Radio factories still standing

[Cobaltblue]

I haven't had need to go by here for a number of years now but yesterday was on the way to an event in Brixham.

Not much left now

As I went past yesterday only the tower was standing.

I fondly remember many Radio Rallys here and went for a job in the Laser division back in 1984. In the end I stayed with Plessey moving to Fareham.

Image here http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/2824935

ISTR it employed 5,000 people at one point a major local employer.

Cheers

Mike T

[stevehertz]

I once owned a near mint, small, wooden cased STC radio from the thirties, would that have come from that factory?

[IvorBlister]

Originally Posted by McMurdo

Following a mention of Whiteley Radio (later Electronics) of Mansfield, here's their factory in Mansfield, awaiting a new fate. Whiteley made 'Stentorian' radios and extension speakers in the 1930's and diversified until they were absorbed just recently into one of their biggest customers.

Latest news that I have is that the developers/owners of the building have had a planning application in to convert the factory into around 70 flats but it was rejected amongst other reasons for insufficient car parking spaces. I have contacted the developers in the hope that they will allow me access into the building to photograph it before work is carried out (I worked there at the end of the 60s) so a personal interest, but have not received any response from them. My worry is that continued vandalism may result in it eventually being demolished. Oldelectronics (forum member ) and myself are watching any development of the present situation with interest.

Nick

[Oldtestgear]

I think the planning application referred to is for the OLD South Devon College site in Torquay & not the STC site. Unless there are two planning applications for the same number of flats rejected for the same reason.............

The old STC site had one final incarnation as a sub contract assembly company which folded a couple of years ago - cannot remember the company name though.

The old site was a major employer in Torbay right until the dot com bubble burst in the early 2000s. At one time they were so desperate for staff that anyone going on site for any reason tended to be offered a job. Experienced wire bonders were in particularly short supply. I worked for another company nearby & it seemed that most of our day shift was moonlighting at Nortel on a swing shift. Difficult when we wanted volunteers for overtime.

Happy days, now long gone. Just like so many jobs.

[Cobaltblue]

Yes the South Devon College took over a lot of the site prior to the fall of Nortel as STC became.

At the moment the site is mostly a wasteland of concrete and bricks

Cheers

Mike T

[IvorBlister]

Originally Posted by Oldtestgear

I think the planning application referred to is for the OLD South Devon College site in Torquay & not the STC site. Unless there are two planning applications for the same number of flats rejected for the same reason.............

The planning application I was referring to was for the former Whiteley factory in Mansfield. Did I miss a reference to a planning application for the STC factory in an earlier post?

[John M0GLN]

2 photos of Mullard Magnetic Components Southport, this manufacturing facility was transferred from the Mullard Blackburn Works in the 50's. I worked there from 1958 until 1966, the photo showing the factory as it was until demolition started a few years ago was downloaded from the Bing Maps site, and the up to date one showing the empty site downloaded from Google Earth, it will be used for housing. The original factory was used by Vulcan Motors.

John

[Peter.N.]

The STC/Brimar/KB factory used to be in Foots Cray Kent, used to visit it the '50s, does any one know what's happened to that site?

Peter

[TonyDuell]

If the Foots Cray site is the one I think it is at Crittall's Corner (still called that, at least by Transport for London on the buses) then it's either a B&Q or (more likely) the Coca Cola plant.

[G6Tanuki]

The STC plant in New Southgate which I used to frequent in the very-early-1980s is similarly no-more.

More details here: http://stcnsg.org.uk/

STC - who were at one time the prime provider of telephone exchanges [TXE4/TXE4A] to Post Office Telephones - were hit with two blows in the 1980s. They lost out to GEC/Plessey/Ericsson in the competition to provide "System X" exchanges throughout the UK, and secondly they were bounced into a disastrous takeover of the at-the-time-nationalised-and-massively-loss-making ICL mainframe/minicomputer-business.

Without the steady cash-flow from the telephone-exchange business, they couldn't raise the funds to keep ICL afloat long-enough to transition it from the 1960s/70s University/Government-department/Local-Authority-focussed "you will buy ICL" mentality to the emerging free-market procurement approach and the world of PCs.. The rest, as they say, is history.


I still have various bits of "Light Straw" coloured TXE4A exchange gear somewhere in the attic: it uses "CV" numbered germanium transistors manufactured by Texas Instruments.

[Nickthedentist]

Crittalls Corner was the Rank factory when I knew it 40 odd years ago: https://www.***********/photos/johnro...erd/5986623127

[Andrewausfa]

Talking of K-B, I was doing some archive diving a while ago and found these charming photos, the first let's say of its time! Taken at Standard KB works fete on 25th July 1958. The lady with the press is dated 25th October 1963. Both are from the Bexley council archives. There's a few more in the collection but none of the outside of the factory or of radio/tv manufacture.

Andrew

[Andrewausfa]

I had one more. This is of a strike at K-B in 1957.

Andrew

[tim.norris]

Hope this is of some interest . There`s an article in tonights Lancashire Telegraph about the Giant Mullard Factory in Blackburn. Parts of which are still standing .It says it was 35 years ago in 1982 when the plug was finally pulled on the production of the humble valve in Blackburn. on that day in January 1982 it was number , One Billion , Four million , Six Hundred and Thirty Three Thousand ,Three Hundred and Fourteen ! The factory was opened in 1938 a blessing for the town with 16,000 out of work as the cotton industry was in deep depression, but it was the 1940 blitz which transformed that blessing into a godsend for valve production vital for the war effort had to be transferred up north from the Mitcham factory in surrey which was a prime German target. In the late 50`s early 60`s , Mullard Blacburn ,employed more than 6,000 people. Even in 1963, when transistors were beginning to find a place alongside valves in tv`s and radios, mullards was still turning out 55 million valves annually. by then the plant had become the only completely self sufficient valve factory in the world. One employee who started his 40 year career as a 16 year old and ended it as head of the valve division and an MBE . As the last valve rolled off the production line , he said "There will never be a product again that is so labour intensive " All we seem to make now in Blackburn is Bog Rolls ! progress i suppose ?
Hope this has been of interest regards , Tim, Blackburn Lancashire

[stevehertz]

Like.

[wireless_john]

This is the old Ultra factory on Fareham Road in Gosport. Eventually went on to become Thorn-EMI and made Ferguson televisions. I went in there for an open day tour once - very interesting! It was always referred to locally as Ultra though.

Now it's an industrial estate called Fareham Reach.

John

[petertheorgan]

I think this is the site of the old KB factory in foots cray .
http://www.mcmeeking.co.uk/kent/five...ess-estate.htm

[Cobaltblue]

The old Cyldon works in Poole is still standing and I published pictures previously can't lay my hands on them immediately.

Cheers

Mike T

[ColinTheAmpMan1]

Originally Posted by Nickthedentist

Crittalls Corner was the Rank factory when I knew it 40 odd years ago: https://www.***********/photos/johnro...erd/5986623127

Judging by the amount of water in that subway, it should be a "submarine-way".
Colin