Researching family history and need general info on working at Brown Baileys - any of you 'senior surfers' like to recount, retell a few stories?

Thanx :)

my father worked at Brown Baileys, as did my late uncle and grandfather, if you need something specific I will willingly ask him for you.:)

My Dad worked at Brown Baileys. I can ask him specifics too.

Dustbunny and Shirleye

Thanks for your replies - much appreciated

Would any of your family like to be interviewed informally about their memories at BB's for a local oral history project? Alternatively, set something down in writing?

Teabag


:thumbsup: :)

I will try get something down in writing, probalby be next weekend. is that alright? any particular years?

My dad was employed by Brown Bayleys for 44 years. He worked in several departments over the years. Sadly the working conditions, in those days, affected his health and he had to take early retirement.
My brother still has the clock that Brown Bayleys gave dad when he retired in the late 1970's.

That would be terrific - I have activated the sytem to enable to E mail me directly or you can post on the site - your call. Either way I would be interested in hearing an account of working there.

Thanks again

Teabag :)

my dad worked at brown baileys for over 20 years he took redundancy in summer of 1981 when he was 55 as he was having a lot of back problems. i cant ask him anything as he died in 1993 but i know he was a slinger he used to put the blocks on to the cranes for them to be lifted and the money was not that good as he used to work a 12 hour shift for most of the years he worked there. he used to work nights one week then days another. i think it was like 6 while 6 something like that.

Originally posted by Teabag
Researching family history and need general info on working at Brown Baileys - any of you 'senior surfers' like to recount, retell a few stories?

Thanx :) .
Teabag , Dont know if you have enough info about BB , but my dad also worked their. I know he would be more than willing to help , he loves talking about the old days.
PM me or email if you need anything
:clap:

ayup son finally got on, kez had to do it for me. reply if you get this message.

I used to work at brown baileys but only from 1959 to 1962.

What did you do at Bayleys?:thumbsup:

Well done for posting by the way:clap:

hiya teabag
i worked in number 4 mill. rolling that is.my coddy was jack turner.foreman was len needham.i remember the personnel officer was mrs moody.our 2 main directors were mr brown and mr haigh.hope this is of help to you.

Just joined the forum today. I started my working days at Brown Bayleys (think that's how it was spelt?) in 1970. Iworked in the export department. Was there for about 2 years.

I started my working life at Brown Baileys. My father had worked in the electricians shop before going into the rolling mill as a roller driver. I commenced working in the chemical laboratory in 1956 and stayed for about three years and worked with some great people.

I was an apprentice boilermaker there in the seventies.
Worked in the Boiler Shop.
My 'mentor' - can't remember his name - spent most of the time - studying sheet music. He used to moonlight playing the guitar or Hammond organ in pubs.
I was given most of the horrible ( and dangerous come to think of it ) jobs - like burning off twisted and mangled ingots from the rolling mills. Or welding/repairing parts of nackered furnaces. Usually by crawling through tiny passages without wearing any protection except a pair of overalls ( usually tattered and blackened as we used to seem to set them on fire very regularly ) and stel toe-capped boots.
It was a hell-hole and smelled constantly of burnt metal.
On the other hand it was incredibly exciting to be a 16 year old kid working a few yards away from the rolling mills, the furnaces or the massive hammer forges.
The men were all big, blunt,rough, tough and would think nothing of drinking four pints of beer in half an hour at dinner time - but they looked after me. I think I was the only kid who had wanted to be a Boilermaker for years. Consequently, I was given a hard time and I learned to be good at my job very quickly.
I was also passed around from team to team ( welder and labourer ) so I got to know the gossip and lowdown everybody who worked in the shop.
I only worked there for about three years ( I joined the Army after that ) - but the place is tattooed on my brain.
Especially monstrous was the way all the apprentices were forced to perform in some home cooked Christmas Panto before most of the employees.
Ritual humiliation but good natured.

Hi, My dad worked at Brown Baileys and my brother in law. My dad was (I think) the chief electrician and mu brother-in-law was an armature winder.

I also started my working life at Brown Baileys in the personnel office. The boss then was Mr Kelsey.

Great dinner and dances at the Cutlers Hall.

Mr dad worked at Brown Baileys (chief electrician I think) Also my brother-in-law who was an armature winder. I started my working life at Brown Baileys in the Personnel Office as a junior and my boss was Mr Kelsey.

Great dinner and dances at the Cutlers Hall

my dad worked as a boiler maker, his name was Roy Smith, he would be 80 now, we went to australia in 1975 for a year, do you remember him,

I remember playing cricket against them in the Sheffield League. I think their ground was at Oliver's Mount, Handsworth area?

