Anybody worked here?

[linda swallo]

I worked at Globe & Simpson 1967. Worked for Accounts Manager Mr. Lambert

[zakes]

Anybody Worked Here?

 

In the early 70's I worked for 2 silver factories - firms.

 

1. Roberts and Belk on Furnival Street, the factory was demolished years ago and stood on the site where Jannic now is.

 

2. Davi(d)sons on West Street, almost next door to the old Saddle pub which I think was a Tetley's house.

At Roberts and Belk I worked with a lad called Robert who originated from South Africa (Johannesburg I think). My job was sitting at a work bench feeding long thin strips of silver into a groove with my left hand, and with my right hand pulled a rope which hoisted a heavy die. I would then lower the die at speed to stamp the Prince Of Wales design on the silver strip, cutting the strip away at the same time from the long strip. There was no safety guard which made the job quite dangerous, and so I left at the end of the week with fingers intact.

 

At Davi(d)son's I worked in different departments and for an extra 10 bob per week. I was shown how to polish items up using a buffer machine and pumice (dirty job) then using another machine and file to take the sharp fash from the edges of silverware. I finally worked and enjoyed my time in the packing department preparing packages to take to the Post Office which gave me the chance for a walk about and a quick drink.

[jgill506]

Hi Zakes,

 

re NEVILLE WATTS : My father was a van driver at Neville Watts in the 1950's and i wondered if you or anyone had any pictures or photographs of the types and makes of vans used by the firm during that period. I was only a lad at the time and can't really remember, but I do seem to remember that the vans had a very nice bright livery : cream/orange/brown ?

 

Cheers,

 

Jgill506.

[worthatron]

my grandad has woked at just about all of the steel factories in sheffield

[trastrick]

Hi Zakes,

 

re NEVILLE WATTS : My father was a van driver at Neville Watts in the 1950's and i wondered if you or anyone had any pictures or photographs of the types and makes of vans used by the firm during that period. I was only a lad at the time and can't really remember, but I do seem to remember that the vans had a very nice bright livery : cream/orange/brown ?

 

Cheers,

 

Jgill506.

 

Don't know about Neville Watts, but the standard van in the 50's was the Bedford Van.

 

Lots of pics on Google, maybe yours?

[zakes]

Anybody Work Here?

 

Francis Colley Ltd. Garden Street. 1973ish, Part 1.

 

The firm Francis Colley was run by the two Colley brothers, and was situated at the very top of cobbled Garden Street on the right hand side. The company dealt with works safety clothing among other things. Other items were heavy duty industrial Gauntlets, gloves, aprons, Doc Marten type footwear, many different types of adhesives and other (in)flammable stuff, that were stored in a stone bunker in the back yard, nuts and bolts, rivets and other goodies.

 

Some people I vaguely remember were :-

 

1. Jack Flanagan? - Ginger hair with matching tash. Lived down near Queens Rooad. Nice bloke.

2. A driver whose name I forget - had a pet snake called Cilla. Weirdo.

3. Geoff (Jeff), his bird worked in the office. I liked these two. Geoff wore cardigans.

4. Ivor, foreman on shop floor, didn't like this slimy git, cold eyes and smoked Embo Regal.

5. Josie, from the office, Ivor's young bit on the side. Nice bod, nice pins, forget the rest.

6. Pat, another office girl, a gorgeous creature this one. She and I spent a fair bit of worktime in the loading bay area with door closed and shutters dahn and leets aht. Lucky me!

7. Andy, he came to Colley's a month or so after I arrived. Andy (best not to give his surname, you'll understand in Part 2) was the same age as me, 19ish. Andy and me worked as storemen in the firm and we had some reight fun, bad fun.

8. John, once went to a wedding in Aberdeen, and later went for an interview at Mars in Luton. He was a decent chap.

[cazziecrisp]

no i did'nt work at any of them thank you. lol. what about j billam eldon street?

 

I didn't work at them either but did work at J Billam 1972 - 1976 in the warehouse

[zakes]

Francis Colley Ltd. Garden Street 1973ish Part 2

 

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO READ HAPPENED 38 YEARS AGO. THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW ALL MY STUFF FROM THE PAST, KNOW THAT I LIKE TO GIVE FULL DETAILS. THIS WILL BE NO EXCEPTION. HOPE I AM NOT CUT OFF FROM THE MERCY OF GOD. I WRITE THIS WITHOUT A TRACE OF BOAST. THANKYOU.

