John Bedford & Sons Ltd, Mowbray St. Neepsend

[terryb]

Worked at bedfords as a needle point grinder also remember women who used to do loads a toast happy days

 

---------- Post added 08-06-2015 at 18:48 ----------

 

Worked there as a needle point grinder used to use cox,s cafe across road happy days

[emo924]

Steve

I am relieved about that - nevertheless I perhaps should have thought more and worded the comment a little better.

David Reid was indeed your father's and my boss. He had the office right next to ours and if things got a little boisterous which they were inclined to do on a Friday afternoon he would be out with a frown on his face to see what all the fuss was about.

I missed the opportunity to stock up on hand tools being less than far sighted but that said apart from hammers which I believe you can hit things with, the rest, spanners and wrenches etc would have been wasted on me.

It is frightening to think back and see how much Sheffield has changed, particularly the centre over the years - reminds us, well me, how old we have become.

Chris

[TommySmith]

Hi Marion,

 

Jean Langford of course, how could I forget Jean. I don't remember your sister though, probably after I left. My then sister in law had a short spell with us. She was useless so I sacked her. That went down like a lead balloon with the in laws. The weighbridge man was called Birkinshaw and it was George Baggley with his office opposite. I woke up about four this morning thinking about this lot.

There's so many names I remember which says something about the people we worked alongside, J Arnold Wade was one. We used to call him "The Jaw" after his initials either that or "The Manor Park Lip" after where he lived at that time and his harrassed assistant Ernest Oldfield aka "Longdrop" he was a tall un' was Ernest.

Another character was Ron Toseland with his red and gold trucks, he had some nice equipment (so to speak) had Ron.

 

N

 

Hello Neil,

 

"The Jaw" Arnold Wade was my Grandfather, he definitely was a character ! As was my "Uncle" Bernard Duffy....do you remeber him? I visited Beford Steels a couple of years ago to quote for the new office windows and as soon as I told them I was Arnolds Grandson I got a tour of the place met a fair few people who worked with him and heard a few funny tales from when he was there. They gave me all of his old retirement trinkets and old order ledgers he kept along with alot of photos of him. Some of these are where he was with henry Cooper on his visit to the steel works. I notice someone else has mentioned my Grandad and his capstan full strength cigarettes I remeber nicking these from his stash when i was at school. It'd be the only time my friends wouldn;t want to borrow a cigarette from me ! I'd love to hear any stories people can share of my Grandad I was a big fan of the guy although he scared the life out of me and my brother when we were younger, we didn;t dare put a foot wrong!

[almac]

I remember Arnold Wade very well indeed. he was the best boss I ever had. He was grumpy, churlish and downright nasty on occasions, but if you ever were in need of help ( work or otherwise ) he totally changed, and you couldn't wish for any one better. My favourite story was in the Steelworkers strike when pickets were deployed to Bedford's Rolling Mills to discourage deliveries of steel . He was kindness itself, arranging for mugs of tea for all at regular intervals, finally persuading them that there was no need to picket Bedford's because he was in total sympathy with the strike. The pickets withdrew, and the same night steel was delivered to the Mill from an unknown source. No one ever suspected a thing.

[lingarth]

Only just found out about this site through my daughter in law. Can I add some names - Betty Cartwright, Pauline Hendy (was Smyth), Ruth was Mr Booth's Secretary, Roger in home sales team, Lynda Naylor office junior, Maureen Jackson (became Neal) Stan her husband was in joiners shop, Ann typed the orders, Gloria did General typing and customer quotes, I think someone called Alan worked in same office but he was to do with Bedford Steels. Carl Parkin was in drawing office, I recall a tale about him doing the plans for the driveway down to BRDC but unfortunately they tested it out using a car (quite steep from the road) so when it came to a lorry it got stuck, don't know how true it was. Bob Wood manager there. Melvyn Neyt worked in file warehouse, young dark haired lad called Bob worked in packing with Arthur and Edith (went to Jersey every year with their spouses), also Paul Innocent very quiet lad. Les Wright was in forwarding office (well into Boys Brigade)

[francypants]

 

The Parkwood used to be a Whitbread House and the Douglas was Stones I'm sure. I seem to remember the Douglas as the cosiest of the two even though it was right up there in the farthest corner. Why I found myself up there drinking whilst I lived in Meersbrook I'll never know, once you got of the bus at "The Gardners" you were on your own. Good days in any event.

 

 

 

Regards

 

Neil Memmott

 

The Douglas Inn right at the top of the hill at Parkwood Springs was a Tetley pub. My aunty and uncle owned this pub in the early 70s up until it's demolition and I lived there too.

[wasa1]

My dad Eddie Mcgovan worked at John Bedfords most of his working life he was a file hardner he also had a brother Mick Mcgovan who worked there as well.

[BIGLIL]

John Bedford , was my first workplace , I was 15 and employed as a file cutter ,I lasted about three weeks , thank god for technology .

[carosio]

The noise and vibration those file cutting machines made was horrendous, it was mainly women that operated them. I watched them install a new machine in the cutting shop and they had to dig a 7ft hole into which concrete was poured for the foundations.

[monkeygirl]

Just wondering if anyone remembers my dad - Ted Brown - or Edwin Brown was his proper name. I think he worked his way up the ladder (though not sure it was a very big ladder). He started in 1957 as a Production Control Manager, then was Production Director. He left in 1974. I'm just going through some of his old things. He has a really nice reference from J.A Wade. Hoping someone remembers him....