Hi Davs. My dad died in 1971 but my brother-in-law is still with us. I will ask him. I don't remeber him. But I do rember playing Netball and rounders at
Brown Bayleys sports club at the top of High Hazels Park.

My grandad used to work there. I don't know any stories to pass on to you right now, but I'll try and show him this thread when I next see him.

My dad used to work at Brown Bayley's Steelworks in the Siemens open hearth furnace - there were 3 going when the works were busy. I went to work there straight from school in 1960/61 as a "trainee" - that's right just a "trainee" which meant spending a month to 6 weeks in a department until you found something you liked - or were told what to do. The youth Employment manager was Mr Kelford - I got spotted as promising and was promoted to the offices - which effectively meant a pay cut as the good money was in the hot jobs the melting shop and rolling mills where in good times you could work all the hours you wanted plenty of OT and piecework bonusus. After a while I left, then went back on the shopfloor on the furnaces finally reaching the dizzy hieghts of 3rd hand - and the odd 2nd hand shift on the Siemens Furnaces. Looking back on it it was good fun but bloody hard work and so hot - when I first started on the furnaces I was given a 28lb hammer to swing - that's a big hammer I said to the forman - Just remember he said this firm was built with big hammers and big men!

[QUOTE=leekar]Mr dad worked at Brown Baileys (chief electrician I think) Also my brother-in-law who was an armature winder. I started my working life at Brown Baileys in the Personnel Office as a junior and my boss was Mr Kelsey.

I Worked in elec shop from 1966 to 1971 then again from 1974ish to 1981
read this quote last Thurs 6th April the following day met up with Alan the armature winder on Fri in Sheff (not seen for 10 years or more) Do remember Mr Kelsey.

An old mate of mine, John (Dog) Robson worked at Brown Baileys in the 60's. Someone may remember him. He met an American girl on holiday in the UK, took a fancy to her and went back to America with her. When I last heard he was doing fine.

[QUOTE=leekar]Mr dad worked at Brown Baileys (chief electrician I think) Also my brother-in-law who was an armature winder. I started my working life at Brown Baileys in the Personnel Office as a junior and my boss was Mr Kelsey.

I Worked in elec shop from 1966 to 1971 then again from 1974ish to 1981
read this quote last Thurs 6th April the following day met up with Alan the armature winder on Fri in Sheff (not seen for 10 years or more) Do remember Mr Kelsey.
We were electricians together you and I.I was there from 1963 to 1970.I always called you Pat but when I read that book Steel city survivors I realised that Arthur Smith rechristened you.If you want to email me I,m on stuartb47 at yahoo.com.

Hi, My dad worked at Brown Baileys and my brother in law. My dad was (I think) the chief electrician and mu brother-in-law was an armature winder.

I also started my working life at Brown Baileys in the personnel office. The boss then was Mr Kelsey.

Great dinner and dances at the Cutlers Hall.
I did my electrical apprentiship 1963-70.Who was your dad and brother in law.?

hiya teabag
i worked in number 4 mill. rolling that is.my coddy was jack turner.foreman was len needham.i remember the personnel officer was mrs moody.our 2 main directors were mr brown and mr haigh.hope this is of help to you.
hi teabag i don tknow if this helps my dad worked at b b from about 1956 till 1964 when he died i think he worked in no 4 rolling mills also my mum worked there for awhile dad played cricket for them in fact he was captain at one time i have many memories of the ground at the top of high hazel park when they played away it was like atrip out we used to go on coach and it was a real family day out they were lovely memories len needham and i think jack nichols are names i can remember but the team were like a family group as we spent a lot of time together my dads ashes were buried on the ground so it always will have memories for us they had one good team

isn,t it Brown Bayley's

ooops...yes!

An old friend of my dads Frank Sampson worked as a fitter there for many years.:thumbsup:

my best mate [ charge hand was harry weealdon [ not misspelt!] now deceased harry helped me out of a lot of self immposed trouble [ ie] i was 2 open with my info!, re me!, i had a lot of friends in variose depts x fitters + tricians + top bank of course? when some one like me was popular? i got a few knockers as tride every thing to get me in trouble? i never let them win! i
[ no matter how i felt i all ways kept a grin on my face, i got redundant in 1974, along with most of brickfield & newhall + top bank, id never let any see me upsett, i kept for years most of the lads [men] meeting & visiting them at thier homes + thier familys great days, with one or 2 exceptions how ever most of the older 1 s ARE NOW DEAD FINALY!, TODAY 7, 4, 2007 I AM 74 &
STILL LAUGHING? OO IT DOES GET MY FAMILY MEMBERS MAD,

CLARRY = ODDFELLA90

My Dad worked at Brown Bayleys before, during and after WWII. He was a chipperremoving slag off finished ingots. During the war he had to do firewatching duties with out extra pay, as did anyone who worked there.

anyone know jim carter from there or david marshall ?

