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Lucas Shaftmoor Lane Branch Works 3

I have not looked at the Birmingham History site for some months and forgot how good it is.
My father Arthur Sparling was a Forman at Shaftmoor Lane during the war. Over two hundred women worked in his department making revolving gun turrets for bombers. I remember being taken there one Sunday morning and being allowed to sit in a gun turret and pressing the pedals to make it go round.
Afterwards we went to Tysley Working Men’s club and played snooker.
I remember dad telling me about one of the ladies getting her hair caught in one of the machines and being scalped, not a nice thought.
Memories.
 
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Re: Redevelopment of Lucas BW3 Factory Shaftmoor Lane
The photos & text that Jackie Hill has posted of the Lucas Shaftmoor Lane plans for the site must bring happy & sad memories to all ex-Lucas employees it does for me, i worked there for 28yrs lots more enjoyed 40yrs employment, yes i say enjoyed because it was a family company with families of workers employed, we had our ups & downs and our falling outs, in most cases we soon became friends again, i enjoyed going & working there i know there are thousands of pensioners and ex-workers out there lets hear your thoughts on the development of the site, maybe you have got a name you think should be used on a community hall?, we have to move on and the only thing that can not be done is to restore Lucas BW 3,4 & 5 to their former working state, come on Lucsites lets hear from you!!!. Len Copsey ex-WED B5
 
My Father, Arthur Sparling, was a foreman at Shaftmoor Lane during the war. I believe he was in charge of a large number of women and they made those round swinging gun turrets that fitted under the bombers.
The work was very hard and demanding, and eventually he had a nervous breakdown and was never the same man again.
On Sunday mornings, when the factory was quite, he would take me with him and let me sit in one of the gun turrets, and I would press the left and right foot pedals to make it swing round. Afterwards, we would go to Tyseley Working Men’s Club for a game of snooker.
He did tell me of one incident when one of the girls had not put on her protective hair net, her hair caught in a machine and it was all ripped of.
 
Just found this one. My dad with the officers of Shaftsmore Lane fire dept. A Reflections photo. 12-05-1954
 
I only worked at Shaftmoor Lane for a year and a bit back in 1987/1988. I met my future/current husband there. Simon Short, we've been married 15 years and been together 19 years. It was a lovely place to work at then. Our children also attended the few Christmas parties that were held there. My sister used to work at Shaftmoor Lane too, in the photography dept. Brother Richard worked at the Electrical side and brother Bert used to work on the Shaftmoor Lane site. Talk about keeping it the family :o)
 
Hi Louis, Jackie Hill of Lucas Memories website would love this photo as i do its real history. Len.
 
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Len I have the photo Lou sent it to me yesterday. what a brilliant photo

There must still be photos out there, as this photo proves, so come on Lucalites get digging and send them to me

Jackie
 
Hi Louis.
Difficult to say for definate but it looks very much like a Zeppelin LZ. The only British airship that looked similar was the "R" series such as the R101 but the main visual difference was that the tail fins on the "R" series were pointed where as the Zeppelin had a flattend end to the fin. Your picture, although not that clear when enlarged looks like the fin ends are flat. Hope this helps you.
Chocks
 
My dad also told the tale when the GRAF ZEPPLIN (EXCUSE SPELLING) came over birmingham. what a great photo, I do hope other members have photos to share on this topic.
 
Hi, I have a couple of photo's of my Mom when she worked at Lucas in Shaftmoor Lane back in the 60s, one is of her and her fellow ladies in the darts team and a second of her at a presentation ( I presume her retirement). I'd like to put them on this site but want to make sure they go where other people who may be interested can acces them. Any ideas please.
Danny
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danimac said:
Hi, I have a couple of photo's of my Mom when she worked at Lucas in Shaftmoor Lane back in the 60s, one is of her and her fellow ladies in the darts team and a second of her at a presentation ( I presume her retirement). I'd like to put them on this site but want to make sure they go where other people who may be interested can acces them. Any ideas please.
Danny
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Hi Danny, Do you have a cousin named Ann living in Australia? regards Ann B
 
Danny if you scroll down through the Forums you will find one dedicated to Lucas. Also Jackie Hill would love to see memories and photos of Lucas on her Lucas site.
 
bernie i was just going to say that but i cant find jackies lucas thread...it used to have a permanent place on the home page....i can only see the lucas training video one...mind you me eyes are not what they used to be lol....
 
Ann, To be quite honest I don't know. My Mom ( Kathleen Ellis formally McDonnell maiden name Hanks) was one of twelve children most of whom survide childhood and some including my Mom (9) had large families and untill recently only met up at funerals. We then had a get together of about 30 cousins at the Stags Head ( Summer Lane-Brealey St) and I didnt know most of them up to that day. Hoping to arrange a further get together soon.Regards
Danny
 
danimac said:
Ann, To be quite honest I don't know. My Mom ( Kathleen Ellis formally McDonnell maiden name Hanks) was one of twelve children most of whom survide childhood and some including my Mom (9) had large families and untill recently only met up at funerals. We then had a get together of about 30 cousins at the Stags Head ( Summer Lane-Brealey St) and I didnt know most of them up to that day. Hoping to arrange a further get together soon.Regards
Danny
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Thanks Danny, I have a cousin living in Brum who is known as Danny Mac and he knows I live in Australia. I had been hoping you were that cousin and had taken an interest in the family history. Oh well, never mind, I live in hope.

Regards, Ann
 
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