• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team

W & T Avery Exhibition Of Wwii Photographs

hi bernard
many thanks for advertising the exhib; i must pop along there ;do you know what the entrance fee may be ;
i worked there many years ago my uncle billy smart worked there for years before he died some years back and he got me in there for a job
i have painted big gurders in special toxics i have painted variuos scales and the orinional jockey scales for the horse racing bridgade before sending them out and also i was the electro plater there in the eletro plating department there was about twelve of us in that department in those days including uncle bill he worked there for donkeys years ' uncle bill started when the old city council stopped useing the steel kerb stones along the streets of brum then they came out with the concrete ones and thats when they started to mke redundies on the ouncil as it did not warrant so many men to la the concrete ones they was the good old days ;
he later retired and went on to be the care taker at the chrch in lodge rd hockley oppersite all saints and just along from the devon shire arms devenshire street hockley
have a good day best wishes Astonian;;
 
Thanks Bernard.I showed the details to members of retired Avery people at our meeting at Londonderry on Tuesday
and they all expressed keen interest but to expect us old people 70 plus to travel to Wythall on a Monday night
was a non-starter.Perhaps a local venue in the day time would be a better option. Soho Foundry or even our Tuesday meeting.
Regards
John Hughes
 
John, I hope to get to this talk on Monday, I do have a meeting on that evening but conveniently it's at the Indian restaurant opposite the library, I will see if I can get some contact details for you.


Colin
 
I went to the presentation last night and would recommend going to one if you ever see it advertised, it was given by Andrew Lound, Curator of the Avery Historical Museum, who does these talks to small groups around the midlands.
The talk covered the early history of Avery's, their contribution to the war effort and the Birmingham Blitz when parts of the factory were bombed twice and rebuilt .
A story which ran through the talk involved a young apprentice who started at Avery's in 1938, became part of the factory Home Guard and ARP unit, who then joined the Army when he was old enough, landed at Dunkirk travelled through Europe and was at Belson when it was liberated, he returned home after the war and married a girl who worked at Avery's, at the talk were his daughter and grand daughter who had supplied information and photos of him.
Many of the photos in the talk had only recently been found, they had all been documented so a lot of information was gained from this collection. The museum is only open for visits be appointment but, I spoke to Andrew about the possibility of doing a talk for BHF members, so watch this space.

Colin
 
What a most interesting exhibition this must be. I am sure many, like me, who most likely would not get to visit any venue where the exhibition was held will look forward to any book that is subsequently published.

There can be few people who have never seen the name Avery (and Salter of course) being on one form of weighing or measuring device.
 
There was a book published 1946 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the foundry. In it is the following picture showing the result of one of the raids in dec. 1940

damage_from_mine_to_foundry_dec_1940A.jpg
 
Thanks Colin.Sounds Good.
We have met Andrew at his Titanic Exhibition last year at Soho some twenty of us made the trip
Cheers
JH
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top