Does anyone have any information about Aldous Huxley’s visit to the Brunner and Mond plant at ICI Billingham? This would be around 1931, when the technologically-advanced Mond plant was newly opened. The occasion was mentioned in a Melvyn Bragg “In our Time Documentary” on BBC Radio4, just a couple of weekends ago. Photos of the Brunner and Mond plant would be very interesting to me. I had a member of my family who worked at ICI Billingham all their life.
The introduction to the most recent print of ‘Brave New World’ states that Huxley was inspired to write the classic novel (wherein Mond figures as a character), by this Billingham visit. I have a permanent link to a segment of that podcast for that BBC program mentioning Huxley’s visit to ICI Billingham, if anyone wants to hear it. I can send a link to anyone interested to hear the segment. The Picture Stockton Team will send your details to me upon request.
I cannot claim to know your grandfather Stan Pattison but it is possible my late Father Joseph Kidd could. We certainly we had some Pattisons somewhere in my families background. One was Jack Pattison who was Station Master at York in the days of frock coat and top hat.In other words the 1920 era. Some of the Pattison”s like Nellie (Jacks sister in law) lived in Darlington and we visited them, usually with Fred Kidd who had a car in those days. We did not have a car until 1946. If you read any of my correspondence with Stockton Pictures you would find reference to my Dad Joseph Kidd who joined Synthetic of Ammonia in 1922, he was given his gold watch for thirty years service with ICI in 1952. He also ordered most of the Awards through ICI Supply Dept among millions of other items which they required. My father”s biggest mistake was joining the TA in 1938 and serving with the Heavy Ack Ack at Sunderderland until 1942. This was his second world war and he was not a youg man then. He was not made very welcome on his return to the supply department, and I do not mean he wanted a great fuss, he was not that type of man. Some juniors when he left for the war had become very senior on his return and boy did they use their seniority!
Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could remember my Grandad from ICI, his name was Stan Pattison. He worked there for a number of years (42) I think before receiving the golden handshake. Any information would be greatly appreciated and picture”s would be an extra bonus.
Thanks to Frank, great comments, my grandad came from co. durham coalfields in the 40″s and went to ICI, i think he may have known if tommy had a Brough superior, if he did my grandad knew him He always said his Bsa A10 wasn”t as good as some other bikes He always said he fancied one of them. Best regards. Steve.
With today”s “elf and safety” all the workshops back in the wartime era would have been closed down there and then. The band saws drills and cutting machines had no guards at all and the ones we were making and fitting were basic. The plastic which was something new back then came in sheets moulded between sheets of glass sealed and clamped on the bottom and two sides. Then as it baked expanded so you got a ragged edge at the top. This was squared off after it came from the moulds then papered and boxed. It came in every colour under the sun and clear, people asked for cut offs to make jewelry boxes cigarette cases and as I said before lighters. The work force were predominantly women and some of the work very heavy. Men did work in the packing and dispatch, mixing and monomer recovery plants. We worked from a maintenance cabin next to the plant where some of the tradesman”s mates were also women. A girl called Zena who lived in Roscoe road often helped me fit guards to machines, she also protected me from the very basic jokes the girls played on me. Tommy had a Brough, a super bike of its time, he was a small chap but could handle that bike. We were sent all over to measure up work including Nuffields where I got to sit in the cockpits of the planes sent to be scrapped, some straight out of the packing cases from America unused. I admit it was a wonderful and eye opening time of my life I loved every minute of it. I worked with some super tradesmen who made sure I learned the trade, I thank them all.
My father also worked at ICI Plastics, he had his 25 year watch, he retired in 1963 due to ill health, his name was Patrick Donnelly, usually called Eric. I can”t really remember anyone who he worked with.
Thanks to Frank for all that info, it”s great to know that someone worked there and remembers the time they were there, he mentioned accidents in the ICI plastics, my grandad had an accident there it nearly cut off his right arm he was off work for 6 months. He used to have a motorbike to go to work it was a BSA a10 an old banger nowadays but it looked good at the time. Frank, if you do find any photo”s I would love to see them and my mum too, she is in her 80″s now but still active. Thanks for your input. Best Regards. Steve.
