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Anyone worked at Firth Browns?

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glad you knew one them, made the effort worthwhile. of course I was the office lad and one job I had was at dinner time....I had to do the shopping for the office staff, walk up carwood rd to the shops on petre st. my predecessor showed me how to fiddle, sandwiches etc.. all the shopkeepers were after the trade from all the office boys, doing the same as me...so a pork sandwich etc. 1 and 4pence (old money) the shopkeeper would let you have it for say 1and 2pence.. tuppence profit. these pennies and tuppences added up, so at the end of the week you could make about a couple of shillings.. a lot of money when my wage was 2pound 10shillings a week. been left school a couple of weeks and already learnt corruption.:hihi:

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glad you knew one them, made the effort worthwhile. of course I was the office lad and one job I had was at dinner time....I had to do the shopping for the office staff, walk up carwood rd to the shops on petre st. my predecessor showed me how to fiddle, sandwiches etc.. all the shopkeepers were after the trade from all the office boys, doing the same as me...so a pork sandwich etc. 1 and 4pence (old money) the shopkeeper would let you have it for say 1and 2pence.. tuppence profit. these pennies and tuppences added up, so at the end of the week you could make about a couple of shillings.. a lot of money when my wage was 2pound 10shillings a week. been left school a couple of weeks and already learnt corruption.:hihi:

 

Hi Padders,

 

Yes, thanks for your efforts. These things take longer than it seems eh?

Nice story about your little sideline :hihi:

 

My office was on Saville Street East so the shopping area was on Sutherland Street near Norfolk Bridge. Dripping cakes mid morning and cheese sandwiches for those who weren't going to the canteen. That made less cutlery for me to wash. Never understood why they took their own. It was just how it was and at 15 I never questioned it. :)

A little bit more upmarket I used to collect the silver service tray of mid morning tea and biscuits for one of the directors who would take tea in his office. When I was summond by a bell on the office wall, as in old country estate houses, I would walk from the cream and green painted walls of the office corridors into the polished brass and wood panelled directors corridors and into a room where the silver cutlery was being polished by two men dressed as butlers, or so I thought. In the corner was a dumb waiter. When I pressed the button the tray would magically appear from the kitchen above.

I would make my way back with the tray trying not to spill any and feeling rather self concious :hihi:

 

PS I've now put the pic of Roy on my previous post.

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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glad you knew one them, made the effort worthwhile. of course I was the office lad and one job I had was at dinner time....I had to do the shopping for the office staff, walk up carwood rd to the shops on petre st. my predecessor showed me how to fiddle, sandwiches etc.. all the shopkeepers were after the trade from all the office boys, doing the same as me...so a pork sandwich etc. 1 and 4pence (old money) the shopkeeper would let you have it for say 1and 2pence.. tuppence profit. these pennies and tuppences added up, so at the end of the week you could make about a couple of shillings.. a lot of money when my wage was 2pound 10shillings a week. been left school a couple of weeks and already learnt corruption.:hihi:

 

Few memories for me there Padders. The pork shop on Petre Street was called Leigh Waterall's and the chip shop nearly next door was Pearce's. If you had to walk from Saville Street, then that was a bit of a hike.

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after a couple of years I was moved from engrs. costs to forge costs which was in the old school on forncett st. the best job I did there was......

 

every few weeks, on a Thursday we were taken to Saville st. side of the head office I think, into a big very secure room. in the room we sat on a big bench type table, each person had a money tray in front of him2", full of money..i"d never seen so much money in my life, thousands of pounds in that room, I think they called it the counting house. I think you"ve guessed ,we use to fill all the wage packets up. not that easy either if you were short on the last packet, or over. you had to go and check all the packets to find your mistake. everything had to balance up. wonder if I did your wage packet. no such thing now as a wage packet, wage slip all done by computer. I left in 1963 and did 41years with first group and its predecessers. but I"ll never forget firth browns.

 

---------- Post added 14-05-2017 at 20:57 ----------

 

ps.. you handsome bugger.

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:hihi:

after a couple of years I was moved from engrs. costs to forge costs which was in the old school on forncett st. the best job I did there was......

 

every few weeks, on a Thursday we were taken to Saville st. side of the head office I think, into a big very secure room. in the room we sat on a big bench type table, each person had a money tray in front of him2", full of money..i"d never seen so much money in my life, thousands of pounds in that room, I think they called it the counting house. I think you"ve guessed ,we use to fill all the wage packets up. not that easy either if you were short on the last packet, or over. you had to go and check all the packets to find your mistake. everything had to balance up. wonder if I did your wage packet. no such thing now as a wage packet, wage slip all done by computer. I left in 1963 and did 41years with first group and its predecessers. but I"ll never forget firth browns.

