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James Neill Tools Summerfield Street

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HI everbody did any body work at james neill tools that are on this forum or knew someone who did, I use to work in the melting shop then the salt baths and then in the hack saw blade department on the heat treament side also did some milling as well that is putting the teeth on the blades. my foster dad use to work as a fork lift truck driver in one of the departments. I was there in 1988 until we moved to handsworth and stayed for another 3 years. I was there when the steel wharehouse roof caught fire at handsworth and the firm was shut for a week.

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Hi Bigkev, I worked there as a plumber. A bit before your day though 1963. :D

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I worked there Sept 1967-Jan 1969 as Asst. Melting Shop Superintendent.

 

At that time I was working 2 Shift sytem ( Early Day Shift one week, Afternoon Shift the following week, in rotation.

3 Small Melting Shops were in operation, including the Magnet Alloy Shop.

 

The only name I can remember from that period is Norman Harrison (Melting Shop Superintendant).

 

I moved on to become Plant Manager at Union Carbide U.K. Ltd. at the beginning of 1969, at their Wincobank Works.

 

A bit before your time. I remember the people there to be very friendly, a bit like family really.

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I worked at Twist drill can anyone clarify an old tale. That I think two lads had started on apprentiships at one and spent the afternoon. Half day at Neils and half at Twist Drill and did it for a fortnight before anyone twigged on.:hihi:

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If this is the company that made Eclipse tools and I think it is, My Brother Eric Taylor worked there for many years, leaving in 1966 or so to settle in Plymouth. He later settled in Liskeard, where he died in 1989.

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My dad worked there for a while in the early 70s as a craine driver I think

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Yes that was /is the company that made eclipse tools.

 

Shoeshine. It realy was a family busines. You had to be carefull what you said about about who because you might be talking to their dad, brother or cousin.

It was also a non union shop. The personel manager got into trouble when he hired me because he didn't check to see if I was in the union.

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My whole immediate family worked there in the late sixties. My mum,Mary Newbold, worked in the packing dept on the ground floor. My step dad, George Newbold, worked as a supervisor on the middle floor,can't remember what dept it was, all I remember is that he was in charge of a lot of ladies drilling holes in hacksaw blades and polishing whatever. As for myself, Brian Moss, I was a chemical technician on the top floor looking after the plating machine that nickel and chrome plated the handsaw and hacksaw frames.

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Yes that was /is the company that made eclipse tools.

 

Shoeshine. It realy was a family busines. You had to be carefull what you said about about who because you might be talking to their dad, brother or cousin.

It was also a non union shop. The personel manager got into trouble when he hired me because he didn't check to see if I was in the union.

In the job I was doing, because of its nature mentioned in a previous posting on this thread, I avoided gossip, which was as you would expect. What struck me most about the Melting Shops was the tiny size of the Induction Furnaces. I had been working at Parkgate Iron & Steel for 6 yrs. during my Metallurgical training and thereafter for several years as a Shift Casting Bay Metallurgist on their 90 ton Open Hearth Furnaces hands up an close on, which were massive in comparison to the small, dinky ones at James Neill. Still, they say the best things come in small sizes. Horses for courses. Different products altogether. Mild/Carbon steels in bulk at Park Gate, and complex alloys at James Neill.

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My whole immediate family worked there in the late sixties. My mum,Mary Newbold, worked in the packing dept on the ground floor. My step dad, George Newbold, worked as a supervisor on the middle floor,can't remember what dept it was, all I remember is that he was in charge of a lot of ladies drilling holes in hacksaw blades and polishing whatever. As for myself, Brian Moss, I was a chemical technician on the top floor looking after the plating machine that nickel and chrome plated the handsaw and hacksaw frames.

 

It was called the "Magnet Department" The hacksaw department was actually on the ground floor when I was there. The ladies were drilling holes in components prior to assembly as magnets. Both my wife-to-be and myself worked there until 1960 or so. Don't remember George Newbold but I do remember Bob Broome, Pete Merrick, Stanley Pennington, Jack Hall and a sweeper called Val. My wife remembers all these plus Jean Marshall (Horsepool) Sheila Pinder, Cora Howson, Joan Ireland, Bill Williams and Elsie Turner (cigarette lady). Can see the faces of more people but can't put names to them. 2 of the chargehands were Mr Dexter and Mr Critchley.

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I worked 'in the offices' from 1973 to 1984. And for the last 15 years have run one of the Neill companies based in Woodseats.

It is certainly a very different company today from when I started and changed radically after the acquisition of Spear and Jackson in the mid-80's.

 

There were ceratinly many family dynasties in my early days - I recall the Greatorexes, Wainwrights, Jessops. I was always told that this was encouraged by the owners.

The other aspect was the long service put in by many employees. There were plenty who only ever worked there. I recall two employees receiving 50-year service badges. Even today there are many who have put in 35+ years.

There was a history of the company published in 1989 to celebrate 100 years with anecdotes from long serving employees like Tommy Watkinson (toolroom), Edna Hatch (ETD), Ruth Jarman ('offices'), George Palfreyman (shipping), Joan Cross (warehouse).

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My sister-in-law worked there in the 70's early 80's in personnel. Her name is Irene Wilson. She has lived in Majorca for the past 20 years!

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