Richard Dye
master brummie
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Canning & Co & Electroplating
- Thread starter TNT
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coleighf
proper brummie kid
What a pleasure to read this! I loved my years at Cannings and I was also chosen by John Thomason in 1972 to be one of the two new Product Managers, alongside you I believe! My rôle was intended to be looking after the mechanical finishing side. However, there were other things happening in my life then that had already lead me to decide to move on, so I didn’t accept and felt very badly that I had let John Thomason down by doing so. I felt the same about Ben Tromans, because he had been very supportive of me. In different circumstances, I would have loved to do that job, it was an exciting idea. I left Cannings in November 1972 after nine years and eight months, which doesn’t seem so long now but having started there in 1963 at sixteen, it was a very big part of my life. After I’d left, although the next job was giving me more money, a bigger car and European travel, I wasn’t enjoying the firm I was working for and regretted leaving Cannings. I moved twice more, fairly quickly, and then settled in November 1976 with the business that I’m still engaged with and remain fascinated by today, even though I “semi-retired” in 2011! Hard to believe that’s more than forty-five years ago.
I still feel as though “Cannings” runs through my veins today and often think about, and miss, the great people I knew and wonder what happened to them since. Many of them, sadly, no longer with us, of course. Even now I am occasionally in touch with MacDermid, and somehow, it seems familiar.
A while ago, my son spent a year on a post-graduate course at Birmingham Law University, which is in the remaining half of the Canning building in Great Hampton St, still looking the same on the outside. I visited there and although it’s totally modernised inside, I was thrilled to be back and the nostalgia was indescribable. I could sense the ghosts and shadows, but happy faces.
So, I know who you are! We had come through the business on different routes and never worked together, although we surely would have done if I hadn’t made the decision that I did.
Did you see that George Colman wrote on here a while ago? He hasn’t appeared lately.
It would be great to compare experiences and find out more.
I still feel as though “Cannings” runs through my veins today and often think about, and miss, the great people I knew and wonder what happened to them since. Many of them, sadly, no longer with us, of course. Even now I am occasionally in touch with MacDermid, and somehow, it seems familiar.
A while ago, my son spent a year on a post-graduate course at Birmingham Law University, which is in the remaining half of the Canning building in Great Hampton St, still looking the same on the outside. I visited there and although it’s totally modernised inside, I was thrilled to be back and the nostalgia was indescribable. I could sense the ghosts and shadows, but happy faces.
So, I know who you are! We had come through the business on different routes and never worked together, although we surely would have done if I hadn’t made the decision that I did.
Did you see that George Colman wrote on here a while ago? He hasn’t appeared lately.
It would be great to compare experiences and find out more.
Mark Tooze
master brummie
I have 2 sets of photos of Cannings on Great Hampton Row / Constitution Hill corner - one just before and one during demolition - I'll try to post them tonight. Here are 2 panoramas made up from some of them - this one is just before demolition:-
And this one (sadly) during demolition:-
And this one (sadly) during demolition:-
mark thanks for those photos....it sounds crazy but i did not realise that cannings was on the corner with gt hampton row...on one of your photos you can just make out the words of the gothic pub...nice post coleighf ...hopefully george colman may see your post and reply to you...i used to work at oxy metals in the early 70s on the switchboard and george was in sales i think...
lyn
lyn
coleighf
proper brummie kid
Hi Mark, that’s the engineering works, opposite to the head office buildings. So sad to see how it ended up.
coleighf
proper brummie kid
Hi Lyn. As they say, small world, isn’t it?
Mark Tooze
master brummie
Yes - it is The Gothic - can be seen better in this shot from a different angle:-
At the other end of the building in Great Hampton Row was the Minerva Vaults:-
At the other end of the building in Great Hampton Row was the Minerva Vaults:-
coleighf
proper brummie kid
Just opposite was the “Old Engine” pub, which had been bought by Cannings and converted into a demonstration dept. for the polishing materials division. When I started at Cannings, Jack Carroll worked in there with “Yogi” Yates. He was a character, who drove and raced one of the limited edition 1171c Mini Cooper “S” specials that were produced for homologation purposes, I think to race in 1200 cc events. He left shortly after, but I knew Jack for some years later on.
The Works Office that I was in from 1964 to 1971, was for a time in a shared open office with Ron Beebee’s engineering works team, so I knew all of them.
The Works Office that I was in from 1964 to 1971, was for a time in a shared open office with Ron Beebee’s engineering works team, so I knew all of them.
well colin i never knew that about the old engine tavern...taken over by nightingales knitwear prob during the 80s...recently closed down and taken over by developers who have recently uncovered the name of the pub and i think intend to retain it...here is a photo i took recently
lyn
lyn
its very sad colin...that is my neck of the woods around there...if ever you get the chance to go down take look at the wholesale rebuilding in gt hampton st...i hardly know it now i had many happy hours in the gothic ..the church..the minerva and the lord clifden..however the clifden and the church tavern is still up and running but so much history has been lost and no doubt more to come
lyn
Hi Everybody (just found this site)
Wilf Lowe, my father- in- law, worked at Cannings most of his working life (1933-1976) mainly in the Chemistry Dept and he knew Sir Ernest Canning. Later he specialised in Pollution Control Processes in conjunction with many of the well known companies in the West and East Midlands. He helped to reduce pollution in rivers locally such as the River Tame. He wrote a section in the Cannings Handbook on Pollution Control, still an important topic. I also have a friend who used to work in Cannings, Eric Potter including sessions at their Glasgow site.