 

---------- Post added 14-05-2017 at 20:57 ----------

 

ps.. you handsome bugger.

 

Hi Padders,

 

I don't recall the 'counting house' you refer to. However you must have counted my wages correctly as it was always right, I always counted it twice to be sure :) not that it was a big job on my pay :hihi: However I do understand balancing as I handled cash and paid in or banked on four of my past jobs. Saturday salesman at John Banners when I worked at FB. Van salesman for Ever Ready (batteries etc). Rent collector for Sheffield City Council. I had a part time main agent franchise with Littlewoods Pools for 20 years as well as full time work. Needed the money with a mortgage and three kids.

 

That's a long time you had with First Group. Must have been not too stressful.

 

Yes, FB means a lot to me too. First time in the big wide world.:)

 

After a couple of years in Progress and Planning I moved into Forgings Sales. Had my own phone extension number, a dictaphone and could ask for a shorthand typist to be sent up from the typing pool. Don't think we would be given that level of autonomy and responsibility I had at age 17 nowadays eh.

 

With regard to your PS, I knew that. :D

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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Hiya Peter, Enclose a picture off Firth Brown 37 gate

Peter, look at the wall in between the two main doors, funny its just

come to me that its new with two window frames put in.

Compare it to your picture Page30- No596 remember when i told you we lit a

fire there when we were on strike and thats how the black mark got there.

Anyway, because i was down there a while back looking in the old 37 yard

and brought pictures back home i just spotted the change off the new wall,

I can't believe it, while we been communicating and sending pic to each other

how i hadn't noticed the change. Well its an improvement and painted. Brian

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Hiya Peter, Enclose a picture off Firth Brown 37 gate

Peter, look at the wall in between the two main doors, funny its just

come to me that its new with two window frames put in.

Compare it to your picture Page30- No596 remember when i told you we lit a

fire there when we were on strike and thats how the black mark got there.

Anyway, because i was down there a while back looking in the old 37 yard

and brought pictures back home i just spotted the change off the new wall,

I can't believe it, while we been communicating and sending pic to each other

how i hadn't noticed the change. Well its an improvement and painted. Brian

 

Hi Brian,

 

Well spotted!!! :clap:.

 

I always thought there were two extra windows in the refurbished block and couldn't work out why :loopy::hihi:.

 

It's definately 37 gate. The RSJ steel girder/beem supporting the front wall of offices above where the gate was can be seen on both pics.

It's just beneath the Forged Rolls sign on this one you mention.....

 

http://s1255.photobucket.com/user/peterlaurence/media/FB%20Saville%20St%201990_zpsq0wx8kwr.jpg.html

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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Hello Peter, Continuation Pics from where i left off -7-6-17 No620.

1,https://plus.google.com/104790896216727717625/posts/2sqQbDXn1zs

 

2,

 

3,

 

4,

 

 

Peter, This drawing is the backside of 37 Gate saville st, this is just a bit of fun

and you know the layout of 37 yard.

These 3 pics shows a few changes to what it look like, look at the change

and look at the drawing, if you think you can add to it feel free.

Hope i've done well with it. Your's Brian.

Edited by brian1941
pics

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Hello Peter, Continuation Pics from where i left off -7-6-17 No620.

1,https://plus.google.com/104790896216727717625/posts/2sqQbDXn1zs

 

2,

 

3,

 

4,

 

 

Peter, This drawing is the backside of 37 Gate saville st, this is just a bit of fun

and you know the layout of 37 yard.

These 3 pics shows a few changes to what it look like, look at the change

and look at the drawing, if you think you can add to it feel free.

Hope i've done well with it. Your's Brian.

 

Hi Brian, thanks for the pics.

 

Your sketch is much as I remember it. :).

 

Regarding your pic number 3 with the big white building. Central Warehouse was where what is a car park now at the apexes side of the white building. The gate for lorry access was near the hedge at the front end of the silver Transit type van. One end of the crane I drove was hung high up on a rail on the inside of Central Warehouse approx where the Lincoln Electric sign is on the modern building and the crane spanned across the current car park and the other end was attached to another rail on the opposite wall inside the warehouse near the current roadway. The crane ran back and forth from where the silver van is to near where the far left of the white building is to a wall, behind which was attached another smaller shop. Not sure what it was used for but there was a pair of sliding doors to allow rail wagons to be shunted through that shop into Central Warehouse.

