My brother and me both worked at John Bradley & Co Ltd, Holloway Head. I found this thread because he asked me if I could remember the name of the assistant to Mr Clark. I couldn't, but I could see him in my mind. Coincidentally, his nephew came to work on the same group I was with at the GPO. When I saw his name above, Wilf Wheat, I thought "That's it". Well done.
I was an apprentice there from 1959 to 1964. My brother(Bernard) came about 1964. I left in 1965 to go to the GPO which later became BT. I was one of many who took voluntary retirement from BT in 1995. I then worked for Birmingham Council until I was 64. My brother left in 1968 to emigrate to Australia where he married and had four children. He retired this year at 65. He emigrated along with another John Bradley employee, Colin Bonham.
I spent most of my 5 years in No 2 tool room helping to make the dies for the heading & trimming machines. Others in the toolroom were foreman, Billy Wilkinson, Harold, Fred Rogers(no relation). There must have been others who's names I can't remember. Clarrie Hadley, who's wife was my cousin's friend, used to give me a lift home on his Ariel Leader motor cycle. Other apprentices I can recall are Sid Badger & Roy(Satch) Drinkwater.
Most of the names mentioned above ring a bell with me but I'm sorry to say I can't recall a C Birch.
I started at Bradley's in the No 1 tool room. The foreman there was George Cooper. The turner was another George Cooper. On the fitting was Jack Bradley and Ted was the tool grinder for the machine tools. Alongside the tool room was the electrician's workshop where we had lunch time card schools. The electrician's name was Bob, I think, but I can't recall his apprentices name.
The works had a "cricket team", sort of. We went to the BBC Radio Station at Droitwich a few times by coach to play them. I can't remember how we got on. For other local games I can recall travelling, with others, in Mr John's car, a green Morris Oxford, I think.
Fred Rogers used to own an old Francis Barnett motor cycle with the gear change mounted on the side of the petrol tank. During the lunch time he let us lads ride it up and down the barreling shop. Great fun!
I can also remember having to walk home to Quinton a couple of times because of a pea souper fog.
It would be good to hear of other ex employees memories from that period
Mike Rogers