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Soho Foundry
- Thread starter Charlie
- Start date
HI JFC
I Also worked at averys in the sixties i was in the electro plating deparment and i also worked in the painting of the jockey scales
that was thanks to my uncle bill smart whom worked there for years he got me a job in there at averys we worked in the same department
when i joined the averys you had to see the nurse for a meical ; and she took my blod pressure during the part of the check
the silly nurse had put the band around my arm to tight and started to pump the pressure but she had put it that tight when it was raising i i passed
and they had to send for my uncle bill to the surgey but i came around and went back to my department they kept an eye on me
but i was okay then there was short time working so i left and went to work at bristol street motors and after a while i went into see the manager
for a pay rise the other blokes working there all laughed at me so i went into the shop floor manager whom was fred wakelin
exmotor bike champion whom was the owners at the time manager for the entire bristol street motor company owned by the cresswell bothers
before coming a ford dealership the two brothers was don and harry cressman two grt blokes
but any way i went in and asked them for a pay rise the shop floor guys was all watching the office door for me to come out and when i did i was smileing
and they called me over and said what did he say and laughed i said yes he gave me a pay rise of 3d they could not beleive it
i was chuffed ;but amonth or two later i wanted to join the army and asked himfor a reference to join the army and they said yes they gave me one and
off i went and joined up when i got my first lave i went back to them to see the old gang as well incidently there yard and compound was just around the corner from averys by the soho hotel pub if you can recall the the rail way arches by the the 95 bus terminus i was up there
thats where they brought the cars for storage and serviced them when they came down from fords but when i came back there was all security on the gates i had to go through them to get into the yard and work places and the security officer said you must be that lad that joined the army he
said i have heard about you when you woked here and hw you march in for a pay rise any way he let through and they was all glad to see me at least ;
my uncle bill was the care taker at lodge rd church with my aunt maud whom lived there oppersite the mental hospital
i had a gret time at averys they was a good firm to work for ; best wishes Astonian
I Also worked at averys in the sixties i was in the electro plating deparment and i also worked in the painting of the jockey scales
that was thanks to my uncle bill smart whom worked there for years he got me a job in there at averys we worked in the same department
when i joined the averys you had to see the nurse for a meical ; and she took my blod pressure during the part of the check
the silly nurse had put the band around my arm to tight and started to pump the pressure but she had put it that tight when it was raising i i passed
and they had to send for my uncle bill to the surgey but i came around and went back to my department they kept an eye on me
but i was okay then there was short time working so i left and went to work at bristol street motors and after a while i went into see the manager
for a pay rise the other blokes working there all laughed at me so i went into the shop floor manager whom was fred wakelin
exmotor bike champion whom was the owners at the time manager for the entire bristol street motor company owned by the cresswell bothers
before coming a ford dealership the two brothers was don and harry cressman two grt blokes
but any way i went in and asked them for a pay rise the shop floor guys was all watching the office door for me to come out and when i did i was smileing
and they called me over and said what did he say and laughed i said yes he gave me a pay rise of 3d they could not beleive it
i was chuffed ;but amonth or two later i wanted to join the army and asked himfor a reference to join the army and they said yes they gave me one and
off i went and joined up when i got my first lave i went back to them to see the old gang as well incidently there yard and compound was just around the corner from averys by the soho hotel pub if you can recall the the rail way arches by the the 95 bus terminus i was up there
thats where they brought the cars for storage and serviced them when they came down from fords but when i came back there was all security on the gates i had to go through them to get into the yard and work places and the security officer said you must be that lad that joined the army he
said i have heard about you when you woked here and hw you march in for a pay rise any way he let through and they was all glad to see me at least ;
my uncle bill was the care taker at lodge rd church with my aunt maud whom lived there oppersite the mental hospital
i had a gret time at averys they was a good firm to work for ; best wishes Astonian
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
Hello Astonian. I remember going to Avery's in 1962 on a trip from school to see the latest weighing machines. I worked at Bristol St Motors in 1966. This was on the old soap works, under the arches. I worked in the P.D.I shop as an auto-electrician. I remember Fred Wakelin. Happy days.
HI BOB ;
Was you there before 66 did you meet freds brother inlaw he lived on dudley rd him and his mrs used to rumn a little tiny shop
on dudley rd just before the college arms and next to the little pub ;where the owners daughter marred connie out of the batchelors group
she was a stage dancer at blackpool where they met she brought him home to the pub
and my dear old mother was a big fan of the boys and the morning after they came home to the pub for the week end conie brought mother a cup of tea into the lounge where she was cleaning ; it knocked her off her feet she never washed her face for a week where he kissed her face
i think he was an electrician; and he also done the undersealing under the cars before they was being shipped down to bristol stret from there
would you recall the two londoner brothers from london whom done the car cleaning and old joe the foreman and the guy whom became there chuaffer
for the cressmans he later moved down the bristol street and drove them around on there bussiness
i cannot think of his name but his previous occupation was a chauffer for rich people and he came as a car cleaner but got the job as there chauffer
for the brothers nice to know you worked there bob; best wishes Astonian
Was you there before 66 did you meet freds brother inlaw he lived on dudley rd him and his mrs used to rumn a little tiny shop
on dudley rd just before the college arms and next to the little pub ;where the owners daughter marred connie out of the batchelors group
she was a stage dancer at blackpool where they met she brought him home to the pub
and my dear old mother was a big fan of the boys and the morning after they came home to the pub for the week end conie brought mother a cup of tea into the lounge where she was cleaning ; it knocked her off her feet she never washed her face for a week where he kissed her face
i think he was an electrician; and he also done the undersealing under the cars before they was being shipped down to bristol stret from there
would you recall the two londoner brothers from london whom done the car cleaning and old joe the foreman and the guy whom became there chuaffer
for the cressmans he later moved down the bristol street and drove them around on there bussiness
i cannot think of his name but his previous occupation was a chauffer for rich people and he came as a car cleaner but got the job as there chauffer
for the brothers nice to know you worked there bob; best wishes Astonian
Brookfields Lad
master brummie
I started there at the beginning of 1966. The Transit was introduced that year. I remember the chap who did the undersealing. Long, long, time ago. Best wishes
Think this 1830 engraving shows the cottages. It's a rear view of the foundry from Nineveh Road by Calvert and Radclyffe and was an illustration for their 'Picturesque views and descriptions of towns, castles, mansions ... Etc' The housing/cottages are to the front of the picture. The view is made more picturesque by the addition of woods, which were not, in reality, this dense. Viv.
