs Lab. He was really into electronics and he made a device that attached to the spectrometer which automatically moved a photographic plate into position ready for the next sample’s spectrum to be photographed, and it maybe even controlled the exposure time!
The upstairs Lab was where the more ‘esoteric’ Lab work was conducted and was headed by a crotchety old geezer (Mac Calhoun?) who wasn’t too bad once he got to know you. (And you, him). The techies in the lab there always struck me as being a bit weird, so perhaps Mac was only reacting to the situation there?
I can only recall that a Mr Lacey being the boss of the foundry(s), ably assisted by a likeable Irishman called Johnny O’Neil. The furnacemen used to finish their night-shift a half hour or so early on Saturday mornings and most of them got involved in a large card ‘school’.
Like several other posts, I remember the shop sized window in the Personnel Office bordering Bristol Road South that featured a slowly rotating copper spring in the form of a helix. This must have been there for decades as I used to be mesmerised by it as a four year old when we were living in Dawlish Road.
One tale I heard was that at Christmas time long ago, one of the Gibbins(?) brothers who owned the place : Mr Anthony, chalked ‘A Merry Xmas to all our Staff’ on the big blackboard outside the Security Lodge. As the brothers had a reputation for being penny-pinching scrooges a wag chalked underneath ‘Bo****ks’. Needless to say the Xmas sentiment was never repeated by Mr Anthony!
Apparently during the war a woman who was loading one of the narrow boats moored in the canal wharf (which used to run into the factory) accidentally dropped a copper ingot into the water. Without hesitation the person in charge made her jump fully clothed into the water and retrieve it.
Whenever I hear Cat Stevens’ song ‘Matthew and Son’ I always think of the BB&M, as there was such an air of despondency and decrepitude about the place when I was there. This isn’t to say that I didn’t feel a little sad after discovering that there is no longer any trace of the place – after all, Auschwitz was saved so that people would not forget the place! (Also, another chunk of Brum’s history has gone.)
In must have been in my late teens/early twenties when I worked as a lab technician in the downstairs laboratory. I was there for a couple of years or so from around 1967. It was shift working (3 shift system) and you had to clock in and out on an antique contraption that was always running adrift of the actual time! They refined copper from mainly scrap, and produced many types of brass alloys. I vividly remember ‘Ally Brass’ (Aluminium Brass) that looked just like pure gold when it was cast!
The downstairs lab had an uneven blue brick floor and small cast iron framed windows and it was always filthy dirty, that is apart from where the electronic analysis was carried out. However, this fitted right into the ‘Dante’s Inferno’ / Dickensian conditions of the rest of the factory.
Ian Watkins, Vic Gumbley and Bill Bevan were all shift-leaders at the time, but the only other ‘techie’ co -worker I can remember is Micky Heaney, who was always cheerful and laughing. ‘Mad Derek’ I recall, was a general gofer who was on days and worked for both labs. We used to refer to him as ‘Derek the Menk’ due to his behavioural problems and general demeanour.
Harry Kay was a likeable chap and boss of the downstairs Lab. He was really into electronics and he made a device that attached to the spectrometer which automatically moved a photographic plate into position ready for the next sample’s spectrum to be photographed, and it maybe even controlled the exposure time!
The upstairs Lab was where the more ‘esoteric’ Lab work was conducted and was headed by a crotchety old geezer (Mac Calhoun?) who wasn’t too bad once he got to know you. (And you, him). The techies in the lab there always struck me as being a bit weird, so perhaps Mac was only reacting to the situation there?
I can only recall that a Mr Lacey being the boss of the foundry(s), ably assisted by a likeable Irishman called Johnny O’Neil. The furnacemen used to finish their night-shift a half hour or so early on Saturday mornings and most of them got involved in a large card ‘school’.
Like several other posts, I remember the shop sized window in the Personnel Office bordering Bristol Road South that featured a slowly rotating copper spring in the form of a helix. This must have been there for decades as I used to be mesmerised by it as a four year old when we were living in Dawlish Road.
One tale I heard was that at Christmas time long ago, one of the Gibbins(?) brothers who owned the place : Mr Anthony, chalked ‘A Merry Xmas to all our Staff’ on the big blackboard outside the Security Lodge. As the brothers had a reputation for being penny-pinching scrooges a wag chalked underneath ‘Bo****ks’. Needless to say the Xmas sentiment was never repeated by Mr Anthony!
Apparently during the war a woman who was loading one of the narrow boats moored in the canal wharf (which used to run into the factory) accidentally dropped a copper ingot into the water. Without hesitation the person in charge made her jump fully clothed into the water and retrieve it.
