James Neill Tools Summerfield Street

[Pete1958 10]

Hi to all. I live in Liverpool, and found an interesting item at my mother in laws house.

She (Eva Williams) was a commercial artist for James Neill and Co before the war.

The item is a bound booklet to commemorate her 21st birthday. Dated 4th March 1939, it contains the signatures of her fellow workers and wishes for "long life and prosperity". The long life was granted, not so sure about the prosperity!

Nearly all of the signatures are legible, and are as follows :-

Margaret Holt Wise

T E ?Townsend

L Turton

John W Adams

R Russell

Uncle Syd

Ernest Grayson

May E Hudson

Edith Taylor

Marion Fielding

Audrey Earl

G Palfreyman

Harold Beddard

Wm McLyle

W Bower

D Howley

C Smith

B W Cole

Molly Bishop

Betty ?Mettam

Eva Catherine Beatrice Dash

Muriel Fowler

Kathleen Margaret Kershaw

Molly ?Fletcher

Jessie Framley

Madge E Wallace

R G A ?Colley

Hilda M Goodhead

Mabel L Merrill

?Osmund Mallinder

Betty Hardwick

D Pett

Hilary Duke

Hilda Collins

R F D ?Bull

E M Esslem

Hilda Ashton

Joan Diamond

Margaret Lindley

R K Charlesworth

Mary Bland

J Kenneth Walton

Joyce Weatherington

Betty M Griffiths

Ida P Foster

D ?Humpston

J Critchley

Winifred Bunting

Mary Parker

D Williams

Lawrence ?Redfern

C Mary Godby

H S Swallow

Mary Beer

Margot Wright

Edna Beck

Frances Atkin

Mary Heppendall

Jack A Rotheram

G E Gray

J Wilson

J J Kay

Betty D Parkin

Eva Mould

Margorie Mason

A Galley

C Russell

Trish Billings

Ishbel Graham

M Beryl Warner

Dorothy Palmer

Mary Nunn

S Joan Williams

Patricia Furnell

Margaret Gerrard

Becky or Betty B

?Olegar Sheffield

Marjorie Finch

P Jupp

Margaret Jean Whewell

Dorothy Coult

Kathleen Wackgill

Eileen Wilmore

Sybil Bell

Shiela Letitia Jones

Joan Mary Gallagher

Joan M Boulanger

Barbara G Watson

Marian E C Ainsworth

Nancy Rowland

Peggy Gwynne Jones

Mollie J ?Peath

Joan Meridith

 

I hope somebody recognises a name or two!

 

Pete

[Olive Gato 10]

i didn't work there but went to school near by. You always heard what I thought was bell going off getting everyone to start working.

[Pete1958 10]

Futher to my last post, we have unearthed a letter to my mother in law from 1965. Hope it brings up some memories for people

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

From letter from T. E. Townend, 2 January 1965

 

.... You will no doubt be wondering how I am getting along in retirement & how some of the folk are faring at the old firm. [Followed by an account of holidays and some of his family news]

 

I don’t know whether or not you had heard that the firm commissioned me to write its history & also one of the Trade Associations have also given me a similar commission so I find plenty to occupy my spare time and of course I see the old folk from time to time.

 

In these days Sir Frederick is looking an old man and Hugh is running the show & very well too. Wilfred is still in retirement in Bexhill-on-Sea. His son David is on the firm on the work side [i think it says ‘work side’] & his older son, Guy, is now the London Representative running a London office. Nancy’s husband Peter Forsdyke [?] is Sales Director.

 

Mr Swain who was retired from the board & the firm is an old man. I saw Annie about 6 weeks ago & she told me how at times he insists on going down to the firm to see Sir Frederick.

 

Ron Russell is now Landlord of a pub – the Rifleman’s Arms Winslow Cheshire. Jim’s sister Dorothy was married this Xmas to a chap, widower, whom she met whilst on holiday but she is still keeping on with her job in the [hacksaw?] warehouse. Ike Gray retired from the firm during the year on his 90th birthday. Colley has also retired.

 

Wath [?] & Burgon I think will retire during the year the latter being 83 years old. Doreen is still on the firm working under Spurr who now manages the small saw department. She has not been too well recently. Jack Wilson I think will also retire during the year. Jack’s son Peter is a departmental manager and a very clever lad and Jack is very proud of him. He is married & has 2 children. Billy Bower is still at his board. He has about 4 years to go before his retirement but is not in very good health.

 

The old department is exceedingly busy & now numbers 19 staff in all... what a difference from the old days with the 3 of us and a part-time typist.

 

The other day I saw Les Turton who was with Hida [?] & Speirs. He & his wife have a small shop at the bottom of Whinney Hill – about a mile away from here & seem to do well. How different from Blockmaking.

