Newton Chambers & Company Ltd

[Redfyre 10]

I remember Jack Cole very well. In my time he worked in the Development dept where the boss was Mike Hetherington, and the other staff included a Fred Medlicott. When I first joined NC, Redfyre was in the Engineering offices, with the Development dept in a then new building up Thorncliffe Lane. Later, the Redfyre dept was moved up there.

Just before we moved up to Thorncliffe Lane, Fred Ridout joined the Redfyre dept from another part of Engineering. Fred was an ex-clerk who made his way into management. "Ridout here!" he said when he answered the phone --he was quite a character, in that many felt he bluffed his way up the ladder and he was totally unconscious of the fact that some regarded him as like a character out of Gilbert & Sullivan. But he must have had some ability, and certainly he was a decent chap once you got to know him. I remember him with affection, really, and often wondered about him in later years, but never came across him. I think he lived at Thorpe Hesley at one stage, and he used to sell newspapers outside the workshops before starting work himself (or so legend has it). I was sorry to hear that he had died. (How we miss the old South Yorkshire Times for keeping in touch with news from the areas around Thorncliffe!)

For me my NC days were great days! It was a great firm, and I wish I could locate a few of the survivors from that era -though there won't be too many left, I fear.

[Crabus 10]

Redfyre, Fred died in Ilkley I think but his obituaries were published in the Rotherham Advertiser.

Some of the other names you mention are familiar to me-I often wonder what happened to them.

[Redfyre 10]

Crabus, I can tell you that Harry Mellor, a pal of Jack Cole's and formerly of the research team but later attached to Redfyre Sales, died a few years ago in rather tragic circumstances. Harry's family lived at Mortomley for many years, but Harry was widowed and living in OAP flat at Hoyland Common at the time of his death. One of Harry's sons emigrated to Canada, I think, but another lived somewhere in the Hoyland area.

I was once told that Fred Medlicott had died quite a long time ago. He was a great guy, had an airforce style moustache, and could tell a good tale!

There was another colleague of Jack Cole --a younger man, probably called Burrows, who quit the firm around 1961 and went into the Methodist Church.

I never did hear what became of Mike Hetherington.

Do you know anyone who might have a cutting of the Fred Ridout obit?

If you wanted to locate any of Jack Cole's old colleagues, you could aways start a new thread with that aim. It would be interesting to see how you'd go on. Try it! In the meantime, if I pick up any info, I will let you know.

[Crabus 10]

Redfyre, thanks for the info. On the subject of 'what happened to', my dad Jack died in 1985 aged 57.

Somewhere in mother's loft (she's still with us aged 82) theres a photo of all the development staff from 1962 or 63. I'll try and post it over the next few weeks.

[Stewbish 10]

Came across this forum on Newton Chambers Foundry and wondered if this is the same as Thorncliffe Foundry and if there was any information on the company in the mid 1920's. My Grandfather Thomas Cowling got a job, after the war, from the foundry manager at the time Mr Saunders and worked on drilling castings. He then moved to Bob Nesbitts machine shop but not sure where that is or was. All this information was from a newspaper article around 1950 that showed a brief glimpse of my grandfathers life. Any information on these two companies would be greatful.

[Ted Hills 10]

Stewbish-As far as I am aware the names Newton Chambers(NC) and Thorncliffe are synonymous, Thorncliffe being the name of the area and NC being the name of the Company. As the company started as an iron foundry maybe Thorncliffe Ironworks is what local people and the workers called it and it got passed down through generations of families who spent their whole lifes working there. I'm sure older members may give a better reply but it seems reasonable. Ted Hills

[phantom309 10]

The NCK crawler cranes division used to have a foreman who was called "Chalky" if my memory serves me right and he used to train the lorry drivers how to drive the cranes on and off the trailer so as they able to unload at the destination if there was no one available to off load as I have taken many a load out of there and the engineering shop which were mainly large pressure tanks and columns for the power stations,oil refinerys and chemical plants they was also quite a lot for export as well this would have been 1967 to1975 and it was always a very busy factory in those days

[OneofThree 10]

I left school in 1974 and worked for a short period in the floor polisher service workshop of Kent Panda. Floor polishers were built from the small pedestrian type right up to the ride on bells and whistles machine called a Pandamatic. I wonder if any are still operational?

[ladybird86 10]

My dad worked for Newton Chambers, in the 50's I think, and I think he was a sales rep. His name was Harry Giblin, does anyone remember him?

 

My Dad had an Uncle Harry sir name of Giblin, it was his dad's brother-I don't know if this is the Harry you mean?

[fabatfiftyfi 10]

I started work in the chemical laboratories straight from school in 1969. I have vivid memories of going into the factory to obtain samples to take back to the lab, particularly during the three day week when we 'tested' more paraffin wax than we should have. We kept working in the lab all the time due to the number of candles we made out of the surplus samples.

We used to make things like Zal, Izal, bubble bath, bath salts, ronuk floor polish and a washing up liquid, which I think was called squeezy. among other things.

[scoobz 10]

Ted Hills. Hi Ted, Who were the main bosses at Warren Lane in your time? Was there anyone called Haigh or Hague, who lived on Ecclesfield Road, Chapeltown, near the Grammar School?

Also, at Warren Lane do you remember anyone called Harold Brooks, who came from Grenoside?

 

I remember Harold Brooks. He was my boss for about 5 years from when I left school in 1970 to 1975. Grand old lad he was, really funny guy. Died prematurely as far as I can remember.

[scoobz 10]

I have vivid memories of going into the factory to obtain samples to take back to the lab, particularly during the three day week when we 'tested' more paraffin wax than we should have. s.

 

I also worked for Newton Chambers during the '3 day week period' for the Ransomes and Rapier division. This was at the time when there were random power cuts, and often we used to run a 5p sweep for when the next power cut would be!

Another memory from this time was trying to get time off one afternoon for a football match. Wednesday were playing a friendly against the great Santos team from Brazil, who included Pele and Jairzinho, and the match was switched from a night game to an afternoon fixture because of the power situation. The only memory I have of the game is that Wednesday lost (of course) and Tommy Craig who was wednesdays star player, following Pele around the pitch for the last 5 minutes of the game to make sure he got his shirt when it was all over.

Talking footie, can anybody remember going to Thorncliffe Sports Ground in the school hols to watch Wednesday train? I used to go up there regularly at a time when Wednesday were probably the 2nd best team in the country behind Tottenham. How times have changed!