Loxley Brothers Stationers

[smartmart 10]

Hi Elainer trying to place you long time ago though,I worked on heidelberg's under bay as apprentice to Pete Brooks with Tony 69 to 77 did you go on Tony & Brenda's engagement party Big Tree Woodseats?. My wife to be then was Carol Jackson who has just infomed me she has Irene's address if you want it, Margaret Elms was in charge of letterpress girls Anne Cath big & little Janets remember them? Merry Christmas to you all.

[Elainer 10]

Hi Smartmart good to hear from you I do remember workers under the bay use to just say hello on passing down to binders friendly bunch you were can not remember names now. Yes I would love Irenes address please as I am trying to trace her sister Brenda we started school together in the infants went right through all schools till we left and started work together at Loxleys I lost her address at Maltby I really would love just to say Hi to her again I have missed her as a friend every time it gets to the 1st June I think of her as that is her birthday.

No I did not get to their engagment party not sure why nor their wedding again not sure why she was my really best friend.Things are coming back slowly as different people say more about their time at Loxleys I guess as you get older you miss those days.Merry Christmas .

[sharrovian 10]

Hi Elainer, the two guys who worked on the Heidelbergs under the bay when I was there were Brian Tyzack and Ernest Vernon, two nicer men you couldn't wish to meet.

[Elainer 10]

Hi Sharrovian do you mind if I call you Don for the life of me I can not remember the names of the people who worked under the bay I have sat here trying to think but it is no good I do remember saying hello to the men and the girls on passing but thats my limit sorry.Remembered another name Mrs Preston she worked in the canteen at the same time as Mrs Hill she was lovely seem to remember she had a limp and some days she did the tea money in the comps and she came round with the tea trolly when it was break time. When I was there we were doing the comics Look and Learn, cut out card board Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers the BSM receipts plus the Christmas stamps and those fishing with mr crabtree which we had to gather up and then stitch and finaly glue to put the covers on looking back I think I knew every fish going and how to catch it.Get back to you when I remember more.

[sharrovian 10]

Hello again Elainer, I also remember Joyce Preston, she was as you say a very pleasant woman who had worked there for quite some time when I left, sadly I heard a short time ago that she had passed away. By the way I don't know who you are ~ Don.

[martin1print 10]

Hi Smartmart good to hear from you I do remember workers under the bay use to just say hello on passing down to binders friendly bunch you were can not remember names now. Yes I would love Irenes address please as I am trying to trace her sister Brenda we started school together in the infants went right through all schools till we left and started work together at Loxleys I lost her address at Maltby I really would love just to say Hi to her again I have missed her as a friend every time it gets to the 1st June I think of her as that is her birthday.

No I did not get to their engagment party not sure why nor their wedding again not sure why she was my really best friend.Things are coming back slowly as different people say more about their time at Loxleys I guess as you get older you miss those days.Merry Christmas .

 

Hello Elainer, I think I remember you. I worked as an apprentice in the comps from 1970 to 1976. There were definitely some "ratbags" in the comps who I won't name, but people like Stan Boddington, Mark Neylan and George Frost were the salt of the earth, all now sadly passed away. The news last year of Mark's death was a big shock to me as he was only aged 54 and naturally I went to his funeral. I remember well the staff from the letterpress print side, Carol Jackson, Pete Brookes, Les Hunt, Martin Rogers, Maggie Elms and Dave Greaves. Still in the print business myself although the recession and the internet has devestated the industry to a shadow of its former self.

[Elainer 10]

Hello Martin1print glad someone remembers me I didnt really stand out with everyone else but good to hear from you I remember George Frost and Stan Boddington I agree some of the guys in the comps were real gents and they made me feel safe but some were a bit over powering and tried it on being just 15 to 16 it was a bit frightening being thrown in with a load of men first thing in a morning trying to get their orders more so as I had to go right in the back were the readers where and casters is that what you called it . Christmas was even worse never had so many kisses ha ha being 60 now I just look back and laugh. So you are still in printing when I left Loxleys I went in to packing razor blades at Jewel razor company at Hillsborough then on to Needem enginering company at John st before getting married thats my working life brought 3 boys up instead. Get back to you soon.

[lennonman 11]

Hi Martin1print i was very shocked to hear about the death of Mark Neylan i had many happy years working with him at loxleys. I was an apprentice in the comps from 76-80 so i think i might have just missed you. Mark was just coming out of his time when i started and along with Neil Mackley and Steve Wilde we used to have such a laugh in those times. They were a few years older than me and i was amazed that they used to mess about all the time, coming straight from school i thought work was supposed to be serious. George Frost was often the target for their pranks, always flicking type at his head when he was hard at work doing OSh!!! do you remember that!! I saw Mark, must be about 4 years ago now in the supermarket and i didnt recognise him he had lost all his hair i remember him with long hair in a mullet!! We did stay in touch for a while after i left loxleys to go to garnetts and it was such sad news to hear about him. I have passed the news on to some others im still in touch with including Paul Ward, who was an apprentice on the letterpress when you were there do you remember him? Thanks for the post mate and hope things improve this year wherever you are working.

