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Joined: Mar 2011
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SMM newsletter from Oct 85 telling us all about new orders for Birkenhead, within 6 months many of the Moulders were being made redundant

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The following 6 images are the Company brochure produced in the 80's showing various images of the Birkenhead factory including shots of the castings and an aerial view of the factory and land. It's amazing what junk I keep but I try to collect every item I have had photo's published in.

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This page shows the largest prop in the world at the time

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Moulder John (CRACKER) Bonner painted his hard hat red, wonder what team he supported wink
This shot was a three ladle cast for a 100 tonne prop

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Aerial view of the plant, oh how it's changed

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Moulders John Bonner and Brian Dunn and Crane driver Alan Harwood, who was also one of the shop stewards, have a bit of down time playing football outside the workshops that housed the electricians and brickies

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One for you Zigzagwanderer smile taken on one of the Christmas dues at the Manganese Bronze Club in Wallasey, Alan Harwood has obviously reached the point of no return haha. I thought I had one of you working mate but I have been struggling to find the negative. Got more from the party somewhere plus a group shot taken in the restroom. It's gonna take me a while as I must have over 200,000 + images from the 70's to 2003 when I went digital.
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I was about 21/22 when that was taken , still got the hair but put a bit of weight on since .
Sadly , Alan Harwood died about 12 or 13 years ago .

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I had heard a rumour, such a shame as he was a really nice bloke, I heard Benny Rigby had passed away as well, a customer told me by the Mona castle pub last year when I was fixing her washing machine. A lot of the crane drivers died young due to the bloody fumes up in the rafters. After seeing the lads at Jackies funeral it made me realise how bloody old I was getting seeing as the last time I saw them all I was 20

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I had a look around the place some time ago with a view to renting the place. I wasn't able to discuss this at the time but the deal fell through and I only recently remembered this thread.

Hopefully this link works. Its the snaps i took on our initial visit. Not great but you can see how it is today. I will when I get time change the link to indiviual photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brocksuk/sets/72157627075439602/


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If anyone has any pics of Ken Evans at MB would be chuffed to see it. He's still going strong incidentally.


Birkenhead........ God's own Room 101.
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The big crane gantry at SMM is being demolished at the moment, here are quite a few pictures.

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DSCF2380-s.jpg (78.61 KB, 182 downloads)
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There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

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more

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DSCF2400-s.jpg (102.03 KB, 191 downloads)
DSCF2401-s.jpg (112.13 KB, 189 downloads)

There's a real danger that the left will drag Britain back to the 1970s, with secure well-paid jobs, ample housing, properly-funded NHS and social care, free tuition, student grants, final salary pensions, affordable rail fares and fabulous films and music. David Osland 2025

We don't do charity in Germany, we pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments' responsibilities - Henning Wehn

https://ddue.uk
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