• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

Cadbury's Bournville Factory

Alan
All the houses at Bournville are under the control of the Bournville Village Trust away from the influence of the obscene Mondelez (literally obscene as the name means something in Russian slang, as the company were told before the use of the name ). George was very careful to ensure his legacy would remain free from the control of others who might destroy it. When Schweppes merged with Cadbury, the practical (I would say useful) side of the joint company was mostly from Cadbury, while the financial (dubious?) side was largely from Schweppes. The "financial wizards" (mountebanks ) from Schweppes were very excited at the thought of building on George's cricket ground in front of the factory, but rather upset, having, as these people do, gone for hopes rather than facts, to find that George had very carfully placed the ground under the ownership of the Trust
 
Yes, I knew much of the Bournville estate was Cadbury built and 'owned'. I went to college there for a while and a resident worked for my father. It is a lovely, generally unspoilt area and when I travelled north by train I could see much I that I recognized was still there. I used the sports facilities and baths there and am very pleased that much is still in use.
 
Radiorails said:
Yes, I knew much of the Bournville estate was Cadbury built and 'owned'. I went to college there for a while and a resident worked for my father. It is a lovely, generally unspoilt area and when I travelled north by train I could see much I that I recognized was still there. I used the sports facilities and baths there and am very pleased that much is still in use.
Click to expand...
My Aunt and her husband and son Peter who is a BHF member lived there and were always very happy, even though there seemed to be quite strong rules about living in the houses and was there not something about four fruit trees in every garden, or perhaps as it was Cadburys, three fruit and one nut...chocolate will be supplied.

Bob
 
Hi everyone as I've said before I'm only able to pop in from time to time now ... thought this photo may be of interest you all . It's of Children from The Erdington cottage Home /Shenley Fields with a large chocolate egg given to them from Cadbury's. My friend Mary is the girl closest to it on the left looking longingly at it.
received_10216980988382671.jpeg
 
Radiorails said:
Yes, I knew much of the Bournville estate was Cadbury built and 'owned'. I went to college there for a while and a resident worked for my father. It is a lovely, generally unspoilt area and when I travelled north by train I could see much I that I recognized was still there. I used the sports facilities and baths there and am very pleased that much is still in use.
Click to expand...

I went to college there too, I was sent for one year by the GPO, I was 17 when I started there when I began as a telephonist at telephone house, they made you go to college till you were 18.
 
I'm a bit sickened and ashamed at the anti American comments under that piece, do they not know that had the Americans not come in and sacrificed their young lives alongside our boys they would all most likely be alien peasants of the great German Third Reich.
 
Eric
I think most of the comments, while they may refer to the "Americans", really mean one American company, Kraft, later Mondelez, who spawned rubber artificial cheese and now seem to be intent on pushing their revolting Oreo into everything. Hopefully the latter efforts will go the same way as "Philadelphia with Cadburys Dairy milk" (UGH)
 
The book by Deborah Cadbury, Chocolate Wars, is available to read by “borrowing” for two weeks from the Internet Archive. It is free to register.

A history of the Cadbury family up to more or less the present day.
 
A selection of aerial views of the factory. No dates for these. The last image looks like it’s from a magazine. Interesting use of the word “personalities “ - they look like ordinary people (Cadbury workers ?) to me, unlike the expectation today that they would be famous in some way.

The second image certainly succeeds in portraying the factory in the country, whereas the first image seems to suggest a slightly more industrial setting. Viv.

D114FD33-A2D2-4FD3-8AD8-6F26677B3F7D.jpeg

CE690DBF-5F4B-4FB3-B3D5-F51E8E628B58.jpeg

D6617A9D-EEE6-4F0C-97CA-5BB6D1AA5440.jpeg
 
Does anyone know if this photo is taken outside one of the Bournville factories? I am trying to find out if this orchestra was something to do with Cadburys as my Grandad worked for them, and he is in the photo with his father. Maybe it is the orchestra with Bournville Musical society? Any info would be gratefully appreciated.
 

Attachments

  • File 30-04-2019, 14 55 18.jpeg
    File 30-04-2019, 14 55 18.jpeg
    932.4 KB · Views: 37
Do not think it is Bournville, though do not know other factories well enough to comment on them
 
Can you give a name, when linked with an orchestra it may shed some light. There was a Bournville Orchestra but may not have been connected with Cadbury.
 
This link suggests that there was a Bournville Works Orchestra.
Whether that is the one in the photo cannot say.
Many large companies, in the past, had some form of musical group, which ranged from orchestras to brass bands.
Another connected with - and sadly little of its history appears on BHF about it - was The Midland Red Salon Orchestra.
In one of the Midland Red threads a Midland Red coach photo shows that which was used to convey the musicians to their venues.
There is a CD about a Wythall Museum operating day which has the orchestra as an introduction:

Midland Red at Digbeth

Can't remember the bus number Pete. was it the 112 and x12 single decker bus?
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
 
30-piece orchestra & 1st violin and conductor behind the bass drum. The only thing that might give it away is the conductor.

Maurice
1stV_Cond.jpg
 
Last edited:
Pedrocut said:
Can you give a name, when linked with an orchestra it may shed some light. There was a Bournville Orchestra but may not have been connected with Cadbury.
Click to expand...

My Grandad,s name was Cyril Cooper and he played either violin or viola and his father Harry Cooper who played the cornet. I don't know anyone else on the photo.
 
Mike,

I had problems - either nothing or twice or a duplicate picture in one post. If you can delete the second post, I'd be grateful.

Maurice
 
sospiri said:
ccwalsh,

Welcome to the Forum. Do you know where your grandfather worked?

Maurice
Click to expand...
Hi, he worked in Cadbury's although I'm not sure which part of the factory. He worked this whole working life apart from during the war when he was a policeman.
 
Oisin said:
As sponsors of Coronation Street, Cadbury (note the name has changed from Cadbury's in recent years) have been advertising the centenary of Milk Chocolate for quite a while now. But, being a MAN, my favourite Cadbury product is the dark Bournville - at its best after a few hours in the fridge.

I have no direct connection with the factory other than using the outdoor lido in those long hot summers when I was a kid. However, when my brother worked for ICL, he installed and maintained the computer system at Bournville (big mainframe in a dustproof environment). Besides a girl who worked on the production line there, I can remember him bringing home brown paper bags of rejects and Easter eggs.

In more recent years, I recall Cadbury's having some sort of production fault which resulted in all their Easter eggs being produced a few grams more than intended. Such was their output, although this was only a minuscule amount, the hole it knocked in their profits was phenomenal.

Especially for all you interested ex-pats, I can strongly recommend a visit to Cadbury World, whenever your back in the home city. There you partake in a guided tour tracing the history of both chocolate and Cadbury's. My only word of caution is, if you have a five year old child with you, like my grandson, ration his free sample intake. This should prevent the risk of him going hyper and turning into a devil to control. :lol:

As John said, "Enjoy!"
Click to expand...
Great comments……..
 
Lovely thread all of my family worked here, I was born close and missed the lovely aroma of chocolate when we moved out of my Nans into a place of our own
 
Two photographs, from post cards, of the Dining Rooms at Cadbury's Bournville. The post cards are unused so therefore difficult to date, especially as no people are shown. Dave.
P1000560 (2).JPGP1000562 (2).JPG
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top