[martin1print 10]

Hello Martin1print glad someone remembers me I didnt really stand out with everyone else but good to hear from you I remember George Frost and Stan Boddington I agree some of the guys in the comps were real gents and they made me feel safe but some were a bit over powering and tried it on being just 15 to 16 it was a bit frightening being thrown in with a load of men first thing in a morning trying to get their orders more so as I had to go right in the back were the readers where and casters is that what you called it . Christmas was even worse never had so many kisses ha ha being 60 now I just look back and laugh. So you are still in printing when I left Loxleys I went in to packing razor blades at Jewel razor company at Hillsborough then on to Needem enginering company at John st before getting married thats my working life brought 3 boys up instead. Get back to you soon.

 

Hello again Elainer,

Good to know you settled down and raised 3 boys. You are right to say that the comps used to hassle girls. We were all stuck down at the opposite end of the factory from the binders where the girls worked. When I was an apprentice I used to empty the bins down in the skip in the binding section and it was a real treat to escape the comps and be among so many girls for just a few precious minutes. There was also a secretary to Mr. Thomas, works manager and her name was Joyce. She used to walk up and down the factory like she was modeling and she certainly had the looks and figure to drive us all mad with lust. The casters you mention were tucked away behind the forman's office, run by Terry Cartwright and Arthur (Nobby) Scotton. Arthur passed away many years ago and I saw Terry at his funeral. One funny story was Arthur used to "spar" at boxing with the apprentice comps, just larking about and one day I swung a punch and caught him a light blow above his eye. Within an hour it went black and all the comps gave him hell about getting a good hiding from the boy. A terrific character he was and I still miss him.

[martin1print 10]

Hi Martin1print i was very shocked to hear about the death of Mark Neylan i had many happy years working with him at loxleys. I was an apprentice in the comps from 76-80 so i think i might have just missed you. Mark was just coming out of his time when i started and along with Neil Mackley and Steve Wilde we used to have such a laugh in those times. They were a few years older than me and i was amazed that they used to mess about all the time, coming straight from school i thought work was supposed to be serious. George Frost was often the target for their pranks, always flicking type at his head when he was hard at work doing OSh!!! do you remember that!! I saw Mark, must be about 4 years ago now in the supermarket and i didnt recognise him he had lost all his hair i remember him with long hair in a mullet!! We did stay in touch for a while after i left loxleys to go to garnetts and it was such sad news to hear about him. I have passed the news on to some others im still in touch with including Paul Ward, who was an apprentice on the letterpress when you were there do you remember him? Thanks for the post mate and hope things improve this year wherever you are working.

 

Thanks for your reply Lennonman,

 

I must have left (1976) just before you came to the comps. We did have some right laughs and the jokes and pranks helped the clock move quicker. Mark Neylan, George Frost, Dennis Gregory, Neil Mackley, Arthur Scotton, Stan Boddington and myself were always up for a few laughs. Type flicking was an art form and we used to blast each other whilst trying to avoid the wrath of foreman Jim May. If he caught us we were in for a right roasting. The deaths of George Frost (very sad he took his own life) and Mark Neylan deeply saddened me, especially Mark being so young at 54. I left in 1976 to work in the University print department, then in 1989 left to begin my own small design and print business. Not much work around these days but I'm still in there batting!

[Elainer 10]

Hi Martin1print good to hear from you again I do remember Mr Thomas he had a niece that worked in the office she was quite nice but I never got on with Mr Thomas he once told me off for crossing his office to get to his niece who sorted the orders for ROSPA as I was working in the warehouse at the time I never did it again and he always gave me a dirty look he smoked a pipe do you remember.

The secretary you are on about did think she was something you men I suppose did like looking at her but the girls use to pull her to bits behind her back as she always had alot of foundation cream on her face and you could see were it finished and the bright red lipstick.

A bit late getting on to night only my youngest son is at Hallam Uni doing Graphic Design he's on his second year so he's been working on the computer most of the night he's into Typography , Logos (identity),Sculpture,Photograhy and Illustration he's the clever one of the family so he's going to send a few cv's out this year to get some work experience if he gets paid that is even better as he puts alot of time into his work.Bye for now.

[Elainer 10]

Hi Smartmart Elainer here can you ask your wife for Irene Blackshaws address please still need to find her sister. Many thanks