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GEC WITTON WORKS

The Baron

The Baron

master brummie
Hi, any one who worked in the contracts/projects dept of either GEC/C.A.PARSONS at Witton REMEMBER Keith Jenney?
ASTON
 
No Aston but half my Late Sister's school friends from Hastings Road Perry Common worked there from 1953 :)
 
Do you know if any of the above worked in the Xpelair factory?
I worked there 1966-1970 ;)
 
Hi ,Jerry,NO BUT MY DAD WORKED IN SWITCH PROGRESS DEPT & TURBINE GEN COST OFFICE.I WORKED IN THE OLD E.D.O.DRAWING OFFICE FOR THE FIRST YEAR OF MY APPRENTERSHIP. I FINISHED UP WORKING FOR C.A.PARSONS/N.E.I IN THE MINING & MARINE PROJECTS DEPT, GOT MADE REDUNDENT ON A FRIDAY STARTED WORK ON THE MONDAY AT WOULD YOU BLEIVE IT G.E.C. RUGBY. IT WAS AS IF I HAD NEVER LEFT WITTON ALL THE OLD FACES FROM PLANTCOORDINATION & RECTIFIER WORKS, IT WAS GREAT.
SORRY CANT HELP WITH XPELAIR ONLY REMEMBER IT BEING OVER THE CANAL (ON MY WAY TO THE MAGNET CLUB FOR DINNER &AND A BOWLING PRACTICE.
REGARDS & GOOD LUCK WITH WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR.ASTON
 
Aston,
Do you have any pictures of the old Magnet Club. Seems to be the only building left intact that was part of the GEC. Seems to be dissappearing under a highway. Ahh 2.DO, 3. DO, Witton Kramer. Is the Magnet Club still alive? Do they still play cricket there?
 
Hi , Rupert, Imay have some place in the darker reaches of my loft but how to find them well thats it!
The main admin frontage is listed and still stand proud at the top of the main drive,but Witton Kramer (are Nigel Steeley) and switchworks, domestic supply dept, and all those many fond memories gone alas,
If IAM DOWN that way I may take photo of the MAGNET Club.But some one will have to tell me how to upload it onto this site?
Regards ASTON 0
 
Hi. Aston
If you have a digital camera its fairly easy. But if on film, I don't know. The important thing is to take a shot any way you can, it may not be there much longer. We can sort out the rest later. This site realy cooks. Thanks Aston.
Regards.
 
Hi Rupert, Thats one of mine when I worked in turbo eng contracts with C.A.PARSONS. The building in the back ground is turbo shop built in the 1950 were the very big turbo generators were made 500/600MW. The lower floor just inside the gate on the in your pic was education and training.In G.E.C. days this was run by Mr Harry coremill ? This was the first office I entered on my very first day as a G.E.C. apprentice, it was like a city of 12,000 strong most components for use in the factory were made on site.castings,plateing,insulation,jigs,patterns. We even made hair dryers.
The bigger turbines had to be taken out on wagons that had hover skirts fitted to enable then to cross the bridges at ether end of Electic Avenue. (THIS ROAD SIGN NOW AT THE TRAMWAY MUSEUM CRICH?) .
I could go on and on such HAPPY HAPPY DAYS.
Thanks again for your help ASTON
 
I ASTON WHAT ALOT OF GOOD MEMEROIES SOME OF THE MEMBER,S HAVE , ALSO GOOD PIC, I WAS WONDERING WHETHER OR NOT , CAN ANYBODY RECALL THE MEMORIES OF ANSELL,S BREWERY IN THE DAYS OF THE DRAY CART,S PULLED BY HORSE,S THEY WAS BIG SHIRE HORSE,S AND WEARING ROSSETTES,AND THE DAY ONE DRIVER DIED OF HEART ATTACK OUT SIDE THE BREWERY ON THE CART , THE HORSE STOPPED ON RED TRAFFIC LIGHT,S OUT SIDE THE BREWERY, AND WAITED UNTIL THE TRAFFIC LIGHT,S TURNED GREEN THEN MADE HIS FINNAL TURNINTO THE BREWERY WHERE THEY FOUND THE DRIVER,
 
My Dad (Tom Collier) worked for GEC/CA Parsons from 1947 to about 1985. He was a Radial Driller / Slotter on the night shift. Anyone remember him?
 
