Wickman Machine Tools

Hi everyone, just joined this addictive forum and thought I would start a topic on what was a very happy part of my life. I started in the apprentice school at Wickmans on Banner Lane on 5th September 1966. Any more Wickmanites out there? It would be good to hear from you.

Hi MR, how long did you stay at Banner Lane for? I joined in 1966 on £3.16.4d as a 1st year apprentice.

I left in 1967 when my salary had increased to £8 per week

Was John Beardow in charge then?

He took over from Geoff Roberts, and Peter Cooke became John's assistant John was most upset when The Reds beat Dirty Leeds in the FA Cup Final

He was a good footballer himself, I remember him playing for the Sphinx 1st team. He went on to become Finance Director.

It's hard to imagine he'd be about 75 now! A good man

I remember that when he got made a director, he was told to pack up football and take up golf. He first started on Allesley Park pitch & putt. We also played badminton in the canteen after work and he had to stop that as well. Was John Atkins MD when you joined?

Off the top of my head, the only directors I can think of were George Hudson and H L (Laurie) Hudson

Two more were L K (Laurie) Lord and George Trowbridge!

For anyone really interested in Wickmans, there's a whole shed-load of records which have been deposited at the Coventry Archives - here's the link Scrolling down the long list brings up lots of names (people and companies) which I recall

Hugh Morris was another Director, he lost an arm as a fighter pilot during the war. Do you also remember John Carson works manager? I started apprenticeship same year as Mick Strong and went to Wickman in US 1974. Left Wickman in 1982 and still in the US

I always wondered why Mr Morris had his jacket sleeve in his jacket pocket I didn't know any of the factory workers really, apart from Pete Whitehouse, whose wife-to-be was a comp operator, and Norman Leslie (actually I didn't really know him, but I knew his daughter )

Hi there, I worked in the garage there for 3/4 years in late 70's, manager was Ted Key and foreman Brian Garrett, had the best time there with all the guys but all came to a end when the Yanks took Wickmans over and eventually closed the whole place down, but great memories with the guys I worked with and for (with the exception of one fitter in garage!! he knows who he is, initials L.D. what a snake!!!!)

Remember the apprentices doing a charity raft race and they built raft and want us in garage to check that it floated etc so we put it in the water tank with one of the fitters on it pushed it out to the middle, it floated but then the fitter declared he couldn't swim and was stuck in the middle, at that we walked off laughing he eventually got out at knocking off time!!! good Health n Safety heh!!!!!