GEC WITTON WORKS

[Pedrocut]

Aug 1902, the beginning of the GEC.

GEC Witton seems to have originally been constructed as a carbon and lighting component factory to reduce the reliance on the US and the continent.

“Electric lighting engineers, who are well aware how largely they are dependent upon continental and American supplies for certain kinds of fittings, will be interested in the circumstance that this situation is to some extent to be relieved by the erection of large works at Witton, near Birmingham for the supply of electric carbons and other lighting components. The works, which areabout to be built by the General Electric Company, will extend over 106 acres, and should give employment to a large number of workpeople. This carbon factory will, it is believed, be the first of its kind erected in this country.’
(The Engineer, Aug 1902)

 

[AlanM]

It can't be a coincidence then that Osram lighting ( a GEC company) was situated just up the road in Witton Rd?

 

[Morturn]

It can't be a coincidence then that Osram lighting ( a GEC company) was situated just up the road in Witton Rd?

I can remember the Osram Riverworks between Tame Road and Witton Road. It used to run a twilight sift with an army of women working assembling light fitting. My mum was a regular there.

 

[Woodcarver]

As a Switchgear Drawing Office Apprentice 1960-65, I too, remember the Foundry School very well. I would have been in there 1962/3 ish. We weren't allowed to keep any of the aluminium castings that we made as they were simply melted down again for the next session. It was an eyeopener for me as I had never been in a foundry before. As normal, we apprentices got up to a few antics such as directing the used broken up sand ejected from the machine at one of the group pushed into the corner. I learned a lot about hand moulding and the casting process there. I know one of the group was Fred Hatfield if he reads this or anyone knew him.
Alan Marriott

Yes, the short time in the foundry school was enlightening. One of our group, Ken Garner, brought in a glass ashtray "borrowed" from the pub and we all used it as a pattern. Mine survived, was polished and still sits on my work bench at home.

 

[Woodcarver]

Wonderful photo of the tea lady, I don't recognise anyone or the specific location. It brings back memories of the tea lady that used to come round Switchgear drawing office with a tea urn. Everyone gathered around to fill their mugs. It was tea or nothing, of course.
When I first started as a drawing office apprentice, as a 'Section Lad', one of my tasks was to wash the draughtsman's mugs which would be about ten mugs on our section. All the office section lads would congregate at the sinks - that's about 4 or 5 of us - in the gents (Staff toilet not Manager's toilets). I very soon got a complaint that I was leaving rings around inside the mug as I didn't think this mattered. "You mean I have to put my hand inside your mug to clean it?" I'd had a sheltered life - I had never done the washing up at home!

My wife was an office junior in PCD and says the tea mugs were disgusting there too. One engineer had a particularly bad example, with cracks and chips. Her warnings about a replacement went unheeded until she "accidentally" dropped it one day.
You also mentioned Bil Webb in PCD. After GEC I worked in the drawing office at Lodge Cottrell for three years, alongside another apprentice from 2DO, Ted Revill. When I left in 1968 Bill Webb took my position.