A Lee & Sons Meadowhall

[gleadam 10]

Latest news from the Meadowhall site is the VA was blown up this last Saturday night by a demolition company (Danny Sharpe pressed the button!) and the Sundwig mill was demolished about a month ago. The mill has been shipped to South Korea and has recently gone back in service.

[Falls 10]

Thanks for taking the time davidstorer - I don't know these other names, at the time, I worked for a firm called Torpedo Ventilating Co, they were located on Herries Rd at the Firvale end, it was owned and operated by Stuart Gill and Fred Simmonite the company is long gone now, we did a lot of work for A. Lees at Wincobank as we did for other large steel companys in and around Sheffield.

 

Hi,

 

Sorry to be off-topic but as a kid in the 1940's, I remember Stuart Gill. This was at Industrial Units on Stanley Street. Before Torpedo Ventilating Co. Small world.

 

Regards

Edited May 10, 2010 by Falls

[fleetwood 10]

Hi,

 

Sorry to be off-topic but as a kid in the 1940's, I remember Stuart Gill. This was at Industrial Units on Stanley Street. Before Torpedo Ventilating Co. Small world.

 

Regards

 

Hi Falls - Yes Stuart Gill did work at Industrial Units near the Wicker, in fact that was where he first met Fred Simmonite is future business partner. Stuart was the tradesman and Fred was what was commonly called an 'improver', (I believe the term for an older apprentice). *** Anyway long story short, with some outside backing they started Torpedo Ventilating Co at Herries Rd. *** The backer owned, of all things a tobacconist shop near the old Rag and tag, he used to bring cartons of cigarettes on Friday pay days to Herries Rd to sell to the guys that worked there, this is when everything was still rationed. *** 'Torpedo' was a very successful business and did a lot of contract work for A. Lee as they did for many other large companies in and around Sheffield. *** I have already mentioned side work we did for Philip Lee at his house in Fulwood and at a Lee owned farm in Stow-in-the-Wold. I hope ex-workers from the other A.Lee thread read this also, as I am trying to find out whatever became of the electrician that worked at Wincobank, not only was he the kindest guy, as we often needed help getting power and other things like that to a certain area of the plant. I have forgotten his first name, he had blond hair and I know he lived in Rotherham at the time, he was also a Drummer, I saw him perform but don't know if he had a regular gig with a band.

[awoollen 10]

I worked at Arthur Lees at Wincobank for a short spell in 1969/70, I think our shop was called the ME it was next to the annealing shop, it had a big cold strip mill in the middle with about 4 sets of Rollers called ME10, I worked on a newish mill (ME11) at the bottom of the shop nearest woolley wood bottom, does anybody remember the underground railway? it moved the coils from shop to shop.

in 1947 i was a drum lad on a mill you are talking about i think tha shop was called mc in thoses days the i went on to do my national service then i was put in the shop called me

there was 3 of us on that mill i was sticker in workerd with 2 brothers called faulkner

had 2 brothers worked there all there live george he was a wire drawer and charlie

worked in the wire warehouse

[gleadam 10]

Most of the old Meadowhall site is now gone. The VA was recently demolished and the Sundwig mill has been sent to South Korea.

A few of us who worked at Lees in the past are meeting on Tuesday the 25th May for a few beers in the Royal Oak at Blackburn, in the afternoon. It would be good if any more former Lees folk could come and raise a beer to the old times before the site disapears forever!

[alby 10]

I served my apprenticeship at Lee's at Meadowhall between 1961 and 1966. Worked in the tool room and other places including the Crown works at Attercliffe. Many memories of characters that worked there. I Remember going to the bookies for the blokes and also fetching them bacon rolls from a shop on the main road. My dad worked at the Attercliffe works for many years.