Did you work at Abrose Shardlow’s?

[David Price 10]

Hi - you didnt give me a surname? You are quite right that "Old man Shardlow" sold out to GKN in the 6o's- we lived at Shiregreen and I grew up with the sound of the hammers going all night. My parents loved the sound because for them it meant that the Germans had failed to find the factory. There were regular air raids 1941-43. Shardlows main business was crankshafts and they were dropped stamped out of a single billet - some were 12feet long. I believe that there were about 25 hammers and my father in law worked on one of the largest, I saw it about 1964 it was as tall as a house and there was nearly as much underground. - There is a little story from the war that when we invaded Dunkirk there was a Becky hammer crated on the docks, destination unknown, it was confiscated by the War Office and the Ministry of Supply instructed Mr Shardlow to install it in Sheffield. It went down as number 13 and was still in use when the forge closed in (I believe the 1980s)

[doublewood 10]

I knew a guy who worked there but I think it was in the 30s Eric Webb he was a turner.

 

Is it not Arthur Lee @ wincobank

[headup 10]

Hi - you didnt give me a surname?)

 

Sent you a PM.

[David Price 10]

Shardlows and Lees were not the same company - Arthur Lee and Sons were producers of special steels and wire product and were nearer to Wincobank whereas Shardlows was nearer to Grange Lane

[caramac55 10]

I am doing the family history and my father in law ( John Henry Firth) worked at Ambrose Shardlow all his working life - he was a drop stamper and worked on hammer number 18 which was a Germany "Bechy" both my brother in laws also worked there - Roy Firth and Stephen Firth - Roy was in the machine shop and Steve was in the forge -

oh what memories, I worked there from 1974 until about 1983, I worked in the die shop as a welder. Number 18 was the biggest hammer at shardlows.

We too, were ofton kept awake by the hammers, living on woolley wood road, we were about as close as you could get. I noticed you mentioned Steve Firth, if this is the same Steve Firth I used to know, we were good friends, i'll PM you with more details.

[headup 10]

I just talked to my dad...he said that one of the big hammers (I can't remember which) went to Lincoln and others ended up going to India. Whatever's left of the company now is owned by an Italian firm as far as he knows.

 

He also confirmed that Spitfire cranks were made there - he says he saw one, although the war was long since over by the time he got there in the 60s.

 

caramac55 - my dad says he would have at least known you by sight.

[GrinderBloke 10]

I just talked to my dad...he said that one of the big hammers (I can't remember which) went to Lincoln and others ended up going to India. Whatever's left of the company now is owned by an Italian firm as far as he knows.

 

 

I imagine the hammer(s) would have gone to Clarke's Crank and Forge in Lincoln.

 

When I first moved from Sheffield across here I was pleasantly surprised to hear big hammers banging away on quiet nights. When the Sheffield hammers ocasionally stopped, I often had difficulty sleeping, maybe I'm just odd but having heard the hammers all my life I missed them when they fell silent.

 

Clarke's Crank and Forge closed in early 2003 and I understand some of the tooling went to the USA, I don't know if this inluded the ex Sheffield hammer(s).

[anniexxx 10]

I lived in wincobank and remember lots of people that worked at shardlows because you either worked there or Athur Lees my father Ted Ramsay worked at Lees until he was made redundent after 27yrs ...but the people i remember working at shardlows were Frank Hudson , John Jermey both now sadly deseased Harold Holmes to mention a few.....

[Birty 10]

My husband still works there although its now Bifrangi, owned by Italians, before them it was UEF. Not the same as the old Shardlows where the men although working hard could have a laugh and joke (not allowed now)!!! Although the old Shardlows sense of humour still exists!

They are still fighting to regain their pensions which have all but been lost! So any thoughts of early retirement have gone through the window.

[Jan39 10]

My uncle used to work there, his name was Brian Hogan, He sadly passed away a few weeks ago.

[amron 10]

We lived on Shirehall road and my Dad, Victor Dewsnap (RIP) was a crankshaft inspector at Shardlows. very fond memories of him waiting for me under the clock at 3.30pm. My brother-in-law Trevor Richards organised/ran some part of wages dept, and (not RIP).

My dad organised/ran the "packers fund" for the lads there. anyone remember what the packers fund was? think it was a savings club.

[Tedwood 10]

Hi PeterW

My father Fred work there all his life, later in the tool room, does it ring a bell? He was very easy to remember, he had a stiff right leg.

Remember him talking about The Shop Foreman Harding Charley Cooling,Joe White were other names I remember.

When I was about twelve he took me down to The Canteen for Boxing lessons and had fun at the annual sports day at the sports ground.

In the summer I would walk down Fife St. and meet him coming out of work and we would ride the bus back up home and I can still smell the Salt Cut on his coveralls.... Happy Days

Regards Ted wood