School visits to factories

[Vivienne14]

Not school visits but visits in an early job. One to a factory in Witton that made right angle army torches. This was to learn about plastic extrusion processes - I think it was somehow connected to the Guinness business.

The other visit was to a British Steel foundry in, I think, Bilston. What an eye-opener that was. The working conditions were unbelievable; dangerous, hot and dirty. I was fascinated by the handling of the crucible and seeing it tipped and poured. Sparks seemed to fly everywhere. Memorable.

 

[mikejee]

Not living in an area of great industrial activity, I got no school visits. Did get some visits when looking for a job, at a time when there were lots of jobs, applications were always answered and, usually, travel costs refunded. British Glue and Gelatine in London , long now defunct, involved a visit to the gelatine factory, but also their glue factory - what a smell. But in the labs they were doing interesting work trying to chemically modify gelatine so that it could be used for other purposes - shelves with long lines of slightly differently treated samples. Also had a process aimed at providing protein for third world countries from grass. Never heard of that process since, though the product semm ed to be ok, though tasteless. But then all these substitute meats are tasteless before flavour added. Then there was a company in a building opposite Leaminton station (now demolished and is a block of flats). They did oil survey, travelling all over the world and looking for oil. But it involved lots of accurate drawing, and my drawing skills are not particularly good. The British cast iron research association in Alvechurch. Just labs, no actual, factory. International Nickel in Wiggin St. Don't remember much about that one. Cadburys, where I finally went, although they then did tours for the public, never gave me a factory tour, just the labs.

 

[Astoness]

I can’t recall my school organising regular visits to workplaces, but in my last year before leaving I visited a couple of factories as part of a small group. The one that sticks in my mind was Linread. Somewhere near Livery St. I think. Linreads made fasteners by cold forging, and the din on the factory floor was appalling. The chap showing us around was describing the various processes to us, but he might well have been speaking in a foreign tongue for all I could tell. I left with the feeling that working in the manufacturing industry was not for me, but in the end it proved inescapable.

my mom used to do out work for linreads..from memory sorting out nuts and bolts and i can still remember the oily smell that came from the hesisan sacks they were delivered in..

lyn

 

[Donbogen]

I love that smell