Information about Huddersfield firms required. : Tue Feb 24, 2009 3:47 pm  

I am looking for the names of firms who were operating in the Huddersfield area in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. What they made and where they were located would also be useful. It is for an event that will be held in the main library on Wednesday 11th March, one which will also include a fair amount of talk about rugby league as well and one to which all Giants fans will be invited and may find quite interesting, particularly if they had been around in the post war period.
More details later.

: Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:05 pm  

David Brown Gears. (tractor parts / Tank parts during the ol' war) (Lockwood)
Hopkinsons (Engineers) (Birkby)

: Tue Feb 24, 2009 4:29 pm  

ICI

and of course, Hanson International.

: Tue Feb 24, 2009 6:24 pm  

Standard Fireworks?

[Durham Giant]

: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:01 pm  

Holset engineering i think near lockwood or could have been near ICI. a very big company

LB Hollidays chemical factory used to make dye's i think recruited a lot of immigrant workers particularly west indians in the 50s because english people would not do the jobs.
My dad and uncle used to say that they were quite easy to spot as they came out of work coompletely blue or red depending on the colour of the day.
My dad who was a very hardworker ( nicnamed the human Jcb) was in awe of a lot of the immigrant workers because they were very hardworking ( He was less than complimentary about many of the english he worked with).. on days when he had worked really hard he used to come home and say, I have worked like a N***** today. fairly prejudicial but actually said with a lot of respect.

: Tue Feb 24, 2009 7:38 pm  

Do you mean just manufacturing firms as opposed to retail outlets?

Learoyds on Leeds Road made the best worsted in the world. They owned the land on the other side of Leeds Road where they had 2 tennis courts. And they refused to sell the valuable development land because the mill name could be seen from the railway line.

There were too many mills to mention.

Holmes Holset - engineering.

Yes, Standard Fireworkds.

William[?] Robinsons - dye-makers.

David Brown Tractors [Meltham]. [Remember the Aston Martin DBsomething? It appeared in a Bond film & was made on St Andrews Road close to where Holsets was. The 'DB' was 'David Brown' when he owned Aston Martin.]

More later, perhaps.

Johnsons Quarries [Crosland Hill].

: Wed Feb 25, 2009 12:58 pm  

Brook Motors (also known as Brook Crompton) St Thomas' Road manufacturer of electric motors - employed about 1000 when I started in 1985. I think they set up about 1907 and also had a site at Honley.

Holmeses was W.C.Holmes at Turnbridge

There was also the big Yorkshire Eclecticity Board site at Lindley

The Gas Board was a bigger concern in the 50's & 60's and had a small tank engine that used to take coal wagons from Newtown Goods through the streets to the site where the gas holder is.

I'm sure I'll think of more later...

: Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:00 pm  

Ivor C&G Scarf wrote:

William[?] Robinsons - dye-makers.

Do you mean James Robinsons? down on Leeds Road? My father worked there after he got sacked from LB Hollidays.

: Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:02 pm  

Ben Shaws soft drinks.

: Wed Feb 25, 2009 1:02 pm  

Ivor C&G Scarf wrote:

William[?] Robinsons - dye-makers.[Crosland Hill].

It was James Robinson & Co Limited. They still trade though there offices are now in the ICI/Zeneca/Syngenta building on Leeds Road.

Plus Heywood Williams of Birkby

Mitre Sports who used to be the official suppliers odf Balls to the RFL

TW Broadbent Electrical Contractors who put all the lights on the M62 and put up the new floodlights at Leeds Road