edcartermo
master brummie
I took a few pics of the cottages in 2012:
https://images.birminghamhistory.co.uk/coppermine/displayimage.php?pid=9182
https://images.birminghamhistory.co.uk/coppermine/displayimage.php?pid=9182
At one time Charles and my self worked in Production Engineering Dept.Charles was the Rate-fixer for B dept and had
his office there.I was based on the top floor of the office block.I was doing costing for new and old machines and often
went down to see Charles for advise on assembly times.he was a great help and always had a smile on his face
What a nice gent
Regards
John Hughes
his office there.I was based on the top floor of the office block.I was doing costing for new and old machines and often
went down to see Charles for advise on assembly times.he was a great help and always had a smile on his face
What a nice gent
Regards
John Hughes
Oisin
gone but not forgotten
I think we're getting a bit confused here between Soho Works, which was in Handsworth, and Soho Foundry in Smethwick where three of my sisters worked at different times in the 60s. I remember the two younger ones being reprimanded for being "improperly dressed" because they wore fashionable clothes (must say the younger of the two pushed it a bit by wearing one black stocking and one white though). My eldest sister, Madge, worked in Transport/Despatch (was it?) for years,until she took early retirement to look after Mom, if anyone knew her.
Thanks Oisin, was a bit confused about which 'Soho'. The 'Works' was also referred to as The Mint. Would have been much easier to differentiate between them if they'd kept that title but I suppose they changed to the 'Works' title when their activity expanded and changed. Viv.
DavidGrain
master brummie
I have always thought that the main works were called Soho Manufactury which included several buildings including the Mint and the Latchet Works (which were part of the Time Team programme) and the factory in Smethwick was Soho Foundry.
Incidentally the Gates which have stood at Soho Foundry for about 70 years have been returned to Liverpool where they rightly belong. As thses were listed building you can imagine the negotiations and approvals which had to take place. see https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/03/16/historic-gates-returning-to-home-city/#ixzz1Gm7jqaMK
Time to revive this thread of Astonite's. Here we have Egington's 1773 view of Soho Manufactory and Swinney's 1774 north-east view of The Soho. Interesting to see that the aristocracy chose to visit the Manufactory as a part of their leisurely entertainment. We can see their coaches drawing up to the main entrance in both views .....
But what I really like is this plan of The Mint by George Demidowicz of 1805 showing the acknowledgement of the growing number of visitors with the availability of a 'Tearoom' (and a menagerie?!).
Boulton also landscaped the surrounding area so that visitors might take a leisurely stroll around the grounds. Wasn't this a wonderful period? The Enlightenment, great advancements in technology and it all happening on Birmingham turf. Viv.
But what I really like is this plan of The Mint by George Demidowicz of 1805 showing the acknowledgement of the growing number of visitors with the availability of a 'Tearoom' (and a menagerie?!).
Boulton also landscaped the surrounding area so that visitors might take a leisurely stroll around the grounds. Wasn't this a wonderful period? The Enlightenment, great advancements in technology and it all happening on Birmingham turf. Viv.
Two John Phillip views of 1796. This simple sketch is the view across the mill pond. We can see the worker's entrance in the wall with the clock above the arch by which workers could check the time. The second is a view across Soho Pool towards the engine works You can see the bridge over Hockley Brook to the left. How striking that the Manufactory/Mint/Works looked more like a stately home than a typical factory we imagine today. There's even fruit trees growing on the boundary wall. I suppose during this period there was little else to compare it with as most engineering activity was going on in small, cramped workshops. Viv.
DavidGrain
master brummie
The gates were only wide enough for pedestrian use so they could not have been the main gates. Interesting article on the Liverpool Sailors Home and photos of the gates in their new location on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_Sailors'_Home
Stephen0002002
master brummie
We used to play tennis all the time at Sandon Road sports ground they had 2 excellent shayle courts, 2 very good hard courts and even would you believe .... a grass court.
DavidGrain
master brummie
I remember Avery's sports ground at Sandon Road. As a boy I often walked in and watched the cricket. I think the ground is still derelict. Old versions of the A-Z have always shown proposed roads across the site and gaps are still there between the houses in City Road for these roads to be built.
edcartermo
master brummie
I've noticed those gaps when walking in City Road. As there doesn't appear to be corresponding gaps in Poplar Avenue I wonder if it was intended for there to be one crescent road?
DavidGrain
master brummie
I assume that this would be so. The interesting thing is that this plan must have been contemporary with the date of the building of the houses in City Road yet they were never built and since the playing field became disused no one seems to have taken up the idea again.
Stephen0002002
master brummie
Murdock was right oppposite my old Rd - Babington. So very handy for walking to Soho. Im sure my Dad or Mum would have known them.