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Did you work at ESC Brightside in the late 50's

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My Dad, Terrance Webb worked at ESC, first in Metallurgy then moved into management. I have a few photos of his time there if anyones interested.

 

I knew your father as my ex-husband (John Boast) worked with him in the Research department at ESC. We were also friends with him and your mother Mollie but lost touch after our divorce. I remember going to their wedding. I worked at ESC also as a comptometer operator from 1946-1951, latterly in the salaries department.

 

---------- Post added 10-11-2017 at 19:07 ----------

 

My mum worked in the offices st ESC in the 60s, and she often mentions the beautiful wood panelling and marble in the offices. Does anyone have any pics of the interior, I'd love to show her!

 

She also tells of how they used to get driven home on the back of the steel waggons when the trams didn't run due to snow.

 

I worked in the offices there (1946-1951) and the marble first floor offices were known as the "directors corridor" and we lesser mortals were instructed not to enter it. If we had to go through there for an official reason we were told to tiptoe. I remember the main entrance on Brightside Lane and the mahogany desk with a commissionaire behind it. I always feel sad when passing the building now to see the state of it.

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I worked in the offices there (1946-1951) and the marble first floor offices were known as the "directors corridor" and we lesser mortals were instructed not to enter it. If we had to go through there for an official reason we were told to tiptoe. I remember the main entrance on Brightside Lane and the mahogany desk with a commissionaire behind it. I always feel sad when passing the building now to see the state of it.

 

wow! That's exactly how my mum describes it... Tiptoeing about! :hihi: obviously nothing changed in the intervening 10 or 15 years.

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I was there in 1959. Based in the Old Steel Warehouse at the end of the roadway from No 5 gate and next to the bar mill. I use to take shipping orders to the Head office in No 1 gate and on the way visited most of the other departments. I was issued with a 'travelling pass' which allowed site wide access. The Heavy plate mill with the River Don engine was still at work as were the open hearth furnaces and the heavy forge. The manager of the Old Steel Warehouse was a Mr. Alcock. The manager of the whole department was Mr. Reynolds. I often got a lift down from the Old Steel Warehouse when the shunter was returning after loading up.

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Thanks Peter, I'll let you know if so ever track any pics down!

 

Please do!!

 

I suppose the marble and wood panelling has been reclaimed from the building now.

 

I'm assuming that the same happened at Firth Browns when the Head Office main entrance, with the canopy just right of the works entrance big gate shown on this pic which I snapped in 1990, was demolished and removed from the rest of the building along with all the buildings to the left of it. .....

 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/FCBXKLWBdm3LvYL62

 

The building as it is now....

 

http://picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;c01487&pos=2&action=zoom&id=1992

 

Peter.

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I used to work in that building Peter! Never saw the before picture, thanks for posting it.

 

I'm not sure about ESC though. A friends husband worked at forgemasters recently, and he thought it was still there, although uncared for.

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I used to work in that building Peter! Never saw the before picture, thanks for posting it.

 

I'm not sure about ESC though. A friends husband worked at forgemasters recently, and he thought it was still there, although uncared for.

 

Hi feargal,

 

What a small world eh? What years and department did you work in??.

 

You may be interested in my post number 645 of 28 Sept on the page shown below on the Firth Brown thread. I posted a pic of the rear of the President Buildings which I recently snapped. My office between 1961 and 1963 was off a corridor formed by the wooden structure.

Part of the steelworks was behind and either side of the long demolished office building I mention, stretching back to Carlisle Street East. I started aged 15 and was in that office between 1959 and 1961.....

,

https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=321&page=33https://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=321&page=33

 

Peter.

 

---------- Post added 12-11-2017 at 11:28 ----------

 

I knew your father as my ex-husband (John Boast) worked with him in the Research department at ESC. We were also friends with him and your mother Mollie but lost touch after our divorce. I remember going to their wedding. I worked at ESC also as a comptometer operator from 1946-1951, latterly in the salaries department.

 

---------- Post added 10-11-2017 at 19:07 ----------

 

 

I worked in the offices there (1946-1951) and the marble first floor offices were known as the "directors corridor" and we lesser mortals were instructed not to enter it. If we had to go through there for an official reason we were told to tiptoe. I remember the main entrance on Brightside Lane and the mahogany desk with a commissionaire behind it. I always feel sad when passing the building now to see the state of it.

