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HP Sauce Factory

C

Chrissy

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I was the tea girl on the fruit sauce section. I was not old enough to work the machines but funny enough I was when I had to take over to allow individuals to go for a toilet/fag break. The supervisor she was a right ***** I was glad to leave.
As a small child, I can remember the smell of the hops from Ansells and the vinegar from HP mixing together, what a stink.
 
When we got married in1961 my wife left work at Joseph Lucas G.K.S. and went to work as the secretary to the manager of the vinager factory at H.P. Aston Cross.
 
Earp: if you can remember the smell of Ansells and HP, you must have lived close to me, near Vicarage Road.

Mike-g: maybe your wife knew my cousin Pamela Daunter who worked in the office at HP around that time.
 
Jean, I lived up the road in Nechells. Charles Arthur St next door to the senior school.
I worked at HP in the 70's, but didn't stay long, because of the supervisor. :)
 
You didn't have to live that close to Ansells/HP to get the pungent aroma if the wind was in the right direction ! At home in William Street or at school in Alma Street, there weren't many days when you couldn't detect it. Actually I never found it unpleasant at all. Any similar smell now just evokes memories of those days. A bit like the smell of a steam engine - it's unique and takes you back in time
 
I worked in the offices at HP Sauce from about 1955 to 1959, I remember Ted Chandler, Alan Gregory, Johnny Johnson, Pauline Parker, Angela Day, it was a large open office with addressograph machines all down one side, suppose now all that info would be on computer, we had manual "Olivetti" typewriters, looked forward to the sandwiches being served lunchbreak, canteen upstairs, we had to clock in  and were able top buy HP Sauce and Pickled Onions cheap - nice. ANYONE remember these memories ? my name then was Dorothy Weller.
 
I buy both David just to support to get back at those nasty bean makers would not be good for my plate :(
 
The label on the bottles was always a dead giveaway in the past at least? Aston, Birmingham, 6 ? ;D
 
I use to work at United biscuits in Ashbydelazouch. Biscuits being sent to different supermarkets are just packed in different wrappers. (same biscuits, different wrapper)
so it may just be the same with HP and Daddies just different labels or could it be that HP brown sauce is a little bit sweeter than daddies or viceversa? :-\
 
I worked for Symbol Biscuits and they did the same 2/10 for the local Shop 2/6 for the Supermarket and the price was printed on the packs in those days.
 
Hi, this one is for my cousin Derek MATTHEWS:
"Any one remember Beryl Gittus (now Matthews worked in the export office with Harry Brown, Margaret Griffiths, Myrna Hyley. Beryl is 2nd cousin of Audrey Bird who worked on the Addresograph machine. Derek Mattews who married Beryl was the office boy ,Ernie Dixon worked with Alan Gregory,Ernie was the stepbrother of Johnny Dixon, captain of Aston Villas F.A.  CUP WINNING side in 1957. The Cup came to H.P. and was shown around by Ernie with much pride.
CAN ANY ONE REMEMBER THIS ONE?
ASTON ( FOR & ON BEHALF OF DEREK & BERYL) ::)
 
Hi Aston

You mentioned Alan Gregory in your HP Sauce message, I worked with him in and around 1955, he had a brother called Harry, I can't remember the other names you mentioned. I left HP in 1959.

Regards
 
HI EARP, IT,S THE SIXTY FOUR DOLLAR QUESTION, DEBATE WHICH IS BETTER,,IS IT DARKER, , OR LIGHTER, CO,S ONE WAS MADE IN TOWER ROAD , OR WAS IT BETTER FROM THE ASTON CROSS,;;; I BELIEVE THE TOWER ROAD WAS THE FIST PRODUCTION OF DADDIE,S SAUCE , BEFORE MAKING THE BLEND FINER, WHICH WAS IMPROVED FOR TASTE , ;; ALSO THE COLOUR AND TASTE WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENCE, YET IT IS THE SAME INGRREDIENCE;; IT,S LIKE SAYING THE GUINISE BEER BREWED IN IRELAND IS BETTER THAN THE GUINSE BREWED OVER HERE, A COMPLETE MYTH, HP SAUCE IS THE BEST IN THE WORLD, AND EVERY TABLE IN ENGLAND SHOULD HAVE IT ON THE TABLE, SO WEAR THE FLAG, AND THE CREST AT ALL TIMES ON YOUR TABLE, BEST WISHES TO EVERY ONE , ASTONIAN;;;
 
Eswin Moore produced Daddies sauce as a cheaper alternative to HP.They were produced by completely seperate work forces . HP bottles had Midland vinigar co. on them but Daddies had Trade malt vinigar Co but they were the same firm. Hp staff always regarded themselves as superior to those making Daddies!!
 
JOHN I think you meanTOWER ROAD IT IS THE BOTTOM HALF JUST BEFORE YOU COME OUT ONTO BOTTOM OF PARK ROAD BY ANSELLS.(aston cross)
Is that a lady from the salvation army with the gate keeper? it looks like a S.A. bonnet she is wearing.
Is it 1952?
 
postie you are right again, its the coronation Ishould have seen the flags!
But the rest of my info it right as I lived just up the road.
Thanks & Regards ASTON
 
Well thats the end HP is no more TODAY 23rd AUG 2006!
May be ASTON will have lost the only remaining large user of water from the water table, which is from BEER to SAUCE the taste of ASTON.
All the large factory's had Wells using ASTON WATER. I know G.E.C. Witton did it was pumped out from under the Magnet Club fields. Will this mean Aston will have a flood problem again,remember when Tame Rd, Electric Ave & Brookvale Rd, were under water?
Cannot the WATER BOARDS use this now, may be not to drink but to use to keep our parks, and streets, clean.Birmingham used this water in the past as a main water supply,before we had that soft clean Welsh Water.
So come on you fat cats think ASTON WATER :tickedoff:
 
no more of their products will come into my house regardless of how I liked HP Sauce the guy from the company said they are still going to use the HP logo for historical reasons a very sad day for us that lived next to that aroma when we were kids :'( :'(
 
YOU & ME BOTH JOHN.I note Miss Clare Short as said its OK to use the HP logo.That Vinagar that flooded our house would have been a collectors item now.
ASTON
 
I am so sorry to see the end of another era with the loss of HP Sauce from Aston, but I'm afraid it was a foregone conclusion, once these large multi-national organisations make up their minds to pursue their objective what ever it may be, thats it. As I posted when the closure was first mooted I will never buy HP sauce again, but I did hear on the news last night that beans and soup production still take place in the north of England, so I won't boycott them, and Lea & Perrins sauce is going back to Worcester - its original home.
 
I'm really sad about it...
as with many of us...it was the regular smell and sight from where we lived.

All the changes are so hard, and I'm only 47, it must be even harder for those who lived there for longer.  :(

sylviasayers said:
and Lea & Perrins sauce is going back to Worcester - its original home.
Click to expand...
that is some good news, at least.
 
I will never touch another Heinz product again. Ever. Wasn't all that keen on their beans n' stuff anyway, but loved the HP and Daddies Sauces. Praps someone will come up with a Brum alternative! :mad: :mad:

ChrisB
 
:tickedoff:Dunno but who owns Daddies anyway, is it still Brummie owned? It's the nearest thing to HP and so the only alternative I think. If Heinz own that too, looks like I for one won't be eating any more sauce. :tickedoff:

ChrisB
 
both made by HP also they make supermarket brands so it makes it difficult to know which is which
 
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