My father, Donald Milham, worked as a letterpress machine minder at Buckler & Webb from 1949 to 1971, I believe in the Edmund Street works. This became Hudson, Buckler & Webb before the works closed down.
My father died in 2006, and I am now writing a small article for the Printing Historical Society www.printinghistoricalsociety.org.uk about my Dad's career in print.
From the "Hudson Group History" page at www.hudsongroup.co.uk/company_profile.htm there has been considerable changes in ownership. However I was hoping somebody may have some contemporary information and photographs available I could use, or suggestions on people I could contact for some more information.
I worked for Buckler & Webb Ltd. at their Argyle Works on Church St. as an apprentice compositor from April 1962 until October 1963 when I chose, with the company's permission, to sever my indentures. Despite not continuing my printing career I have lots of dear memories of the people I worked with. Unfortunately I did not know any of the machine minders but remember most of my fellow compositors. My other apprentice colleagues (all senior to me) were: Bill Campion (from Cardiff), Dave Elliot (a Brummie), Johnny Davies (who played semi-pro football for Alvechurch), and Tony Summers. Tony was training to be a machine minder for the metal type-setting machines.
There were lots of trained comps. too; many of them named Tom (or Tommy); Gazey, Boffy, Meredith; Norman Weston (who was 40 in 1962 so if he's still alive he will be in his mid-nineties now.) John Eustace (who was around 25 and had done his apprenticeship with the company, then found a job elsewhere but had then returned to the fold; at the time of writing this (Jan 2018) he would be around 80 years old). The foreman was a lovely man named Walter, though I can't remember his surname; his deputy was Ron Bibby. In the proof-readers room was Jack Round and his assistant was a lovely 21 year old named Janet Roberts. When needed I used to go and read for Jack and I'm sure it helped me in my own reading and writing too!
We had our own canteen on the top floor and the lady who did the cooking was Gladys. For two shillings you got a two course meal; main course and a pudding.
I discovered a book on Birmingham architecture back in 1982 and it had a picture of the Buckler & Webb building in it. It was a Grade II listed building and I decided, twenty years on, to go and seek it out. Sadly (and very annoyingly!) it had been demolished and a much taller modern building had replaced it. I'm still sad about its demise. When you're fifteen years old, as I was in 1962, you don't have appreciation of the surroundings in which you work. But I remember the building extremely well which is why I find it so sad that planners allowed it to be sold off and redeveloped.
I don't know much about what happened to the company? I believe it was absorbed (sold?) to Hudsons, who were a very big printers in the area at the time.
I'm not sure if I've provided to the bit of history for your own needs, but hope this helps to clarify a few historical points for you.