 

Andy and me used to have a kick about in the back yard at dinner times. One day Andy made a pair of catapults, and we used rivets, seggs and bolts as ammo. We spent our time shooting at tins, wood planks and whatever caught our eye, just a bit of fun. 25 yards or so over the back wall was a big ‘house’ like building with dirty windows, and we could just make out behind the glass angel(ic) statuettes, and a larger one that quite possibly depicted Jesus. We both had the same idea at the same time, and soon we were firing rivets, bolts and segs at the three windows on the top floor of the ‘house’. We wereen’t anti religion, and we certainly weren’t Jesus killers, but the temptation was too great to pass.

We fairly peppered them windows and could see when we hit one, because the dirty glass would show up a ‘black hole’ every time. We had a few direct hits on the angels, but that Jesus thing led a charmed life. The next day we had more target practice.

 

Two days later, Andy and I were told by Ivor that we were wanted in the office. On arrival in the office Mr Colley (the younger) greeted us with a grave look, and stood next to him was a priest or such, dressed in black and looking like someone from the Crow family. On the desk were at a guess a couple of kilos of our ammo retrieved from the ‘house’ (St. Vincents). Mr Colley wanted to know if we knew anything about them, and we said we didn’t. We were sent back downstairs to work, thinking we had gotten away with it.

 

When we two left work at the days end, Andy and me made our way to Pond Street bus station. On Townend Street we ‘did’ a couple of windows, Church Street went unscathed as did High Street. In the ‘hoil in’t rooad’ a man was ‘riveted’ or ‘segged’ from behind and he went down like a sack o’ spuds. We then went up the ramp and arrived in Fitzalan Square and promptly binned our weapons and ammo. After that incident we decided to be good boys in future and hopefully become model citizens. For a week I scoured the Shefield Telegraph and The Star to see if we were wanted for murder or mans laughter. I avidly watched Calender and Look North, Liz Fox, Austen Mitchell, Richard Whiteley and all, but nothing was reported , but I was still very afeared.

 

The following week at work we were told Mr Colley (the elder) had passed away and all staff we invited to the funeral on the Thursday. Ivor took the opportunity to tell Andy and me to go to the Labour Exchange instead of the funeral, that we were both fired because of the St. Vincent incident.

 

We two ‘reformed’ characters went to the dole office and believe it or believe it not, we both got a job straight away, working at the same place as each other. (The next bit is a little vague, sorry). I think the work place was in that ‘tower block’ (Fretwell Downing)? At the site where the Somerfield shop is on Ecclesall Road. Our job was to unflatten (unfold) cardboard boxes and put staples in them using a treadle (foot lever). The foreman, who had nicotine stained fingers didn’t seem to like us much (good judge). We found out on the second day that he had a ferret faced floozy in the office (we saw him stroking her Aristotle). Next day we made a few sarcastic comments and gave some knowing looks, and we were sacked on the fourth day! I never saw Andy again after that day, nearly 40 years ago.

 

Epilogue – During our chats in the short time we ‘worked’ together I found out Andy and me had lived close to each other for years, he in Basegreen and me at Gleadless Townend. He had gone to Frecheville School and I had gone to nearby Birley School. He also knew people I knew. We had both done underage drinking, he was a redler in the Centre Spot and now and again went in the Old Harrow. I was a redler in the Old Harrow and now and agiain went in the Centre Spot. Our paths had never crossed. Strange world eh?

[bullerboY]

My deceased brother-in-laws family owned Globe & Simpson.

Globe and Simpsons was owned by Lucas Industries but the directors of GCHQ Sheffield were Crow,Hooper Jurgens and a chubby faced man I can't remember.There was more stock fiddle than Vanessa Mae could handle,Brian Payne was parts manager Alan Brailsford was depot manager and the Sheffield lorry driver was Syd who lived up Duke street way the main distribution area was based at Fradley on the A38.I had some great times there especially with the girls,it was like being a kid in a candy shop.Will someone please make a machine to turn the clock back!

[paulo n]

Anybody work or had dealings at or with the following companies? Dates are approximate give a year or two lol! Between 1969 - 75

 

1. Davy's - Fargate - food 1969

2. Roberts and Belk - Furnival Street - silver 1970

3. Davison's - West Street - silver - 1971

4. Wigfall's - most warehouses - tellies, washing machines etc. 1971 - 72

5. British Steel Tubes division - Rutland Road - near Forest pub 1972

6. Brightside and Carbrook - Fretson Road / Fairleigh - butchers 1972

7. Neville Watts - Fitzwilliam Street - ironmongers 1972

8. Globe and Simpson - West Street - car spares 1973

9. Waring and Gillow (Proctors) - Fargate - furniture 1974

10. Farm - opposite Old Harrow - White Lane 1975

11. Francis Colley - Garden Street - safety clothing 1973

 

davys, steve worrall or joseph thorpe? 1969