Gordon Tools - Rockingham Street

[geoffusa 10]

One of my parents was a relation to Tony Wilson. I set up my businees in Sheffield nearly 40 years ago - it is still operating, albeit in Alfreton. Tony set me up with an account - my first, with absolutely no security. I will always be grateful to Gordon Tools. Also I had an old friend who worked in the plating dept. called Peter Roebuck.

[Filey 10]

Yes I remember the fishing trips where no fish were ever caught. and the Union Jack flying when GW was in residence in Filey.

 

I was also a "regular" at the Grapes on Trippet Lane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Do you remember Tommy on the Tulip Rally?

I remember Tommy very well - didnt seem to fit in somehow. No I cant tremember the tulip rally though. It was in the days when Dixie was going out with the son of the Top House owners in Filey. Big crowd of us went about together.

[fleetwood 10]

I remember working at 'Gordon Tools' as a young lad (we were working there installing some equipment, contracting from another company.) One of the women on a Buffing machine asked me, 'as tha got the sen a set of spanners yet luv,' I replied I had'nt, 'stand thesen o'er theer an ile throw thee a set aat.' So as she proceeded to work on the various sizes, she threw out the spanners one at a time to me until I had the full set, what a prize to me at that time. Another incident, the foreman came up to her and said, 'tha woz bloody late agin this mornin Edna' of which she replied, 'I woz ++++ingwel erlier than I woz yesterday mornin, tha silly sod!' Looking back they swore up a storm in a way that was almost endearing and without animosity.

[Saturn 23 10]

I was a big friend of Dixie Wilson in the 60's. I knew all the family well. They used to come to Filey all the time and I spent many a happy hour with them all. Dixie used to come and pick me up in the Rolls when she was able to have it and we would go for a drive laughing our heads off. Mrs Wilson would go and pick up fish and chips in the Rolls with her hair in rollers and wearing a white mink coat. When it was Dixie's 21st Birthday - the family gave her a white MGB GT with gold plated keys all tied up in a pink ribbon. The morning after the lavish "do" we went for a drive round Dore - it was realy living. I myself came from a very humble background but it didn't matter to the Wilson's - they took people a face value. I moved down south and lost touch with Dixie. Just recently when I saw a friend from the past - he told me Dixie had died in her 40's. Does anyone know if this is tru?

Dixie Wilson died of cancer at the age of 48, as she didn't smoke and hardly drank there seems to be no reason for her getting this awful illness. Gordon, her father, also died of cancer at the age of 52 so there may be so genetic link. Both died far too young.

Tommy competed in the Tulip Rally in 1968 and "fell off" a mountain in the French Alps. His Cooper S needed a new body shell but was driven home although he retired from the event. The crew were uninjured. He went on to compete in many rallies and even won some.

The house in Filey was the scene of many great parties. Did you go to any? If so are your initials BM? The house I have been told has now been converted to flats.

[Filey 10]

Dixie and I were huge friends as I was originally from Sheffield but something happened in her life which I wont go into and it changed everything. Things were never the same! I married a Filey lad and she met a chap who was related to one of her Hunmanby Hall school friends and they married. I moved down south and we lost touch. I have a lovely picture of us all at a 21st. in The Hylands Hotel - Filey. I was at the house almost every day as Dixie would come to Filey for most of the week - dont know when she managed to work at the factory. I remember Gordon getting very ill but he managed to see her married. I tried to trace her some years ago but to no avail then just this year was told that she had died - it came as a huge shock! We were the same age and my initials are not BM.I recall Tommy passing his driving test - he loved driving. Dont know what happened to him!

[Saturn 23 10]

Dixie and I were huge friends as I was originally from Sheffield but something happened in her life which I wont go into and it changed everything. Things were never the same! I married a Filey lad and she met a chap who was related to one of her Hunmanby Hall school friends and they married. I moved down south and we lost touch. I have a lovely picture of us all at a 21st. in The Hylands Hotel - Filey. I was at the house almost every day as Dixie would come to Filey for most of the week - dont know when she managed to work at the factory. I remember Gordon getting very ill but he managed to see her married. I tried to trace her some years ago but to no avail then just this year was told that she had died - it came as a huge shock! We were the same age and my initials are not BM.I recall Tommy passing his driving test - he loved driving. Dont know what happened to him!

One more try - JP/JO?

[Filey 10]

No sorry - but I think I know who you are talking about - always very tanned? JP I mean. We were god parents to her first child. Hope we on the same wave length. My initials were LP then when married - LB - but depends on your age and if you are from Filey to know the crowd we all went about with. Such good days. I would help Dixie blond her hair and stick rollers in -she had lovely hair.

[Filey 10]

No sorry - but I think I know who you are talking about - always very tanned? JP I mean. We were god parents to her first child. Hope we on the same wave length. My initials were LP then when married - LB - but depends on your age and if you are from Filey to know the crowd we all went about with. Such good days. I would help Dixie blond her hair and stick rollers in -she had lovely hair.

Also - do you remember the sitting room at the front which over looked the bay and that lovely dresser in there displaying Mrs. Wilson,s Crown Derby collection. Dixie and Tommy bought her a teapot which must have cost them the earth then. Oh! and poor Gordon lets say "unsteady on his feet" and knocking over the big Christmas tree - everything went flying but we managed to salvage it. Ha! and "Pandy Puss" the fat cat that didnt like coming over from Sheffield in the Rolls/Bentley so would leave its calling card in the back seat (usually got flung out of the window on journey).Pitty the car behind. Such a pampered cat - Mrs. Wilson would line up saucers of food for it to choose which it fancied. All flooding back now!

[bullerboY 10]

My mother worked at Gordon tool for twentyfive years her name was Lily Lunn and yes she was a buffer.Every night she would come home dirty tired and bits of rag wrapped around her fingers but she loved it the friendship,the heartbreaks,the highs and lows the bloody hard work, dont forget a sheffield dozen was thirteen,one for the gaffer at something like two pence a dozen. She retired at 60 and died at 61 nothing more in her life to live for she would have worked forever if she could.I remember her boss Mr Gibson (gibbo),one xmas in 1961 we turned a car over at castleton and some people took us to the Idle Hours restaurant at Hope and this man said he could take us to Sheffield,when we driving he said he worked at gordon tools and I said my mother did and he asked her name he was gobsmacked and he took us to our frontdoor I asked him in but he said no,I found out later he was afraid of my mother they were always rowing at work. Does anyone remember Ernie Walker ,he raced sidecars and Gordons sponsored him he was an engineer there.

[Saturn 23 10]

Yes I remember Lily and definately Ernie Walker. I have a photo of Roy Walker, Gordon Wilson, Ron Gibson and Ernie Walker with a Manx Norton and Velocette KTT outside the old packing room of Gordon Tools. They all raced bikes with Ernie racing sidecars. There was also a salesman called George 'Clip' Crawshaw who successfully raced speedway bikes in his youth.

[bullerboY 10]

hi Saturn 23

Thanks for the reply,my aunt Jessie Lunn also worked there.I used to see Ernies daughter quite often when she delivered car parts to me and I showed her some old racing photos which he had given my mother,she was overwhelmed her name was Wendy.

[Saturn 23 10]

Hi

 

I would love to see Ernie's racing photos. Is there any chance that you could send them on e mail?