Behind that smaller shop was the main rail line to Wicker Goods Station and offshoots into the shops and beyond that more buildings with Carlisle Street East behind.

 

Here are the two 1965 photos I snapped in the same direction towards the lorry access gate to the warehouse with 37 gate and Savile Street East out of sight beyond. My desk is on the pic on the left and, on the right pic, looking down from upstairs at the lorry access gate. The silver van on your pic would have been waiting to come in through the trees where the Scammell Scarab came out of the gate over half a century ago.:hihi:. The wall with the many windows is where the crane rail was, and just about where the white building now is. The crane framework can just be seen at top of right pic.

 

http://i1255.photobucket.com/albums/hh629/peterlaurence/MargaretsAlbums095_zps8f653562.jpg

 

I do remember walking through the little door from the offices to the works.

 

Hope this is clear enough :)

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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Hi Peter, Yes that No3 pic is what you said and remember the central w/house.

I do remember the crane in the bay it was very high although i dont remember

much about the place its self, i remember a chap that stored his work trailer in

there at home time.

Did you pass your driving test on that crane. Your's Brian

PS, Send you pic on Monday.

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Hi Peter, Yes that No3 pic is what you said and remember the central w/house.

I do remember the crane in the bay it was very high although i dont remember

much about the place its self, i remember a chap that stored his work trailer in

there at home time.

Did you pass your driving test on that crane. Your's Brian

PS, Send you pic on Monday.

 

Hi Brian,

 

Perhaps I can refresh your memory a little re the layout in Central Warehouse. If you went in through the lorry access gate, railway tracks ran ahead and about six feet from the wall to double sliding doors at the far end, which were rarely opened, leading to another shop and the main rail lines. The shop floor to the left of the track was for placing offloaded steel to prepare it for delivery to customers. If you looked farther to the left over that area there was a small pedestrian access door next to the lorry gate. In the corner there were the shop floor workers' lockers and a few seats and tables. In the corner at the far end of the shop on the left and up half a dozen steps was the office for the Foreman and Chargehand,(me), and a clerk, as shown on my pic on my previous post. There was access at the rear of the office to stairways leading down to the rail track and up several flights for access to the crane. In front of the office down on the shop floor were weigh scales.

This office was sited about on top of where the raised shrubbery bed on bricks is now and can just be seen on the far left of your pic 3 at the far left of the car park entrance.

 

Re your question about my crane licence, I learned in Siemens shop scrap bays. The licence was authorised by a lovely man named Jim who taught me. From your question I'm thinking that you are assessing that the warehouse crane was much higher up and more powerful? Well, yes it was! The first time I drove it was with no supervision loading a wagon which seemed miles below me . The long cable swing was very different. I was only a little nervous, but, hey, I was 21 then, not 73. I bet the slingers were nervous :hihi:

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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Hi Brian,

 

Perhaps I can refresh your memory a little re the layout in Central Warehouse. If you went in through the lorry access gate, railway tracks ran ahead and about six feet from the wall to double sliding doors at the far end, which were rarely opened, leading to another shop and the main rail lines. The shop floor to the left of the track was for placing offloaded steel to prepare it for delivery to customers. If you looked farther to the left over that area there was a small pedestrian access door next to the lorry gate. In the corner there were the shop floor workers' lockers and a few seats and tables. In the corner at the far end of the shop on the left and up half a dozen steps was the office for the Foreman and Chargehand,(me), and a clerk, as shown on my pic on my previous post. There was access at the rear of the office to stairways leading down to the rail track and up several flights for access to the crane. In front of the office down on the shop floor were weigh scales.

This office was sited about on top of where the raised shrubbery bed on bricks is now and can just be seen on the far left of your pic 3 at the far left of the car park entrance.

 

Re your question about my crane licence, I learned in Siemens shop scrap bays. The licence was authorised by a lovely man named Jim who taught me. From your question I'm thinking that you are assessing that the warehouse crane was much higher up and more powerful? Well, yes it was! The first time I drove it was with no supervision loading a wagon which seemed miles below me . The long cable swing was very different. I was only a little nervous, but, hey, I was 21 then, not 73. I bet the slingers were nervous :hihi:

 

Peter.

---------------------------

Well said all that Peter i feel that you've just took me a visit and

i really enjoyed that story.I like the 21 - 73 i had a chuckle. :hihi::hihi:

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