I was a lory driver in Brown Bayleys from 1980 to 1984 Happy days.Brian Mitchell, Mick and Ken Parker,Percy, Jack Thistlewhite,Mick Dobson, George Worrall, Tony Keegan, Brian Anderson [Boxer] Tom [Plumber] Ruben.

Researching family history and need general info on working at Brown Baileys - any of you 'senior surfers' like to recount, retell a few stories?

Thanx :)
My dad worked at Brown Bailey's from the 50's to the 70's as a Crane Driver, shifting steel from different parts of the factory. Don't have many memories of dad's work except that he worked high in the Gods, wore the obligatory 'donkey jacket' , would take large amounts of snap to keep him going. He used to freeze up in the crane and would blame his later Artheritus and stiffness on the years he spent up there, his hearing also suffered somewhat, extremely noisy places, anyone living within a couple of miles of the factories could hear the factories in operation. Dad ws finally made redundant in those awful 1970's when the whole world order seemed to change, maybe I shouldn't call them the awful 70's, it was the time the industrial world we had all know was overtaken by the new technologies etc.

My dad worked at Brown Bailey's from the 50's to the 70's as a Crane Driver, shifting steel from different parts of the factory. Don't have many memories of dad's work except that he worked high in the Gods, wore the obligatory 'donkey jacket' , would take large amounts of snap to keep him going. He used to freeze up in the crane and would blame his later Artheritus and stiffness on the years he spent up there, his hearing also suffered somewhat, extremely noisy places, anyone living within a couple of miles of the factories could hear the factories in operation. Dad ws finally made redundant in those awful 1970's when the whole world order seemed to change, maybe I shouldn't call them the awful 70's, it was the time the industrial world we had all know was overtaken by the new technologies etc.

my dad used to be a slinger he put the bars onto the cranes for the cranes to move so your dad may have worked with my dad, my dad no longer here now, he worked there from the late 50s to 1981 when he was made redundant

my dad used to be a slinger he put the bars onto the cranes for the cranes to move so your dad may have worked with my dad, my dad no longer here now, he worked there from the late 50s to 1981 when he was made redundant

Highly possible. My dads not around any more either, you lose so much once the living become the departed, you never quite realise what great reference points each of us is to the other until the references are lost.

Hi I started wokin at BB in 1968 when I was 15, to me then It was a huge factory that couldn't even be covered if you walked round it for a week. I got the choice of starting in one of twelve departments and I chose the tyre shop that rolled train tyres very hot and terrible conditions my wage was £3.6shillings and two pence in old money I used to get double that amount tips off the men I worked with doing errands for them. I only stuck it for 6 weeks then I left and got a job in the rolling mills at neepsend sadly my school pal who started BB with me died when he was 21 of a heart attack.

hiya guys and gals, theres another post on this (firth browns)

Hi Pat
Sorry I've been so long in replying. I do rember Mr Kelsey Personnel Manager. I started working for Brown Bayleys as his junior round about 1966. I am seeing Alan Thornton
tonight as my sister has come home from Canada (first time since 1973) so we are going for a drink. I mention him to you. Keep in touch.

Hi Biker
Sorry for the delay in replying. Mr dad was Arthur Smith and my brother-in-law is called Alan Thornton.

Hi Biker
Sorry for the delay in replying. Mr dad was Arthur Smith and my brother-in-law is called Alan Thornton.

Arthur was a father figure to lots of apprentices for years as we all started with him straight from school.I remember being on the pouring platform under the Birlec Arc furnace when they recharged it with steel that had water in the cylinder.A big ball of flame shot up to the roof.I dived into the foundations and Arthur outran it.He could really move!! A good man who taught us all a great deal.Alan and his mate Tony were always good to talk to when we went to mash our tea in the urn in the far bay until their chargehand had a wall built to stop us taking a short cut.Not a popular person.

My dad was employed by Brown Bayleys for 44 years. He worked in several departments over the years. Sadly the working conditions, in those days, affected his health and he had to take early retirement.
My brother still has the clock that Brown Bayleys gave dad when he retired in the late 1970's.
my father and brother worked ther in the war years my dad was a furniceman
harry woollen my btother was a crane driver fell down the ladders one day
had time of work for that he got two weeks in stangways manchester
that what you got for having time of work now thy pay them

Hiya Teabag, I know that it's a long time ago since you first started this thread, but if I can help you anymore please let me know. I worked at Brown Bayleys from 1966 to 1980. My dad and two uncles also worked there for many years.