 

Hi rohsgran and feargal,

 

It appears that at ESC the culture of the time was the same as at Firth Browns. I made no judgements, it was how it was and I enjoyed my time there. :)

 

At Firth Browns too we had weren't supposed to pass through the reception area and had to pass through the works gate and enter the offices around the back entrance.

There were two young ladies at the reception desk in the lobby. Up an impressive stairway winding round to the right and leading off were the Directors dining room and, yes, the Directors corridor.

 

As an office junior aged 15 one of my duties was to collect a tea tray for one of the directors who took mid morning tea in his office every day. For some reason this office wasn't off the Directors Corridor but near my office. I would walk from the green and cream corridors with offices either side through a wood panelled brass handled door into the Directors wood panelled corridor. It was a different world, like a gentlemans club. Then through the Directors kitchen where, what seemed to me, butlers in full dress but wearing aprons were cleaning silver cutlery. In a lobby at the far end was what I knew as a dumb waiter. I would press a button and, as if by magic, a small lift would appear with the tea tray. I would carry this, for what seemed miles, feeling rather silly, to the directors secretary's office.

 

It was only in recent years that I realised that the tray was sent down from the Directors kitchen which can just be seen right top of the building here. Demolition had been started top left. The part from the immediate right of the canopy still stands....

 

http://picturesheffield.com/frontend.php?action=zoomWindow&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;s26727&prevUrl=

 

Just one of my little stories :)

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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Are you Jean Arnold , mum Laura and used to live at 140 Petre Street with your Granma?

 

Yes Do we know each other

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Hi Eagleweb, Would .love to see the photos of ESC - I was there 1960 -1967 as Reasearch trainee for 3 years then in Welding Lab. John

 

Great John, if you'd like to email me at concordcarpets@gmail.com I can send you them. I cant work out how to attach them to this post I'm afraid.

 

Ps. Amazing that the open hearth furnaces were still in use when you were there.

 

---------- Post added 16-11-2017 at 11:50 ----------

 

I knew your father as my ex-husband (John Boast) worked with him in the Research department at ESC. We were also friends with him and your mother Mollie but lost touch after our divorce. I remember going to their wedding. I worked at ESC also as a comptometer operator from 1946-1951, latterly in the salaries department.

 

Hi Rohsgran. Thats fascinating to know, I will remember you to them. Thanks.

Edited by eagleweb

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There are around 5 minutes of good quality sequence near the end of this 1963 drama film, with Sally Geeson, of inside ESC River Don Works and also outside at the junction of Brightside Lane, Hawke Street and Upwell Street. If you don't want to watch the full 55 mins.film, run it forwards to the sequence, which is between 48mins 50 secs in, to 54 mins, 20 secs......

 

https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-wings-of-mystery-1963-online

Edited by PeterR

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AS an old ESC man I really enjoyed that memory. Thanks Peter

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You're welcome John.

 

The shops were very much like those at Firth Brown's further down the road on Saville Street East where I worked between 1959 and '66. As an office junior aged 15 I first had the privilege of experiencing those sights, sounds and heat as I walked through the shops with documents. Also had an overhead crane licence in 1965.

 

Have you seen this film of Firth Brown's in 1957?....

 

http://www.yorkshirefilmarchive.com/film/firth-brown-tour-works

 

Peter.

Edited by PeterR

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On 07/03/2007 at 10:21, Sparkytom said:

Just thought I could stir anyones memories of English Steel Corporation. I worked there from 1955 to 1961. Moved around the works quite abit starting in the Billet and Rod rolling mill off of Hawke Street, then the electrical workshop, the foundry on Carlisle St, spring shop Carlisle St, smelting shop and rolling mill at Stevenson Rd, open hearth furnaces on Brightside Lane, the forge on Brightside Lane, main offices. Then back to Hawke Street West Machine shop, gun barrel plant. Finally finishing once again at the foundry Carlisle St.

The reason for working in all these areas, I was an electrical apprentice, could not have wished for a better training ground. Sadly most of it has all been pulled down or sold off.

I was a maintenance fitter at BSC Cyclops 83 - 85

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