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GEC WITTON WORKS

Hi I am new. Just to say that I was an apprentice at the GEC between 1953 and 1959 and I was actually working in The Big Shop in the next bay when that incidence occurred. There was almighty bang and everyone rushed round to see what had happened. I was working with George Ellis,Charlie Davies and Jack Averill. These names may be of some interest to you. This was before the GEC was taken over by Parsons. I also worked in The Turbo Shop with Eric Golder.
Eddie
 
Hi Eddie,Welcome to the G.E.C. thread. I served my time in the 60's and worked with all the chaps that you mentioned, in the big shop my favorite was Ronnie Mason but I ended up in the New Turbo which I enjoyed very much. Have just found an old photo taken in the Apprentice Training School, will try to post it some time.
 
Hi Mike . Nice to see all the old names again. I was with George Ellis for a long time and then Jack Averell. We worked on those vertical generators. At the end of my apprenticeship I was called up and served 2 years in the Army. After the army I went back to the GEC but only for 6 months . I moved to Wellington Shropshire and worked in the tool room at Sankey's. I have been following Ray Griffiths posts and the photos are interesting. There is one with Terry Harrison standing by Wal Colley.
Terry used to do alot of motor cycle sidecar racing I wondered if you knew him. I also worked with his brother Brian. Eric Golder was nice guy. I worked with him a few times. He used to have me over from the Big shop. He always wanted me to transfer to the Turbo shop but I did'nt which I regret because things got a quiet in the big shop. I remember Ronny Mason. He joined me in the British Legion. I also worked with Joe Robinson bedding the seals. When I came back from the army Roger Ellis was working with him. I could go on forever. Sorry to hear about George Goldingay. He was always a happy chap. He was distantly related to the Golder's. bye Eddie Southall.
 
View attachment 45674Hi Eddiegolf

This photo is Johnny Worrall's wedding presentation.

Noe Joe RobinsonExtreme left presents on the Jigs for Hydrogen Seal used to machine themafter bedding.
.
Centre Vic Bowman, Jeff Hughes, Jonny Worrall, Myself, George Goldinggay.

Others on photo Billy Hughes, Harry Walker & son, Fred, Joe Brain (the white metal section) at the back is George.

That's all I can remember
 
Wow Ray, faces I thought never to see again (I am good on faces but names escape me) you have joged the old grey cells with that one.
MORE PLEASE FROM YOU GUYS
 
Hi Ray. thanks for the photo. I know them all but I must have been doing my National Service at the time. I worked with Joe on those hydrogen seals before I got called up. I could not place you at first but I know your face. There was a Dave Griffiths who followed me to Shropshire in about 1961-62 so I was a bit confused. When I returned in 1961 Fred Pitt had retired, Dud Poole was still there and his half back was Bill Fletcher. The boss over them was Brown. I remember well George at the back losing his hair through alapesia. There is no sign of George Ellis, Charlie Davies and Jack Averill. I have happy memories of working with them over the far side of the big shop. In those days we used to work every weekend that God sends. I have no photos at all so if you have any more please post them. Eddie
 
.Hi Baron. Yes I have many happy memories of the GEC. I am trying to think of the name of a fellow apprentice I worked with who tranferred to the EDO but my memory fails me. His father used to drive lorries for BRS (British Road Services) at night and in the day he did funereals. He was a friend of Roger Ellis who was Joe Robinson's mate and I was Joe's mate prior to that. Roger was a nice chap. He was in the Scout movement at the time as I was. We all went Brian Harrison's house warming at Brownhills. My girlfriend, now wife was with me at the time . Happy days Eddie
 
Hi Again Eddei, you say Roger was in the Scouts, Did you ever know if he come across Les Berry he worked for LTG/RPD outside Sales & was a Scout LEADER IN SUTTON COLDFEILD his wife was at Boldmere Cub Group Lived at New Oscott.
 
Hi. No sorry I dont know. I have not been in touch with Roger for many years. All I know is that Roger and his wife were both in the Scout movement. I think that his wife's name was Edith.
 
Hi Keith Hope you had a good birthday at the park house, must have been 12 years since I've been there and I won't go again.

That's a name from the passed Les Berry, les was on our first committee of the Sutton Coldfield Neighbourhood Watch, I like les he was a guy who spoke his mind but he had sound values.

I was Chairman and I remember in the early days with a pack co-ordinators meeting there had been a call for raising funds fot NW, he said it would destroy NW it should free and use sponsership and we did.