Hiya Teabag, I know that it's a long time ago since you first started this thread, but if I can help you anymore please let me know. I worked at Brown Bayleys from 1966 to 1980. My dad and two uncles also worked there for many years.

Does anybody have any pictures of Brown Bayleys as I would be grateful if anybody would send them to stuartb47@yahoo.com

Oh i would love to see pictures also x

There are some on here........... Library services-Picture sheffield.com

just type where u want to see x

Oh i would love to see pictures also x

There are some on here........... Library services-Picture sheffield.com

just type where u want to see x

Thanks for the link.The White Hart pub is still there.How it survived the building of the Don Valley stadium is a mystery to me.Its not a pub now.

I'd be interested to know if any of the older end remember my uncle, Harry Kelford. He was a lovely bloke, apart from his job at Brown Bayleys ( I think he was involved in personnel or something to do with apprentices ??) he was scoutmaster at Lane Top ( known as ' skip' or 'skipper').

Thanks for the link.The White Hart pub is still there.How it survived the building of the Don Valley stadium is a mystery to me.Its not a pub now.


Your welcome, there r some great pics on there

My grandfather worked at Brown Bayleys pre-1935, I think as a furnaceman. My father remembers him coming home at the end of a shift with blood streaming down his face; someone had left a long rake the wrong way up and my grandfather stepped on it in the gloom. It shot up and broke his nose but he had to keep working on to the end of his shift as he didn't want to have his pay docked by leaving early. My father also remembers being a child-in-arms and his dad standing in front of the open furnace doors, silhouetted in the glow and waving to him at bedtime. My father also remembers Fridays, when women would queue up at the gates, waiting for their men to clock off and hand over their pay packets so the women could go and buy in some food for the weekend.

My grandfather worked at Brown Bayleys pre-1935, I think as a furnaceman. My father remembers him coming home at the end of a shift with blood streaming down his face; someone had left a long rake the wrong way up and my grandfather stepped on it in the gloom. It shot up and broke his nose but he had to keep working on to the end of his shift as he didn't want to have his pay docked by leaving early. My father also remembers being a child-in-arms and his dad standing in front of the open furnace doors, silhouetted in the glow and waving to him at bedtime. My father also remembers Fridays, when women would queue up at the gates, waiting for their men to clock off and hand over their pay packets so the women could go and buy in some food for the weekend.

They probably took the wage packets before the pubs did !!!!

Does anyone know anything about Doris Hartley / Holt - she used to work at Brown Bayleys.

It'd be GREAT to hear about people she worked with / photos etc - as she is / was my Grandmother.

Sincerely

James Monroe

Does anyone know anything about Doris Hartley / Holt - she used to work at Brown Bayleys.

It'd be GREAT to hear about people she worked with / photos etc - as she is / was my Grandmother.

Sincerely

James Monroe

What department did she work in as there were about 3-4000 people working there at the same time.Photos of Brown Bayleys are sadly few and far between.

My uncle worked at there too

My dad worked at Brown Baileys and used to go fishing at their angling lake somewhere out in the sticks. My gran worked in the baths across the road from Brown Baileys. My dad passed away a few years ago so I can't really help - sorry.

My dad worked at Brown Baileys and used to go fishing at their angling lake somewhere out in the sticks. My gran worked in the baths across the road from Brown Baileys. My dad passed away a few years ago so I can't really help - sorry.

The fishing pond was at the left hand side of the A57 just before you enter Worksop just after South Anston.It always used to amaze me how people who struggled to get to work for 07.30 could get up at 04.00 to go fishing.

andy
mr kelford got me a job at bayleys if you came off shiregreen he wanted you to get on

:D

My father Leonard Theaker worked at Brown Bayleys until a few weeks before his death in 1967 when I was 16. I always remember him coming back every Friday night with bars of chocolate such as Tiffin and Frys 5 boys

I remember Harry Kelford and met him a number of times when he used to organize the "reunions" at Davy's Sport's Ground on Prince of Wales Road. A real gentlemen. I think he organized them - until his death a few years ago (may be more than a few now). I worked in the Chemi Lab from 1960 to 65 and then returned when Hadfield's took over, working on production control with the Arc Furnace shops.

does any 1 remember geoeffery cutts working at bb

Generations of our family worked there ........ Great Grandad - Harry Cheetham, Grandad - Harry Towers, Dad - Keith Towers & uncles (twins) Mick & Terry Towers ......... think the twins were moulders & my Dad a crane driver, not sure about Grandad & G.Grandad ........