Whenever I hear Cat Stevens’ song ‘Matthew and Son’ I always think of the BB&M, as there was such an air of despondency and decrepitude about the place when I was there. This isn’t to say that I didn’t feel a little sad after discovering that there is no longer any trace of the place – after all, Auschwitz was saved so that people would not forget the place! (Also, another chunk of Brum’s history has gone.)
Malcolm Robinson
master brummie
Hi,
Sorry I have only just come across your post today. I worked in the lab from about 1974/75 to 1981. I worked with Ian Watkins and Bill Beavan and Bill's brother Les. I think there are a couple of photos of the lab on here and an article about it in an old newspaper cutting. I have a couple of photos if you are interested and I think an old 'Battery News' a Christmas edition.
Malcolm
Hi,
I worked in the offices in late 60searly 70s.
Worked in offices of Guests Brass Stamping first, with I think it was John Munn. they were right at the back oh B'ham Battery and Metal. To get there you either had to walk through the factory or along the path running at the side of the canal. After working at Guests Brass Stamping for a while I was transferred to an office inside B'ham Battery & Metal.
It was a small office and it was my job to go round the factory and checking the work that had been completed and passing the information on to the main office block. Worked with a big guy called Geoff. Quite enjoyed my time there, very old fashioned though. All the maths had to be done in your head. Remember that sometimes we used to go to the Plough and Harrow or Dog and Partridge of a lunchtime. I was very young, just left school. Of a Friday evening I would go to the Bournebrook Hotel (building still there now, but under a different name). very lively pub with good music and vibes. Right at the far end of Selly Oak. Loads of pubs in Selly Oak in those days.
I worked in the offices in late 60searly 70s.
Worked in offices of Guests Brass Stamping first, with I think it was John Munn. they were right at the back oh B'ham Battery and Metal. To get there you either had to walk through the factory or along the path running at the side of the canal. After working at Guests Brass Stamping for a while I was transferred to an office inside B'ham Battery & Metal.
It was a small office and it was my job to go round the factory and checking the work that had been completed and passing the information on to the main office block. Worked with a big guy called Geoff. Quite enjoyed my time there, very old fashioned though. All the maths had to be done in your head. Remember that sometimes we used to go to the Plough and Harrow or Dog and Partridge of a lunchtime. I was very young, just left school. Of a Friday evening I would go to the Bournebrook Hotel (building still there now, but under a different name). very lively pub with good music and vibes. Right at the far end of Selly Oak. Loads of pubs in Selly Oak in those days.
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Peterwhite
New Member
Not sure if anbody reads this thread now but I worked in the lab at Birmingham Battery from I think 1969 to 1973. I remember Bill and Les Beaven, Ian Watkins, Mal Webber, Mick Casey and others.
I was fascinated by the pics of Harry Kaye and Bill Beaven. I think those must have been shortly after I left.
The equipment in the photos is from Philips and that was who I left to join. Would love to hear from anybody who remembers me. Peter Whiteside
I was fascinated by the pics of Harry Kaye and Bill Beaven. I think those must have been shortly after I left.
The equipment in the photos is from Philips and that was who I left to join. Would love to hear from anybody who remembers me. Peter Whiteside
Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
Hi Malcolm,
I am so so sorry for my late reply to your message, please accept my apologies, I have not been on the forum for a few years but tonight I had a personal message from another of yours and Dads colleagues Peter Whiteside. I honestly thought I would never know, let alone converse with any of his workmates. Sadly Dad passed away March 2019 aged 78 at Worcester Royal Hospital. After the Battery he went to yacht builders Sealine International Ltd in Kidderminster until he retired in 2005, I also worked there for 28 years as did my brother Ian junior. Yes he loved his holidays in Cornwall and his Escorts he had 7 in all, I well remember the drive through the night to get there and the fishing the next morning.
regards
Stuart
Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
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Malcolm Robinson
master brummie
Stuart,
I was very sad to learn that your dad has passed away. He was a great colleague. I remember he always used to light up one of his fags when he came out of the lab into the sample room and you can bet your life within a minute or so someone would come in from the casting shop or refinery with an urgent sample to be analysed. So he would leave his fag outside the laboratory door on the bench and would spend several minutes analysing the sample. When he came back out his fag would have burnt out and he'd start a new one. He must have wasted more fags then he ever smoked.
I have a couple of photos of the lab and somewhere an old Christmas Battery magazine. He was always talking about going fishing with his lads and of course his latest Escort. He seemed to change to a new one every year. He was 100% reliable and I can't ever remember in the 10 years I was there that he ever had a days sickness. He was popular with his colleagues and also with the casting shop and refinery workers because you could trust his work and know he would work as quickly as he could for you.