He also supported the committee and the many events that we organised for the good of the community Crime Prevention etc.

Our base was 32,000 members, with 187 Co=ordinators and 1,200 street reps. Sgt. Fred Taylor was the NW Officer he was a great Mr. Sutton Coldfield was his nickname happy days.

Ray
 
Hi Ray, Did you ever go out with Les in his car, as you may know he had only one good eye, I had to go out with him at times on company matters & how he drove at the speeds he did on the Motorway was fantastic, if not a little white knukle at times.
GREAT GUY AS YOU SAY & such a loverly Lady wife.
 
Marie if anyone can it will be Ray who said he had heard how good your dad was. Maybe there are library book of the GEC as there are of the IMI. Fingers crossed for you Marie from Jean.
 
G G Jean said:
Marie if anyone can it will be Ray who said he had heard how good your dad was. Maybe there are library book of the GEC as there are of the IMI. Fingers crossed for you Marie from Jean.
Click to expand...

Sorry crossed lines I was talking about Les berry not Harry Wigley

Ray
 
Never mind Ray it would have made Maries day. Our neighbour Mr Milward worked in the offices at the GEC for many years. Jean.
 
Laurie_B said:
There's an clip from the British Pathe newsreel website of a visit to the G.E.C. works in Witton in 1956 from Georgi Malenkov the Soviet Commissar for Power Stations,that might be of interest.
https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=40275
Click to expand...

Laurie_B
Many thanks for the Pathe film clip as my father is on it just for a few seconds. He was J.J.Gracie's driver. We don't have many photographs of him let alone film; he was always behind the camera.
 
Great Clip brings back a LOST time of a GREAT FACTORY & BRITISH INDUSTRY AT IT BEST.Did any one go to the open days ,I will never forget the flash test between those two balls as seen in the clip.Remember that visit well I had been with the GEC for just one year, working as an EDO Apprentice.
 
Came across Birmingham History Forum a few days ago, so it has taken me a couple of days to read each entry and to view the various photographs. I too worked on the site from 1964 untill the very end with Parson Peebles Field Services. I do remember Mike Bond when he was in the new turbo, tall chap always had immaculate shined working boots. I also remember many of the names and recognized many of the faces in the photographs such as Stan Jaques, Jack Megget, Eric Golder, Frank Redgate, Percy Grimsley, Colin Tasker, Graham Ellis, Bob Ash, John Simner, Vic Avery, Jim Cooper, Eric Alpin, Gordon Baker, Reg Marlow and a few more, Happy days "I think"
 
Hi GEC Scot.

Welcome our GEC forum.

I left GEC with Terry Law, Ray Domney, John Porter, we jioned CEGB at Hams Hall site we left on the Friday as Parson's took over on the Monday nobody had any idea this was about to happen.

I'm glad you mentioned some of the names there was one couldn't remember Vic Halpin the gentle giant, he had a brother who worked in big shop.

Bob Ash who was apprentice in the Turbo when I was there, he left and jioned West Midlands Police he ended up a Detective Superintendant, he was a good lad his dad worked in the core builders in Big Shop.

Ray Griffiths
 
Hello GEC Scot/
Welcome to the G.E.C. Thread, lots of great people on here with loads of facts about G.E.C.Witton. Don't worry if the thread goes quiet from time to time, it only takes someone to produce a photograph or a personal storey for the thread to come alive once more.
I am finishing my working life in the Marine section of the Offshore Industry which means I am in and out of Aberdeen about twice a week.
If you have any stories or recolections about Witton you will always have a captive audiance on this thread.Best wishes, Mike Bond.
 
No, when field services left the Witton site, I left the company and a few weeks later joined GEC Rugby in the construction division along with a few ex Witton workers, Keith Chester, Phil Griffiths and my self David Keith.
 
Small world, after leaving the Midlands in the mid 80s I settled in Scotland and am at present employed in Aberdeen, I too used to work offshore, but gave that up a number of years ago, which platform / platforms are you working on at present.
 
Hi David,
I work on the platform supply vessels for a Norwigian company called Havila as an Engineer. Have just finished a 4 year Charter for Marathon Oil working in the Alpha field, have just started a new contract with the Stene Spey North of the Shetlands---flippin freezing! When I left G.E.C. in 1969/70 I joined P &O Criuse Lines as an Engineer Officer untill I married and started a family. Mike Bond.
 
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