 

Well there’s a whole bag of news for you to be going along with. Write when you feel like it. Y our letters will be welcome. Regards to your hubby.

 

Yours, T. E. Townend.

 

------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Nosnarb 10]

I worked there from ;'68 to '71-- I had been working on what were to be the new polytech extensions in pond Street but the winter was awful and when I saw an advert for an exhibition joiner (box number only) I applied for it and was lucky to get the job. My boss was Albert keats- a commercial artist , another artist /designer was Bert Whitwam who hailed from Wombwell. I worked with another joiner called Sid Stephenson and our job was to build exhibition stands and displays and then take them all over the country - I remember once staying in a hotel in Whitley bay and a guy there went into a casino next door and lost his trousers on a turn of the wheel-- it was in the news of the world!. The work was -at times- a little seasonal and we often had little to do , but then it was hectic for weeks and weeks-- seldom evenly spaced out. I loved the company, If I was working away I didnt stay in some low level accommadation but was able to stay in the same place as the reps. Lots of the work we did went to overseas shows so we had to make the displays in a simple way so the reps could assemble them when they reached there destination- we once made a "pretend house" that went somewhere in Africa and after the show it was given to some of the locals who used it for real to live in!!! There seemed to be a lot of pride in the company and many people wore badges of 10/15/20/and 25 years service, Every christmas time pensionaer employees were sent a wacking big hamper of food, drink and ciggys to enjoy on christmass day---- I dont think any company plays this sort of game anymore--- great firm- great pity its no longer what it was.

The boss-- Hugh niell was a real gentleman- the world could do with more of his kind.

 

I worked in the Promotions Dept under Tony Evans and we had a rare old time. Albert Keats was in charge of exhibitions, to say he liked a drink would be an understatement. Albert and his mate MC boss of a sign company kept the Nursery Tavern profitable for many years. Albert left JN in mysterious circumstances 'was he pushed or did he resign'? We never knew. At the same time Albert retired, the Promotions dept was in the process of moving location within the JN complex to just across the yard. We were originally above the union meeting room where red Des Bell used to hold court with the down trodden work force. Anyway the change of location meant removing the 'furnishings' including an old wall clock. Albert was just short of his 25 years service when he would have been awarded a gold watch by the chairman Mr Hugh. Being thoughtful souls we cut a slice out of the wall clock like a slice out of a cake, with a 20T hacksaw, to compensate for the 25 yr service shortfall, sprayed it gold and made a strap which we also sprayed with gold paint. The late Gordon Fidler, photographer printed a life size mono blow up of the chairman which we mounted onto plywood and cut out, we had all the means to do such things at our disposal. Alberts colleagues assembled and Albert was summoned where we held a parody of the 25 years service award complete with Mr Hugh albeit as a lifesize cut out. On occasions where Mr Hugh spoke to the flock he would chuckle and to replicate this we had a tape recording of the laughing policeman. After the ceremony we retired to the Nursery Tavern to oil our throats. Albert went on to found Silver Knight exhibitions under his mate MC the sign man. This since developed into a significant operation. If they were asked to quote on a job and didn't have time to work out the price Albert told me he used his National Service number, a good few digits in that which should cover most eventualities, I could go on and on and on!

[Nosnarb 10]

I worked there from ;'68 to '71-- I had been working on what were to be the new polytech extensions in pond Street but the winter was awful and when I saw an advert for an exhibition joiner (box number only) I applied for it and was lucky to get the job. My boss was Albert keats- a commercial artist , another artist /designer was Bert Whitwam who hailed from Wombwell. I worked with another joiner called Sid Stephenson and our job was to build exhibition stands and displays and then take them all over the country - I remember once staying in a hotel in Whitley bay and a guy there went into a casino next door and lost his trousers on a turn of the wheel-- it was in the news of the world!. The work was -at times- a little seasonal and we often had little to do , but then it was hectic for weeks and weeks-- seldom evenly spaced out. I loved the company, If I was working away I didnt stay in some low level accommadation but was able to stay in the same place as the reps. Lots of the work we did went to overseas shows so we had to make the displays in a simple way so the reps could assemble them when they reached there destination- we once made a "pretend house" that went somewhere in Africa and after the show it was given to some of the locals who used it for real to live in!!! There seemed to be a lot of pride in the company and many people wore badges of 10/15/20/and 25 years service, Every christmas time pensionaer employees were sent a wacking big hamper of food, drink and ciggys to enjoy on christmass day---- I dont think any company plays this sort of game anymore--- great firm- great pity its no longer what it was.

The boss-- Hugh niell was a real gentleman- the world could do with more of his kind.

