RadcliffeRick
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BAe Chadderton being demolished
- Thread starter Prestwich_Blue
- Start date
Prestwich_Blue
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There's two names from the past. Presumably Rita was Rita Bleakley? She went on to head up the HR function at Chadderton so used to deal with her regularly in my union role.Probably had something to do with Len Waywell. In saying that it was Len who procured the Lancaster Club and developed the sports facilities. I worked in his office in the sixties for his assistant Rita. He ruled that place with an iron fist.
View attachment 156139
remember arthur mann
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We're you there when Ted 'Chillie' Chilton was union rep? He used to tie the management in knots. Also not forgetting Ted 'Arnie' Jones. He carried some weight in more ways than one.There's two names from the past. Presumably Rita was Rita Bleakley? She went on to head up the HR function at Chadderton so used to deal with her regularly in my union role.
Prestwich_Blue
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I remember Ted Jones very well. We were both on the Factory Council for a while and he certainly did carry some weight! Good guy though.We're you there when Ted 'Chillie' Chilton was union rep? He used to tie the management in knots. Also not forgetting Ted 'Arnie' Jones. He carried some weight in more ways than one.
I recall he had to have the suspension strengthened on his car he was so heavy. His daughter Karen was secretary to the head of IT and was absolutely gorgeous. It used to amuse everyone that Ted could have fathered her.
Don't remember Ted Chilton. Jimmy Wheeler was the shop floor union convenor in my day but he used to do the same with management. He was brilliant and had a wicked sense of humour.
remember arthur mann
Well-Known Member
In a previous post, on travelling home from winning the league at Newcastle, I mentioned my brothers Ford Zephyr. The same Ford Zephyr Big Ted tried to lift off the floor by the front suspension ! He kept saying " I reckon I can do it", I reckon I can do it". Well into his weight lifting, but he was also into his fishing, a pretty good one too by all accounts. Yes I think it was Jack Wheeler who also was on the ball at turning the management inside out.I remember Ted Jones very well. We were both on the Factory Council for a while and he certainly did carry some weight! Good guy though.
I recall he had to have the suspension strengthened on his car he was so heavy. His daughter Karen was secretary to the head of IT and was absolutely gorgeous. It used to amuse everyone that Ted could have fathered her.
Don't remember Ted Chilton. Jimmy Wheeler was the shop floor union convenor in my day but he used to do the same with management. He was brilliant and had a wicked sense of humour.
maxwellblue
Well-Known Member
I remember Ted Jones, worked on 146 frames when I was there. Loads of stories about him and his strength when he was a body builder. Jimmy Wheeler was shop steward on details when I was there and the convenor was a guy called Connell, his daughter also worked there.I remember Ted Jones very well. We were both on the Factory Council for a while and he certainly did carry some weight! Good guy though.
I recall he had to have the suspension strengthened on his car he was so heavy. His daughter Karen was secretary to the head of IT and was absolutely gorgeous. It used to amuse everyone that Ted could have fathered her.
Don't remember Ted Chilton. Jimmy Wheeler was the shop floor union convenor in my day but he used to do the same with management. He was brilliant and had a wicked sense of humour.
Some great charactors and nicknames, especially for the managers. OliverHeath the works manager was nicknamed "Crazy Horse". He made the Sun because he sacked one of the newspaper sellers outside the factory even though he didn't work there.
There was also Nigel Bramall, nicknamed "Yorkie"
maxwellblue
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I think that part is listed so can't be knocked down.Think it's just a bit of it that's being knocked down
The main building with the well know facade is still there
mexico1970
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I think that part is listed so can't be knocked down.
Someone is going to end up with a nice front door in the future.
west didsblue
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Another story about Oliver Heath was that he sacked everyone on a bus at Woodford because the 157 (I think) used to come in the gate then carry on to its terminus after dropping off workers at the factory. He thought it was a works bus and sacked a load of people that didn’t work there because they were late.I remember Ted Jones, worked on 146 frames when I was there. Loads of stories about him and his strength when he was a body builder. Jimmy Wheeler was shop steward on details when I was there and the convenor was a guy called Connell, his daughter also worked there.
Some great charactors and nicknames, especially for the managers. OliverHeath the works manager was nicknamed "Crazy Horse". He made the Sun because he sacked one of the newspaper sellers outside the factory even though he didn't work there.
There was also Nigel Bramall, nicknamed "Yorkie"
Nigel Bramall was still at Chad during the 2000s. I think he died late 2000s iirc.
maxwellblue
Well-Known Member
That story about Oliver Heath rings a bell.Another story about Oliver Heath was that he sacked everyone on a bus at Woodford because the 157 (I think) used to come in the gate then carry on to its terminus after dropping off workers at the factory. He thought it was a works bus and sacked a load of people that didn’t work there because they were late.
Nigel Bramall was still at Chad during the 2000s. I think he died late 2000s iirc.
Sad to hear that Nigel Bramall is no longer with us. He was my manager on ATP, always got on well with him and had a shared love of cars and F1.
remember arthur mann
Well-Known Member
Heath was a typical manager, a total crackpot. He sacked the day shifters who'd arrived early, he thought they were the nightshift team and vice versa. Pretty general for aerospace managers.
Got a shock when driving to South Manchester on the M60 earlier when I passed the former BAe site at Chadderton and saw it was in the process of being demolished. Spent three happy years there in the mid-1980's and was union secretary for the ASTMS union there.
The Lancaster & Vulcan bombers were the most famous planes produced there, along with thr former Queen's Flight Andovers and the ATP, which was the last civilian aircraft produced solely in the UK. I know there's a few others on here who worked there or had family who did.
Sad to see a great piece of British industrial history disappear like that.
Hi @Prestwich_Blue
Opened this thread and got a little sad.
My grandad worked there and the BBC wrote an article about it. No longer with us very sadly!
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-14055236.amp