Old Coventry firms

Cannot remember the Ebonite & Rubber Co but I wasn't born till 1951 in Arbury Avenue. My elder brother Allen was born in 1942 and vaguely remembers the factory behind the two bungalows at the top of Bedlam Lane and behind the chip shop and Roger's Pet Supplies and Mr Green the Hairdresser. It must have backed on the the gardens of the Olde Hall Pub (now demolished).

Liquidators appointed in 1956, according to The London Gazette

Derrickarthur. Yes it had a cinder road, led off Bedlam Lane, it was right behind the pub, not quite the size of a football pitch. Had a few incendiary bombs hit it. Aug/Sept 1941 when I was there, cycled down Arbury then down Windmill Lane to A/G Rd.

I was born in Bedlam Lane in 1934 next to William Adams the coal merchant, stayed there till 1960, went to Windmill Road school.

Hi Derrickarthur. You mention the two cottages in Bedlam Lane, and the chip shop on the corner of Bedlam Lane and Lythalls Lane. I have looked on Google maps and the area has completely changed now. When I was a kid in the 1950s/60s I went to school in Windmill Road, one of my old classmates was a lad called Peter Bird who lived in the first of the two cottages (now demolished). Also in our class was the daughter of the people who owned the chip shop, her name was Ann Scorer, I wonder where my old classmates are now. Also, next to the cottages was a warehouse, Brands Paper Merchants, I worked there once for a few months. I remember The Old Hall pub, had many a pint in there, such a pity that it was demolished, it was a lovely old building with much history.

This large heated drum was probably an "Autoclave", still used to this day to make rubber rollers etc. from sheet rubber. Can be steam, most common, heated, electric, or occassionally gas fired. Similar systems used to make car windscreens, etc. In truth there is not a lot of things/stuff made without heat, although they are trying to move away from it where possible these days, due to energy costs etc.

In the late 1940s the chip shop was run by the Bonsor family, next door was a boot & shoe repairers, next was the hairdressers, next Catfords pet shop, next was Smiths sweet shop, next a garage.

Adding this here as we do not appear to have a separate Bond Street thread and Lants is on here (Cliff should we have one?) This one appears courtesy of Lorraine Gardner-Crofts from the Coventry Old and New FB Page and shows her gran in Bond Street shortly after the war before demolition. You can just make out the old Bablake School on Hill Street in the background so Lants would have been further down to the right.

As they were mentioned on this thread some time ago. Love the logo!

Nine spires

Oh wow! Thanks Neil, not seen that logo for many many years. As I've mentioned elsewhere, they were sold in tin boxes of 48 (if I remember correctly) and sealed with brown paper tape.

Anyone remember The Unbrako Socket Screw Co? Set up in 1937. Remember visiting as an apprentice, and they were full of Wickman multi spindle automatics.

I seem to remember that name. I think it goes back to when I was a comp operator at the EMEB and a monthly task was to calculate the monthly bills for industrial and commercial premises. These at the time were too complicated for the computer (c1964 very mechanical, programme boards about 3 foot square) the bills involved different phases fuel adjustment etc. Unbrako socket and screw was one of the companie's names that always fascinated me ! Also when I mentioned the name to Roy he said he used to be involved with the audit there. Searching online it seems it is still possible to buy Unbrako screws etc, online.

I think they used to be in Burnaby Road. All their products are available under the SPS banner.

Dad worked at Unbrako. IIRC, he was made redundant during the bad winter of '62/3. He always rated their quality and I remember mentioning GKN to him once and he reckoned they couldn't hold a candle to Unbrako.