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Delta Metal Dartmouth Street

I worked in the Delta Metal wages office in 1967 and 1968 and then transferred to Delta Tubes at Winson Green. We used comptometers for quick calculations of various work rates for the men in the factory across the road. That's the only time I've ever seen a comptometer. They were a big clumsy version of todays calculators.
 
Brumtalk said:
I worked in the Delta Metal wages office in 1967 and 1968 and then transferred to Delta Tubes at Winson Green. We used comptometers for quick calculations of various work rates for the men in the factory across the road. That's the only time I've ever seen a comptometer. They were a big clumsy version of todays calculators.
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I worked for Delta Wire in the 70s. After reading your post I looked up the Comptometer and discovered that the first all-electronic desktop calculator by Sumlock Comptometer Ltd of the UK. So it seems Britain invented the World's first electronic calculator as well as the World's first Electronic Programmable Digital Computer (Colossus) developed at Bletchley Park during WWII.
 
When I first joined Charles Winn Valves in 1974, it was part of Delta metal. We shared the building in Granville St with Barker & Allen and Delta Marine. When we moved to Warwick St Deritend in 1976, Delta Marine came with us. They left when we were taken over by american company Tyco Valves.
 
I worked at Delta Metal Dartmouth Street from 1970 to 1975 when I took redundancy due to the planned move to West Bromwich.

I was a copy typist in the export department and the managers name was Les Noon.
I remember a Ron Whitaker who was married to a French woman and smelled of garlic every day, and another guy whose name I can't recall right now

Another girl came to work with us, her name was Val. She had long brown curly hair which she always wore down and I can remember here twirling it round her finger constantly lol.

I had 2 friends there called Evelyn who if I remember correctly worked in Accounts, and Jackie Poyner who worked as a draftswoman in the Design Department.
 
Brumtalk said:
I worked in the Delta Metal wages office in 1967 and 1968 and then transferred to Delta Tubes at Winson Green. We used comptometers for quick calculations of various work rates for the men in the factory across the road. That's the only time I've ever seen a comptometer. They were a big clumsy version of todays calculators.
Click to expand...
My grandfather worked there too and died in 1967. His name was Samuel khan. Any memory of him? I am trying to find some info.
 
I was taken on as an apprentice by a Kenilworth company Delta machine tools. I did my first year at the training school in Dartmouth St, back in the early seventies lodging at the YMCA in Snow Hill. Can't remember the managers name Derek something. Unfortunately things started to go down hill and only completed my first year, as the Kenilworth company closed down. Many good memories of Dartmouth training school though with trips to the sports ground and made lots of now lost friends.
 
Apologies for not finding this forum sooner... I worked with Les Roach at Delta Rod Holdings in the late 70's. I saw some posts on here about him and his son. I only knew Les after his son died so never knew Jim, but I know that Les was heartbroken by his loss. Les had been a Royal Marine and landed in France on D day. A modest man... I once asked him about his war, and with typical understatement he replied: 'I chased the Germans all across France, and thankfully they never turned around'...
 
Daniel McCarthy said:
Apologies for not finding this forum sooner... I worked with Les Roach at Delta Rod Holdings in the late 70's. I saw some posts on here about him and his son. I only knew Les after his son died so never knew Jim, but I know that Les was heartbroken by his loss. Les had been a Royal Marine and landed in France on D day. A modest man... I once asked him about his war, and with typical understatement he replied: 'I chased the Germans all across France, and thankfully they never turned around'...
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I SO remember Les Roach. I worked at the same place with him when things all moved over to, what was then, the brand new office block in Greets Green Road, West Bromwich.

He was great friends with my Father (Bill Roberts) during that period. They were so funny together!
 
I remember Bill - he was in charge of site services at the offices! It's one of my greatest regrets that I lost touch with Les after I left Delta and by the time I made contact with his wife Les had passed on. Yes - Bill and Les were great friends, but only a fool would cross them!
 
Oh they certainly kept people in check eh? Les used to come around to our house quite often just for a drink and a chat.

What is it he always used to say when you bumped into him....... "Alright Old Son" ha ha ha ha

I worked at the same place too for a few years..... In the Computer Department on the Ground Floor. I really enjoyed it there and have some great memories.
 
You must have been these the same time as I was - I was a driver so was either washing the director's cars or driving them around the country. During quiet moments Les taught me to play Crib! I was there for two years and left to go to university before Thatcher's economic nightmare made non-ferrous metal production unprofitable. I remember hearing Tom Kinsey saying how customers could buy finished product from Germany cheaper than they could buy rod and billet from Delta...
 
Daniel McCarthy said:
You must have been these the same time as I was - I was a driver so was either washing the director's cars or driving them around the country. During quiet moments Les taught me to play Crib! I was there for two years and left to go to university before Thatcher's economic nightmare made non-ferrous metal production unprofitable. I remember hearing Tom Kinsey saying how customers could buy finished product from Germany cheaper than they could buy rod and billet from Delta...
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My goodness I must have been. I was there from they had quite recently moved, until 1982 if I remember correctly.

I think the Head of the Computer Dept was John Jackson (I might have that a bit wrong though) and the Computer Operations Manager was Brian Westwood. I really enjoyed my time there, it was my very first PROPER Job after I left 6th Form College.

If memory serves me well, My Father used to wear a white overall, Les wore a green one and Barry (?) wore a blue one. They we all so funny in each of their ways, but a great bunch.

Then there was the Finance Manager (?) Bonfield, the Head of Security Stan (?) who walked with a limp. Head of the Computer Programming Department was (?) Oliver.

During the evening shift, we used to hop over the stream to the chip shop....ha ha ha ha

A very enjoyable period of my life and VERY informative for sure. :)
 
Brian Westwood was married to the head of Personnel. I remember he decided to build a kitchen extension on his house and removed a large portion of the wall without seeking builder's advice, or using acro props. The whole front fell off. He also came to the garage hours after getting a new car complaining we hadn't checked it properly as there was a warning light on. Turned out he hadn't released the handbrake. Yes - Bill was white and Les was green and the rest of us were blue. Bonfield was fleet manager and in charge of purchasing -. Stan Arnott was an ex-detective who was, I believe. injured during a bank robbery. Nice guy...wore a trilby. I remember speaking to him before he went off to Ipswich to check on some differences between what scrap was being logged in and how much was actually being processed. He was back the next day. I asked him how come he was able to solve the mystery so quickly and he said 'one of the security guards was driving a Daimler...'
Talking of Daimlers, the joint managing director, Tom Kinsey, had a gorgeous red one. He had a 'chauffeur' called Arthur who went off sick one day and I was called on to take Tom to London for a meeting at Delta HQ in the Aldwych. He gave me a load of errands to run and said to pick him up later. I spent the day driving around London and then ran Tom to his 'club' on the Mall. Much later he emerged 'refreshed' and dozed in the car as I flew up the M1 at well over 100mph the whole way. He woke up as we pulled up in front of his house and said 'keep the car - pick me up in the morning'. So I drove back to my flat in the big red Daimler and tried to persuade my girlfriend to get dressed and come for a drive... as it was around 03.00 am she declined...
I remember the computer suite! Wasn't it protected with an inert gas fire system that would preserve the machines but suffocate the occupants?
 
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