Morris Engines, Courthouse Green

Thank you for your reply NormK, however, I hate to say it but it does not look anything like the Navi as it was all brick and did not to my knowledge have a striped gable on it. At the back of the building it was a completely flat roof and we were able to walk out on it to the clothes line. I was staring at that building you mention as it does draw your eye to the gable but I can't envisage it being the Navi., but you know I have never seen it from that angle. I am going to give you the benefit of the doubt. Great photo's are they not? Avaguden

A picture of the Blackberry Lane entrance. The plant being demolished in 1983

I worked at Morris Motors (Engines) serving my apprenticeship 1958/63 as a toolmaker, I read another entry which reminded me of Ted Dinan and I also remember Horace Jones who was the trainer at my time there, I also went to Nuffield Tools & Gauges where my mentor was Denis Wells who later became apprentice school manager. I also spent 6 months in the drawing office before becoming a toolmaker at Nuffield T & G. Working on jigs and fixtures for the production of the Range Rover and multi spindle drilling heads. My father Ernie Johnson also worked at the Morris as a machine setter on the gear cutting section until he retired

Hello & welcome to our forum Nuffkid. I lived in Sewall Highway until 1967

Nice to hear from a fellow toolroom apprentice at the 'Nuff'. We were both there at the same time, moving around from section to section in what was probably the best toolroom in Coventry at the time. We both had a spell with Denis Wells, smashing man, helped us grow up. Perhaps I should change from 'Heritage' to 'Nuff said'.

My Dad used to work there during the 60's and 70's and right up until it closed. His name is Ray Johnson, but he was nicknamed "The Professor" because he wears glasses and when he started there he used to wear his old school blazer. I have no idea what he did there! I do remember going to the Christmas parties though. I especially remember one where I got a flipping frog game and I do believe Wizardy Woo was there too! Dad then didn't get another job until 1989 when he started at Peugeot. If anyone remembers him, it would be nice to hear from you. But I do love reading all your memory stories, it helps build a picture of my Dad's working life. Lisa

Hi, I would like to speak with anyone who worked under Eddie Maher and knows about the making of the XSP A series engines as fitted to the racing sprites, formula 3 and junior racing cars and the BMC Mini tractor. The tractor engine was XSP2241. If anybody can give me any information, gossip, photos, anything about the making and construction of these special engines, particularly about the special blocks, I would love to talk to you. I have already tried Heritage at Gaydon with no luck. Many thanks John Poulter. 07941 890062 johnpoulter@live.co.uk

My dad worked there during the 70's, his name was Bill Poole, sadly he passed away last year. My brother and sister went to the Christmas parties, I was a little too young!

Hello SkyBlueRocker & welcome to our Coventry Forum

thank you Philip

Hi again SkyBlueRocker, & Hi all Please don't give up if a thread goes dry for a bit. Often it only needs a further comment for the floodgates to open. That's why I so love this site. My Mum had a totector part-time shoe shop in the Courthouse Green BMC as well as one in Durbar Ave. As she approached her retirement & her businesses (she had open retail shops too) were sold on, she carried on working for BMC working out wages. A man called Mr. Staite-Aris recognised how fast & accurate she was with a comp' machine & had often asked her to cost up odd bits for him on her shop days. So she was recruited to the permanent staff for a couple of years & loved it.

That could be the first mention of Durbar Ave which was the old Riley works. We often did tooling jobs up there in the late 1960s. The tool room was novel, they had one man doing all the odds and end jobs such as regrinding mowers. It meant that everyone else could get on with work jobs.

My dad worked here in the 60s and 70s and his name is Barry Shaw. Not sure which part of the factory he worked in but he is still close friends with one of his colleagues Roger Cooper, and his wife and he are godparents to my eldest daughter.

I also worked at the old Riley in the 50s & 60s, first in the engine recon shop and later in the gearbox claims shop, (this was situated in the old torpedo house). I worked with and became good friends with Roger Cooper and his wife who we still see when they occasionally come and stay with us in Devon. My father was Chief fire officer at the Riley where I and several others worked as part timers doing patrols when the factory had closed down, very creepy at night when all the lights were switched off! I was also on call to drive the works ambulance during factory working hours and man the surgery at weekends. Alan.