James Neill Tools Summerfield Street

[Yerman 10]

I worked with Irene at Napier Street in the mid-70's. Didn't she go off to be a holiday rep?

She did secretarial work for a bunch of miscreants: Clive Brothwell, Barry Foster, Roy Bright, Ged Bamforth & Dennis Coupland.

Clive (avid Rothrham fan and rarely seen without a cigarette) and Barry (mainstay of every conceivable sports team) have both died in recent years.

Clive spent many hours in negotiations with Des Bell, union convenor.

In those days Des had his own office, carried a brief-case and spent fraternal holidays at workers' camps in Bulgaria. How times change!

Irene will remember all those plus Eve Jones, Doreen Burnside, Cyril Oldfield, Frank Spencer, Val Machin, Brian Whitehouse. They all worked in a huge personnel department.

[jackandclaud 10]

A Mr and Mrs Ardron lives across the road from me in the sixties and I know they both worked there.

[chuffinel 10]

Would this Mr and Mrs Ardron be the parents of Carol Ardron ? Carol was voted Miss Sheffield sometime in the fifiies and married (I think) Johhny Fantham, the Wednesday player who is the subject of another thread. I remember a Cyril Ardron at Neill's who WAS the father of Carol.

[jackandclaud 10]

Correct on all counts re the Ardrons!

[jauntyone 10]

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.

 

I used to work at James Neils from around 1970 to 1980. I worked in the band saw,sid luckman was the foreman, and in the strips dept, john hawksworth was the forman in strips

[jauntyone 10]

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.

hIBIG KEV

I WORKED AT NEILLS ON NAPIER STREET BETWEEN 1970 AND 1980.

i WORKED IN THE BAND SAW DEPT WITH SID KUCKMAN AS FORMAN AND IN STRIPS DEPT WITH JOHN HAWKSWORTH AS THE FORMAN THERE.

[Yerman 10]

Bandsaw department was a world of its own. Sid Luckman was a great character. Along with him were Gordon Lowery, Vic Sammans, Tony Simmons, Brian Bullas, and Paul who did the inspection work.

Strips was a noisy shop full of presses coverting metal sheet into saw blades.

 

All that area is now aWaitrose supermarket and car park.

[pedro1 10]

My mum worked for james neill prob in the 50`s. Her name was valerie Armitage.

[heeleygirl 10]

Bandsaw department was a world of its own. Sid Luckman was a great character. Along with him were Gordon Lowery, Vic Sammans, Tony Simmons, Brian Bullas, and Paul who did the inspection work.

Strips was a noisy shop full of presses coverting metal sheet into saw blades.

 

All that area is now aWaitrose supermarket and car park.

 

Your right about bandsaw being a world on it's own, but you got one name wrong. It was Vic Sampson and I should know I married him ! We still see Paul Sills and have seen Gordon Lowery but some time ago now. Brian Bullas

passed away a few years ago from heart problems.

[pagill 10]

And my father, Bob Gill, who spent 20 years working with the Bandsaw Department, is still alive and kicking in his mid-80's. He has finally given up his daily inhalation of Senior Service.

[harold 10]

hiya bigkev. my brotherworked there, his name is lewis ogle,dont know what department he worked in but he was there quite awhile. harold

[Yerman 10]

A couple of other names from the bandsaw department of the 70's:

 

Chris Watson - Flapper - the man of a thousand jokes

Alan Blythe - I think he was Brian Bullas' son-in-law

 

Both went on to become sales reps.

 

Paul the inspector was Paul Barratt.