He used to love his cup of tea too! Again Stuart I am very sad to learn of his passing.
Malcolm
Malcolm Robinson
master brummie
Peter,
I started in the lab about 1972/3 after working at Charles Clifford's Dogpool Lane. I worked in the lab there with a guy called Denis Spence and we both left at the same time. Denis got a job pretty quickly at the Battery and he got me a job there a few months later in the chem lab. I don't know if either he or I replaced you when you left for Phillips.
Malcolm
I started in the lab about 1972/3 after working at Charles Clifford's Dogpool Lane. I worked in the lab there with a guy called Denis Spence and we both left at the same time. Denis got a job pretty quickly at the Battery and he got me a job there a few months later in the chem lab. I don't know if either he or I replaced you when you left for Phillips.
Malcolm
Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
Malcolm
Thanks for your kind words about Dad its good to know he was popular at work, he had a new car every other year if my memory serves me correctly, he wrote one of them off on his way to the Battery one morning just before Christmas around 1979/80, the Police officer said he was really lucky after hitting a tree on the railway bridge at Blakedown, he had a couple of Fiestas later on and had one of them pinched from the car park whilst he was on nights, that was my only visit to the Battery that morning to pick him up.
Dad would mention the names of his work colleagues often though he rarely gave an insight into what he actually did, the pictures you posted are a great insight, hope you don't mind me saving them. I always remember him talking about Harry and I got the impression he may have been a bit deaf? I still have a small memento of the Battery a couple of brass bullet/canon shell empty cases that Dad brought home can only assume these were mean't for recycling.
Stuart
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Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
Great post goldie what an insight,
Dad started at the Battery around 1958, Vic Gumbly like Dad lived in Kidderminster, my sister has informed me in the last couple of days that Vic and his wife were both tragically killed in a boating accident how long ago this happened I don't know.
In a strange coincidence I worked briefly with a chap who as a youngster worked in the lab at the Battery to give you an idea of his age he retired last Xmas, his name was Alan but for the life of me I cannot remember his surname.
Stuart
Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
goldie, I have replied to you wonderful post a little further down the page
Malcolm Robinson
master brummie
Stuart,
I will have a hunt around over Christmas and see if I can find any other Battery stuff and I'll get back in touch in early January. I can't remember your dad's car accident but I seem to remember him saying one year he had just bought a new car (Escort of course) and on the way to your holidays he went down a country road and a farmer was herding cows up the lane and one of then put it's hooves on the bonnet and dented it.
Be in touch in January. Malcolm
Malcolm Robinson
master brummie
Stuart, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. I have dug out the Battery Magazine but my scanner is currently up the shoot. I have also found a couple of photos of the lab. As soon as I can I will post them here. Sorry again. Malcolm
Stuart Watkins
proper brummie kid
Malcolm, thank you and no problem will look forward to seeing them.
Clinton Piggott
Brummie babby
I remember Birmingham Battery. Probably from about 1973. I ve been scratching my head to remember the buyers name. Was it something like Adamson. I sold them Copper tube scrap
Goods68
New Member
There is an extensive Thread on this company on the Forum.
Birmingham Battery & Metal Co Selly Oak
Hi everybody i was wondering wether or not did any member on the forum ever work at the birmingham battery selly oak when back in time they used the horses i was speaking to a couple older gentlman about it and they was telling me of the days when they worked there with the horse and cart and...
And a shorter one concerning the name “Blood Tub.”
The Birmingham Battery And Metal Company (bbmc); Who Turned It Into “the Blood Tub”? When Did It Hap
The Birmingham Battery and Metal Company (BBMC); Who turned it into “the blood tub”? When did it happen? And what happened to the Trust Fund? I have put this post under a new Thread so that it does not get lost at the end of a longer thread. I think it is important to say a little about the...
Hi all,My Grandad worked at the factory in the 70s as a metal checker, there was an explosion when he was there, he pulled a man from an overhead crane which was on fire , he was awarded some silver oak leaves, and had a mention in the London Gazette his name was Ernest Goodman rip.
Goods68
New Member
My grandfather saved a man's life after an explosion from an overhead crane at this factoryAs I posted on that earlier link I worked there for a while used to drive overhead crane moving the copper sheets still hot before and after they were rolled in the mill enjoyed the job trouble is in those days I was a bit of a hothead! in more ways than one somebody said something to me and then smacked me with a copper bar apart from a little bump on the head I was OK he wasnt and I got the sackOH well
his name was Ernest Goodman, (1970s)