Maria Magenta
master brummie
Newton Shakespeare was on the corner of Garrison Lane and Witton Street, opposite the park. I think it closed in the 1970s, and has since been demolished. There are now houses where it used to be. It made things like japanned trays and boxes, picnic sets, cash boxes, cabin trunks, deed boxes - that sort of thing; and I believe that during the war it made things like munitions boxes. The trademark was 'Garrison' in rather flowing script. There are a couple of references to it on the website Grace's Guide.
My father worked there from the 1930s to the end. We used to live almost next door to the factory, in Park Villas, and several of the neighbours also worked at the factory. Dad had about a 30 second journey to work! My mother worked there during the war, as well. Lorries used to go up and down the entry which backed on to our back gardens, and there was a little wooden door in Witton Street which the workforce used to use, inside which lurked Jim, the Irish time-keeper, also one of our neighbours.
My father worked there from the 1930s to the end. We used to live almost next door to the factory, in Park Villas, and several of the neighbours also worked at the factory. Dad had about a 30 second journey to work! My mother worked there during the war, as well. Lorries used to go up and down the entry which backed on to our back gardens, and there was a little wooden door in Witton Street which the workforce used to use, inside which lurked Jim, the Irish time-keeper, also one of our neighbours.
