Alfred Herbert Ltd

Thank you too, JCoker, I love this forum as it's a pleasure to catch up with the past and so too to read your response today. It's always very sad to hear of someone you know to have passed away as in the case of your Gramp. Very happy memories at AH.

A long shot, I know, but I wonder if anyone would remember my paternal grandparents who both worked at Alfred Herberts Edgwick plant? My grandfather, George Henry Miles, was a machine tool fitter and was there from 1919 to 1962, his 20 year certificate, dated December 1939, is hanging in my garage. There is no family history of him doing National Service so I'm presuming he was exempt. My gran, Bertha, or Bal as she was known, was a progress chaser and was certainly there during the war but when she started and finished I do not know. A larger than life character, stories in the family tell of the dealing or bartering that she did to keep her family fed and clothed.

There is a George Henry Miles on thegenealogist site, census 1911, 40 Castle Street Coventry, born 1893 Manchester, a tool fitter. Father Charles, mother Amelia Ann, both Coventry born. One daughter, Lillian, born 1899 Coventry.

Yes, that's him this is all known to me but I'm struggling to find out why he was born in Manchester.

Ok, in 1939 George and Bertha were at 14 Lansdowne Street with their son Grenville.

Grenville was my dad, I am Vaughan Grenville

There are a few trees on Ancestry with George Henry Miles recorded.

In 1891 his parents were residing at 333 Grey Mare Lane, Bradford-cum-Beswick, Manchester

Thanks Cliff, that I didn't know. I think he was born in a suburb of Manchester called Ardwick.

If you draw a line NE - SW from the Etihad Stadium (Manchester City) within yards you get to Bradford, then Beswick, then Ardwick Grey Mare Lane is just over the road from the Etihad (SE corner) PS: No houses remain

I worked with 2 very skilled individuals for a few years in the mid 80's (I was at Raydyot in Birmingham and Starcote in Hemel Hempstead) and would love to know if anyone knows if they are around still. The first was Archie Ross who I believe was in the design department and the second was Ray Wilkes, a draftsman if memory serves - when Herbert closed they started a company called IDS, Injection Development Services, out of Coventry servicing the old Herbert Injection Moulding machines that were still running back then. Anthony McCracken

Dear forum members, Today, 5th September was Sir Alfred Herbert's birthday. So here are a couple of images of him from our Pictures of Coventry collection. We are still slowly working on getting these 8,000 images attached to the catalogue records. We hope to see as many of you as possible next weekend during Heritage Open day. Victoria Northridge, Archivist Manager.

Now there's a blast from the past. The nearest I got to Sir Alf. was his picture hanging in the boardroom.

Dreamtime. The wartime picture of my brother, sister and me was taken at a dance at Herberts, Edgwick plant. We were asked to pose by the War Bonds people. They regularly had dances there.

Kaga, I was not too familiar with the Edgwick plant, but I did have nice views of the canal from Red Lane and starting at 15 yrs. of age was forever grateful for the help I received from the many friends there over the first working years of my life.