Anyone worked at Firth Browns?

[ron hersey 0]

I worked at Firth Brown Tools on Carlisle street and also played centre forward for their works football team in the works Premier league and Beatty League.

One year we were awarded the Green 'un ball for the best performance of the week, when we beat the City Surveyors on their home ground where they hadn't been beaten for 3 years. this was in the Arthur Lee Cup. 

Ron Hersey 

Edited August 19, 2020 by ron hersey

[melv 16]

 Watching Fred Dibnah's industrial age this evening, he showed a manual rolling mill, where the steel being rolled was all man handled. This reminded me of the Norfolk bar mill which was still doing the same in the early 70's.

Can anyone remember when they closed the mill down?

[dp59 12]

There were 3 mills in the NBM, 9inch, 14in and an 8inch double duo.

I was in the roll turners with Eddie Kendrick(foreman) Derek King and Fred Parkin. Also Archie Stacey used to sit in the shop sometimes.

Good days.

[CF8M 11]

On 21/04/2004 at 00:05, brooksy said:

a mate of my dads frank sampson worked at fb for many years in the maintainance dept he told me it was the best job he ever had especially when doing the night shift when him and his work mates went in the local pub the gate then it was back 2 fb and get your head down no wonder these steel workswent under

I often wondered about this sort of night shift behaviour. I  did not work there but  knew a lot of the staff at Firth Browns, mostly in the Labs and Melting shop management. It was sort of common knowledge about the Night Shift antics. The furnace crews  were busy, but  a lot of  the others just turned up and got paid for doing nothing or just doing the minimum.

I am talking about a period of the mid seventies onwards.

Luckily I left for foreign shores about the same time, still in the Steel Industry but difference between Sheffield and Germany was eye opening with the efficiency of operations.

[Chrissoftley 10]

On 01/11/2020 at 22:18, CF8M said:

I often wondered about this sort of night shift behaviour. I  did not work there but  knew a lot of the staff at Firth Browns, mostly in the Labs and Melting shop management. It was sort of common knowledge about the Night Shift antics. The furnace crews  were busy, but  a lot of  the others just turned up and got paid for doing nothing or just doing the minimum.

I am talking about a period of the mid seventies onwards.

Luckily I left for foreign shores about the same time, still in the Steel Industry but difference between Sheffield and Germany was eye opening with the efficiency of operations.

yes Thursday night used to be pub night, the corner pin was a favourite. you could always find a few in there on Friday lunchtimes as well. When i was an apprentice in the light machine shop i was doing my 4 weeks with the fitters and every Friday we went to the pub which used to be somewhere around where GG's cafe used to be, i cant remember the name of the pub but I remember having about 4 or 5 pints and for a 17 year old, not used to beer, that was quite a lot, went back to the shop and slept it off till home time.

[melv 16]

https://www-examinerlive-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/history/gallery/inside-remains-sheffields-lost-hospital-19289125.amp?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=16060460530322&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From %1%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.examinerlive.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fhistory%2Fgallery%2Finside-remains-sheffields-lost-hospital-19289125

Interesting article about the Carlisle street medical centre.

[chrispag 10]

My dad Joe paggiosi worked head roller gate 2 made a documentary of him in the 70s at work my god did they sweet had to have 4 or 5 pints to replenish fluid lost

[denlin 12]

7 hours ago, chrispag said:

My dad Joe paggiosi worked head roller gate 2 made a documentary of him in the 70s at work my god did they sweet had to have 4 or 5 pints to replenish fluid lost

Hello Chris.  How are you all?  I have such lovely memories of your mum and dad.  Hours  spent eating cake and putting the world to rights.  I was privileged to call them friends 

[Woodhouse lad 0]

I started work at Firth Brown’s in August 1969. After the works fortnight shutdown,the year that 3/4 heavy machine shops burnt down.Remember reporting to Apprentice Training School thinking I might not have a job because of the fire.Didn’t realise then how big Firth Brown’s was at the time!!!

[SKA59 10]

I worked at Firth Browns from 75 to 82 as an apprentice Bricklayer, spent many happy times in the melting shops and treatment shops relining  furnaces, also spent a lot of time and money in the pubs and sandwich shops around Saville St and Carlisle St. remember lots of names from the construction section but I started with Trevor Hinchliffe and Chris Bull also Dennis Browne and Tony Bownes, sadly I have no contact with anyone from that time and I often wonder what happened to them, we had some brilliant times

[DomTKC 0]

Hello, i'm producing a Radio 4 programme in Sheffield in the coming weeks and we'd like to feature works canteens as part of it. We're looking for a guest with direct experience of them who can tell us more about them. Perhaps someone who worked in one of the ones mentioned on this thread or others around the city? Any help would be much appreciated. We just want to get an  idea of what they were like, the food in them, who used them, general memories...

You can email me at: dominic.tyerman@somethinelse.com

 

Thanks,

Dom

[melv 16]

On 12/10/2023 at 12:23, DomTKC said:

Hello, i'm producing a Radio 4 programme in Sheffield in the coming weeks and we'd like to feature works canteens as part of it. We're looking for a guest with direct experience of them who can tell us more about them. Perhaps someone who worked in one of the ones mentioned on this thread or others around the city? Any help would be much appreciated. We just want to get an  idea of what they were like, the food in them, who used them, general memories...

You can email me at: dominic.tyerman@somethinelse.com

 

Thanks,

Dom

Firth Brown's had 5 different canteens; shopfloor workers, staff, foremens, managers and directors. The food was basic and not very cheerful. The serving staff did a training course at a zoo as they used to throw food at you😁 

As a part of my job I had to go into the directors canteen, where they had silver service and a dedicated chef!...a bit different to Japanese canteens, where everyone ate together. Industrial relations were terrible in this country at that time.