(My wife vaguely remembers her father mentioning some of the names highlighted eg Jack Dove)
coleighf
proper brummie kid
Sadly so true Lyn. It’s such a different world now.
very true colin...i know we must have change but i dont have to like or agree with it all
lyn
Norman drops in on the forum from time to time
I worked in the offices at David Hollander , Electro platers in late 50s early60s, we bought products from Cannings and their rep would visit from time to time, they sent us nice pressies for Xmas, chocolates ,calendars, my favourites.
I think the reps surname was McKay.
I think the reps surname was McKay.
Between the Gothic pub and the site of The Engine Tavern there used to be a metal bashers, ....... Parsonage ..??? who made most of the sheet metal and wire mesh guards for the plant manufactured across the road.
My stag do was in the Minerva. I did many years ago post a few lines about the tubular railings along the front of the Canning building but it got "moderated" for some unknown reason - or lost in The Great tea Trolley Disaster of 1975
devonjim
master brummie
I, too worked at an electro platers in 1950-60's, Wilmot Breeden, Cannings were a major supplier.
alan bartlett
master brummie
A good friend of mine Steve Young worked in the garage working on the lorries, mid 60's. Commer 2 strokes if I remember.
brummy-lad
master brummie
In the 1948 shot, you can make out the stepped roof levels of the Canning Gt Hampton Row building. Those levels later became the Engineering Cost Office and the Eng Drawing Office (above). You can also make out the glass roof light that allowed daylight down to all the factory floors below, there was a matching hole in all floors.
Not many cars in the car park facing Constitution Hill ! Just a bit further down the hill towards the city you can make out the old chapel that became the woodworking shop and pattern makers dept.
Down at the bottom left of the pic, you can see - Lloyds Bank, street, The Church pub, petrol station, N.T Frost, buildings don't know what, Snapes Chemist. Bills caff was just along there towards the Gothic.
Not many cars in the car park facing Constitution Hill ! Just a bit further down the hill towards the city you can make out the old chapel that became the woodworking shop and pattern makers dept.
Down at the bottom left of the pic, you can see - Lloyds Bank, street, The Church pub, petrol station, N.T Frost, buildings don't know what, Snapes Chemist. Bills caff was just along there towards the Gothic.
George Colman
Brummie babby
Wow, thanks to Lyn for putting me in touch again, I was at Canning's from 1960 untill 1973 I think. Started as an apprentice in Engineering in the machine shop under the great foreman, John, I think? Then onto making barreling m/c's on the top floor with George Woodley? the foreman was Bill Davies? and many other great pals, I remember my time in the heavy fitting shop building the big Trojan m/c's, Glydo's etc etc, the foreman was Sid Evans?. It was a very good apprenticship indeed.
I also remember my time in the Electrical test department with Harry Hall as foreman, and Ron, Allan, and who else?!
I had a good spell in the drawing office after succumbing to appendicitis days after I started on the board! Who was head draughtsman? I still have a large layout drawing of a new plating plant that I drew! I then went into sales with Ron Beebee, Rod Chapman Davies (sadly died not so long ago) and Rick Holford Jones (where are you Rick?) & Len Brown in the demo shop. I was selling Harperizers. I remember John Chilton and so many others!
I am still in tough with John Cheatle, but have lost touch with Richard Murgatroyd who lived at Kinver. Nice to hear from you again Colin. I had a great career after leaving Cannings, Oxy Metal Industries on sales of metal finishing materials in the West Midlands, then involved in the new north sea oil business through chemical sales to saturation diving (deep sea diving) companies, eventually finished up as Sales Director for the US Company, Purafil out of Atlanta, Georgia. We made the chemicals for the diving industry and many many other markets.
I retired at age 74 I think, but am still intouch with colleagues around the world.
Sid Willets
Tom McKnight, then Ray Rudge, then Moss Taylor then Ken Vickers. Might have the order of these latter a bit mixed. Didn't Joe Vickerstaff do a turn also ?
Tom McKnight got killed when he was bowled over by a car. He was off on his hols to N. Wales or someplace, when in getting a flat tyre, got out to inspect it, and stepped in front of another car driving at speed. He hadn't much longer to go to retirement. That would be about 1969/70.
Looking like Oct 69
Mark Tooze
master brummie
As promised earlier, here are two batches of photos of Cannings Engineering works from the early 1980's, taken from various angles around the building - the first batch was taken just as demolition was starting - apologies they are a bit grainy, and some have negative damage:-
Mark Tooze
master brummie
A short time later and demolition is in full swing:-
Mark Tooze
master brummie
And some more:-
Mark Tooze
master brummie
Next lot:-