 

I worked in the Promotions Dept under Tony Evans and we had a rare old time. Albert Keats was in charge of exhibitions, to say he liked a drink would be an understatement. Albert and his mate MC boss of a sign company kept the Nursery Tavern profitable for many years. Albert left JN in mysterious circumstances 'was he pushed or did he resign'? We never knew. At the same time Albert retired, the Promotions dept was in the process of moving location within the JN complex to just across the yard. We were originally above the union meeting room where red Des Bell used to hold court with the down trodden work force. Anyway the change of location meant removing the 'furnishings' including an old wall clock. Albert was just short of his 25 years service when he would have been awarded a gold watch by the chairman Mr Hugh. Being thoughtful souls we cut a slice out of the wall clock like a slice out of a cake, with a 20T hacksaw, to compensate for the 25 yr service shortfall, sprayed it gold and made a strap which we also sprayed with gold paint. The late Gordon Fidler, photographer printed a life size mono blow up of the chairman which we mounted onto plywood and cut out, we had all the means to do such things at our disposal. Alberts colleagues assembled and Albert was summoned where we held a parody of the 25 years service award complete with Mr Hugh albeit as a lifesize cut out. On occasions where Mr Hugh spoke to the flock he would chuckle and to replicate this we had a tape recording of the laughing policeman. After the ceremony we retired to the Nursery Tavern to oil our throats. Albert went on to found Silver Knight exhibitions under his mate MC the sign man. This since developed into a significant operation. If they were asked to quote on a job and didn't have time to work out the price Albert told me he used his National Service number, a good few digits in that which should cover most eventualities, I could go on and on and on!

[telekoness1 10]

I use to work for James Neill Tools (Handsworth) from around 1985-89. Use to work on reception and just a few names I can put out there are :-

 

Dawn Adams

Wendy Baines

Jane Pellagrina (spelling) Was Hugh Neills PA

Margret Newsome

John Jenkinson

Julie Cross

 

One guy from the 'shop floor' as he drove a very nice Stag car, hes called Mick Carling.

[robertl 10]

I worked at Neills from '67 to '75 as a technical apprentice (remember apprenticeships?) through to production Engineering.

Names from the memory in no particular order :-

Jed Bamforth, last seen with a huge beard, Ken Apthorpe (deceased I think) both from the Training Bay. Fellow trainees Carl Cato, David Hey, Phil Waddington, Ian Rowbotham.Liverpudlians from Whiteley Land and Neill Steve Downes and Les Morris,

Production Engineers, well some of them - Jeff Barden, Malcolm Haden, Terry Lockwood, Mick Sanderson, Alan Allcott, Dave Clowes, John Birchenough, Bill Martin (the rambler) Ian Wainright, Ian Hopwood, Grant Hayward, Bob Wainright, Pete Jakeman, Dave Brooks, Rod Managers Peter Vickers (deceased) Dave Pownell, John Brooks ................. oh there's bloomin' hundreds of names once you get going.

 

George Hibberd retired from the company about 5 years ago. Christine Unwin left when it moved from Handsworth to Atlas North about 9 years ago.

 

work there from 1966 after i left school, to around 1972 when i left.

I was one of the 1st students in the new training school with Jed and Ken. And the Liverpool conection was that Neils had bought a company in Speke, so we had a couple of apprentices from there each year.

had 12 months in the training school. then 3 months in the toolroom and the 3 maintenance shops. finished up in #2 maintenance with Jack Parker (supervisor, spring heeled Jack we called him). vaguely remeber a lad called Paul, who introduced me to Jimi Hendrix music. cannot remember any other names.

[smck39 10]

Hi I have only just seen this thread and had to register. I started work at James Neills in 1962 as an apprentice in the training bay alongside the toolroom. I moved to the EPT and finished up in the hacksaw blade dept. fitting shop where the foreman was Mick Blackburn, one of my best mates there was a guy called Roy Smith and remember another fitter called Alan Jepson. Reading these post certainly brought back many memories

[scaleman 10]

I was the 'technical demonstrator' for James Neill group and travelled all over the country demonstrating their tools in a mobile showroom.

[sara-jane 10]

Hi, I've just found this thread and had to register to ask a question.

 

Does anyone have any more information on Albert Keats? He was my grandfather but I never met him as he and my grandmother divorced before I was born.

 

Thanks Sara:)

[jules1955 10]

My Dad worked at James Neils, he was a maintenance painter I think,

[Yerman 10]

Albert Keats left James Neill in the early 1970's and went to work for Curley Signs which was located right opposite the Nursery Tavern on Ecclesall Road. Albert was known to spend the occasional evening in the Nursery. Curley Signs then became Silver Knight Exhibitions which moved up to Handsworth Road, not too far from the current Asda store.

When he worked at James Neill Albert was responsible for exhibitions and product displays and had a couple of joiners responsible to him.