Hi, Frantic,did your dad work in what was celled THE BIG SHOP that is where thay made and slotted the large stators & rotors for standard machines built at witton.
Just a short story if I may, in that shop they had a very very large vertical milling machine one day a very large and I mean very large stator was having slots milled in it, this stator was so big it would not fit the machine , so what do they do, remove the stops at the top of the vertical guide rails to get this stator under the cross bars.HEALTH & SAFETY? L.O.L.
Lunch time came and this job being so urgent, it was agreed it should be run no stop.The young engineer left in charge pressed the raise button not knowing the stops had been removed.To late the whole cutting platform came of the top and crashed on to the baseplate  cracking it. No one was hurt with luck but the machine was out of action for months.Another eventfull day at WITTON WORKS.
Regards ASTON
 
Hi, All you witton folk this is me working hard for the good of the company L.O.L.
ASTON

KEITH_JENNEY_AT_HIS_DESK_Parson_Peebles_Projects_Witton_Bham.jpg
The guy on the desk in front is the late Peter Russell
 
Hi Alf, about 1927 I think, I was not about at the time as Mom& Dad did not get married till 1933 LOL.
My Mom & Dad went on honeymoon to wales on that bike,Dad looked after it  & Mom LOL.
Another holiday hot spot was "BLAKE STREET" SUTON COLDFIELD.They used to camp with my Nan & Grandad.this area is now a new houesing estate.just by" ASTON MANOR GOLF CLUB" now thats a coincidence is it not.
Iwill try and find photos,WATCH THIS SPACE!
ASTON :) :)
 
Hardy people our parents Mom & Dad went to Rhyl on a Tandem in 1935 :smitten: True it was only for the day ???
 
Hi, its me again Iam not one to brag but my Mom & Dad topped that Alf they went to London on the pushbikes intending to stay over night, but my Mom change her mind (such a good girl) and made Dad ride back on the same night, he ended up pushing both her and her bike the last 20 odd miles to aston.
I  KNOW I COULD NOT DO THAT AND I THINK IAM FIT.LOL
They dont make ordinary folk that way any more :)
ASTON
 
Hi,Icannot remember that one but I do remember a young boy being run over by one of there lorries at the bottom of Park Rd & Tower Rd, Iwas about  7 at the time and I CAN  STILL SEE THAT LITTLE BOY LEGS STICKING OUT FROM UNDER THAT LORRY.
The man from the Maypole store was helping put sawdust over all the area.
SORRY TO BE SO MORBID!  :'(
 
Hi, Rupert, Well at last I have been passed the old GEC Site, wow what  a change, but for the old admin block being still there it would be hard to find your way round.
The main block is but a frontage now! I could not find any  buildings on the electic ave side that are still standing.So tried to get to the Magnet Club had to drive all the way round to the Brookvale gate, this was locked so if the attached pic are a bit not up to LORD LICHFIELD STD;      I am sorry LOL had to take then through the gate railings .
All the best ASTON
 
Wow Aston!! You have done us proud. From what you say the main building is to be preserved. Well, how could you demolish something as proud as that? These are wonderful pictures. I remember the Magnet club from the other direction of course. You will remember the entrance to the cafeteria was at the other end. But it still stands there proudly and looks to be in good shape. Could you see the grounds from there? Is the cricket pitch still used? When I looked down on it with Google Earth I thought that it might be derelect it seemed to be dissapearing under a highway. Any idea what the plans are for the place. Many thanks.
Regards.
 
Or was it ICI, Alfie. We had memorable New Years dances there in the 50's. Ivy Benson, Jo Loss et al.
 
I went to one ICI New Years Dance a month before I had to report for National Service at the begining of Febuary 1955, I'm sure I went to The Magnet as my Sisters worked there in fact I went a few times in the 60s. I remember it being by Brookvale Park :)
 
My fist job after leaving school in 1946, at the tender age of 14, was at the GEC. Witton.  :smitten:

Sat inside one of the huge stators "taping up" the windings.   :idiot2:
The managers office was high up at the end of the bay, where he could survey all that was going on   :knuppel2:.
Distinctly remember climbing the stairs to his office to give in my notice after 2 weeks !  O0

Only vague memories of eating in the Magnet Club  :(
 
Hi,RUPERT. Things I do for you, heres the one you asked for, I could only see the footee pitch from the railings.
The Magnet Club is now I think,  ethnic social club  for GREEKS? just look at the state of the sign!
Hope this is what you wished to see,Regards ASTON :-\
 
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