I was an apprentice at Brown Baileys in 1969 when the South Yorkshire police had an arms amnesty and all the guns that were handed in were sold to the firm to be melted down for scrap. There were more guns came out of that factory than Afghanistan, we had a Bren gun on top of the lockers for ages. I took home four German Lugers and eventually sold em for a fiver each. :hihi: I also used to spend most of my time making stainless steel throwing knives and daggers that I sold to a bloke in the market.

my dad geoffery cutts was a shop steward and was head of the union does any 1 remember him

served my apprenticeship as a fitter between 1970 ,1975 lost my papers anybody know how to get a copy

Iworked at BB from leaving school in 1971 till being made redundant in 1981.
I served my electrical apprernticeship and remember many of the names mentioned, I personally knew Alan Thornton, Pat Maloney and Harry Kelford.
Pat could be a right pain at times but would always support you if you were in the right.
Some other names from the same era were Dave Mann,Bill Kitson, Graham Valentine,Alan Pigott,Gary Owen,Ghulam Gauss,Malc Stewart,George Commander,Eric Kehoe all Electricians or tricians mates.

Does anyone remember my Grandmother who used to work in the canteen - She was in her 40's in the 1970's and her name was Doris Holt ( known as Dot ) - a very jolly - game for a laugh lady and well built woman with black hair ( a typical northern woman ).

Any info like her friends or stories would be GREAT as it'll kinda bring her back to life as she died in the late 1970's.

Iworked at BB from leaving school in 1971 till being made redundant in 1981.
I served my electrical apprernticeship and remember many of the names mentioned, I personally knew Alan Thornton, Pat Maloney and Harry Kelford.
Pat could be a right pain at times but would always support you if you were in the right.
Some other names from the same era were Dave Mann,Bill Kitson, Graham Valentine,Alan Pigott,Gary Owen,Ghulam Gauss,Malc Stewart,George Commander,Eric Kehoe all Electricians or tricians mates.

served my apprenticeship with dave, bill ,and graham also mick bell,brian pollard,john searle,

It was Brown-Bayley, not Brown-Bailey's!

I remember it closing down in 1981 and Ghost Town by the Specials was No 1 later that summer, so apt to what Sheffield was going through.

Generations of our family worked there ........ Great Grandad - Harry Cheetham, Grandad - Harry Towers, Dad - Keith Towers & uncles (twins) Mick & Terry Towers ......... think the twins were moulders & my Dad a crane driver, not sure about Grandad & G.Grandad ........

my dad worked there in the 60 he was in the then cricket team with names like stan nickols and geff beadem and others who s name escape me but i do remember when i was young and saturday was a family day out and the local ground was at the top of high hazels park how they played cricket after that climb i will never know but had wonderful times as a child watching but nowadaysi can t get any interest in the game at all but fun days my dad name was harold aldersoni cant remember when he left but he died in the mid sixties j

My uncle was the groundsman up at the sports club. Les Hearnshaw....always had his dog with him West Highland Terrier called Sue. I remember the haul up that hill if I ever went with him to work.

Weren't the head quarters of Brown-Bayley somewhere at Ranmoor?

my dad worked there in the 60 he was in the then cricket team with names like stan nickols and geff beadem and others who s name escape me but i do remember when i was young and saturday was a family day out and the local ground was at the top of high hazels park how they played cricket after that climb i will never know but had wonderful times as a child watching but nowadaysi can t get any interest in the game at all but fun days my dad name was harold aldersoni cant remember when he left but he died in the mid sixties j

Hi cleegirl - Any relation to Paul (Oscar) Alderson? Can remember Paul saying his dad used to play cricket at High Hazels ..............

Hi cleegirl - Any relation to Paul (Oscar) Alderson? Can remember Paul saying his dad used to play cricket at High Hazels ..............hi yes you right paul is my brother hope you ok love j

Quite a few of my family worked at Brown Bayleys at some time or other. My grandmother Annie Denial and my mother Audrey Denial. Mum married Arthur Bell, my dad,who also worked there, as did his father Seth Bell. Later on my sister also worked in the offices there, Ann Bell. I remember going on trips to Blackpool for the lights with all the ladies who worked with my gran, we had a real laugh. I think we have a photo of them in their boiler suits during a break from work somewhere. Sadly can't help with much detail as all are passed away or not well enuogh to be of help to you.

Our old labourer Frank Cooper used to work at Baileys he was a fettler there but I think he spent more time in the White Hart where he used to live. Last I knew of him
he was living on Greenland Road does anyone know if he still knocking about
Thanks