Ecclesall Mineral Water Works / J F Eardley - looking for information

[Beepash 10]

I started work at J F Eardley ( Stalker Lees Road)on 18th August 1958 and left in Jan 1961. I started as trainee foreman. The MD was Mr "Jim" Eardley and the production director was Mr Frank Goddard. Albert Tinker was the foreman under whom I was training. We produced Orvitt which was their own brand product (similar to Tizer of Pickups but not as popular) also produced was Sunecta products, Drinkador and Pepsi Cola under licence. I eventually was able to carry out maintenance and run the whole production line in the absence of Albert. We occasionally sent carboys of lime juice to the melting shop at Firth Browns. The company was taken over by Jones of Mansfield and that's partly why I left in 1961. The syphon filling dept was across the yard from the main production area

[noproblem 11]

On 28/05/2010 at 14:23, Fareast said:

It used to be on Stalker Lees Road, at the junction of Cemetery Avenue. The rear of the building backed on to the Porter Brook . Round that area was our ' playground ', in the early 1950 's-----and a great area it was too ! On hot summer days, we kids had fantasies about breaking into Eardley 's and drinking it dry ! [ Never had the bottle though [ sic ! ] ].

I don 't know when it ceased operations.....or was demolished.....maybe the 1960 's ? Anybody tell us what 's there now ?

I used to play round there as well, down in the river at frogs walk. WE used to wait for the lorries to come back and unload down a roller belt at the entrance to the cemetry, the drivers had to walk down the length of the building to get inside and open the loading shutter, it was then that we knicked a crate of  jusoda and went down the tunnel underneathe the cemetry to hide and drink it. We then took the bottles back and got the deposit and bought 5 park drive, i lived on Southgrove road.

[trastrick 866]

On 24/10/2018 at 09:55, Beepash said:

I started work at J F Eardley ( Stalker Lees Road)on 18th August 1958 and left in Jan 1961. I started as trainee foreman. The MD was Mr "Jim" Eardley and the production director was Mr Frank Goddard. Albert Tinker was the foreman under whom I was training. We produced Orvitt which was their own brand product (similar to Tizer of Pickups but not as popular) also produced was Sunecta products, Drinkador and Pepsi Cola under licence. I eventually was able to carry out maintenance and run the whole production line in the absence of Albert. We occasionally sent carboys of lime juice to the melting shop at Firth Browns. The company was taken over by Jones of Mansfield and that's partly why I left in 1961. The syphon filling dept was across the yard from the main production area

In the 40s the most popular non-alcoholic drinks were Tizer, Lemonade, and Dandelion and Burdock, in that order. They came in the same bottle, tuppance on the bottle return.

 

We kids used to go down to the SUT depot and raid the refuse compound for the empties from the seaside trips.

 

They also recycled jam jars in those days, so we'd go around the houses and collect them and return them to the Jam Factory, at the bottom of the Docker, to make a few coppers to buy a "quarter of spice".

 

Then when when were old enough, we begged, pleaded and bribed the older kids to take over their paper route.

 

Also remember feigning heat stroke after working near the SP & Tozer furnaces, so I could get the free lime juice laced with salt the young nurses gave out. I was addicted to the stuff.

 

"Oh, it's you again"  Lol

 

Ta for the memories!

Edited January 31, 2021 by trastrick

[birichen 10]

On 24/10/2018 at 13:55, Beepash said:

I started work at J F Eardley ( Stalker Lees Road)on 18th August 1958 and left in Jan 1961. I started as trainee foreman. The MD was Mr "Jim" Eardley and the production director was Mr Frank Goddard. Albert Tinker was the foreman under whom I was training. We produced Orvitt which was their own brand product (similar to Tizer of Pickups but not as popular) also produced was Sunecta products, Drinkador and Pepsi Cola under licence. I eventually was able to carry out maintenance and run the whole production line in the absence of Albert. We occasionally sent carboys of lime juice to the melting shop at Firth Browns. The company was taken over by Jones of Mansfield and that's partly why I left in 1961. The syphon filling dept was across the yard from the main production area

My dad ( Arthur Nadin) worked for Eardleys possibly late 50s early 60s as a delivery driver, I remember going  (illicitly) to US air bases delivering Pepsi with my dad. He also went around in a van servicing Pepsi vending  machines, there was one in Matlock Bath by the cafe with the petrifying well also at the Heights of Abraham.