I have some very mixed memories of ICI plastics at Billingham. As a fresh from school apprentice at Browns Sheet iron works Prince Regent street Stockton I often found myself working there with a sheet iron worker called Tommy Dixon. He had a motor bike so we could get to Plastics easily where we were employed fitting guards to machinery. The government were cracking down as there had been many accidents with unguarded machines. I did witness one such accident at Head Wrightsons where a woman lost her hair. We would measure the machines and make drawings which were sent back to the works for fabrication then we would fit them. This was 1945 and the war still not finished, the main workforce at that time were women. They worked hard loading the plastic into glass moulds sealing them and loading the moulds into long ovens where they were baked. Once baked the glass moulds were removed and the plastic sheets wrapped in paper and stored for use. They did not get much spare time but catching and harassing a young lad provided them with some relief from the hard work. It became a cat and mouse game with me if on my own finding my way into the plant any which way but by the doors. I would climb on top of the ovens which were about eight feet high and flat on top. Jumping from oven to oven to dodge the girls was a bit like gymnastics and very hot. Dad who did all the shoe repairs had to nail the soles back on my boots on a regular basis. Over the next two years I spent a lot of time at plastics putting in air cleaning units a lot of it made on site and gradually grew too big and tough for the girls to tackle me. I am sorry it was before your Granddads time so I never knew him but you brought back memories. I may have some photo”s of plastics and will look for them. With the scrap plastic we made lighters and jewelry which were sought after outside plastics so apprentice rates could be supplemented.
I can find no mention of ICI Plastics on here, my grandad used to work there in the 1950″s, he was Arthur Johnson, it would be nice to know if there is anyone out there that remembers him.
Does anyone have any information about Aldous Huxley’s visit to the Brunner and Mond plant at ICI Billingham? This would be around 1931, when the technologically-advanced Mond plant was newly opened. The occasion was mentioned in a Melvyn Bragg “In our Time Documentary” on BBC Radio4, just a couple of weekends ago. Photos of the Brunner and Mond plant would be very interesting to me. I had a member of my family who worked at ICI Billingham all their life.
The introduction to the most recent print of ‘Brave New World’ states that Huxley was inspired to write the classic novel (wherein Mond figures as a character), by this Billingham visit. I have a permanent link to a segment of that podcast for that BBC program mentioning Huxley’s visit to ICI Billingham, if anyone wants to hear it. I can send a link to anyone interested to hear the segment. The Picture Stockton Team will send your details to me upon request.
I cannot claim to know your grandfather Stan Pattison but it is possible my late Father Joseph Kidd could. We certainly we had some Pattisons somewhere in my families background. One was Jack Pattison who was Station Master at York in the days of frock coat and top hat.In other words the 1920 era. Some of the Pattison”s like Nellie (Jacks sister in law) lived in Darlington and we visited them, usually with Fred Kidd who had a car in those days. We did not have a car until 1946. If you read any of my correspondence with Stockton Pictures you would find reference to my Dad Joseph Kidd who joined Synthetic of Ammonia in 1922, he was given his gold watch for thirty years service with ICI in 1952. He also ordered most of the Awards through ICI Supply Dept among millions of other items which they required. My father”s biggest mistake was joining the TA in 1938 and serving with the Heavy Ack Ack at Sunderderland until 1942. This was his second world war and he was not a youg man then. He was not made very welcome on his return to the supply department, and I do not mean he wanted a great fuss, he was not that type of man. Some juniors when he left for the war had become very senior on his return and boy did they use their seniority!
Hi all, I was wondering if anyone could remember my Grandad from ICI, his name was Stan Pattison. He worked there for a number of years (42) I think before receiving the golden handshake. Any information would be greatly appreciated and picture”s would be an extra bonus.
Thanks to Frank, great comments, my grandad came from co. durham coalfields in the 40″s and went to ICI, i think he may have known if tommy had a Brough superior, if he did my grandad knew him He always said his Bsa A10 wasn”t as good as some other bikes He always said he fancied one of them. Best regards. Steve.
With today”s “elf and safety” all the workshops back in the wartime era would have been closed down there and then. The band saws drills and cutting machines had no guards at all and the ones we were making and fitting were basic. The plastic which was something new back then came in sheets moulded between sheets of glass sealed and clamped on the bottom and two sides. Then as it baked expanded so you got a ragged edge at the top. This was squared off after it came from the moulds then papered and boxed. It came in every colour under the sun and clear, people asked for cut offs to make jewelry boxes cigarette cases and as I said before lighters. The work force were predominantly women and some of the work very heavy. Men did work in the packing and dispatch, mixing and monomer recovery plants. We worked from a maintenance cabin next to the plant where some of the tradesman”s mates were also women. A girl called Zena who lived in Roscoe road often helped me fit guards to machines, she also protected me from the very basic jokes the girls played on me. Tommy had a Brough, a super bike of its time, he was a small chap but could handle that bike. We were sent all over to measure up work including Nuffields where I got to sit in the cockpits of the planes sent to be scrapped, some straight out of the packing cases from America unused. I admit it was a wonderful and eye opening time of my life I loved every minute of it. I worked with some super tradesmen who made sure I learned the trade, I thank them all.
My father also worked at ICI Plastics, he had his 25 year watch, he retired in 1963 due to ill health, his name was Patrick Donnelly, usually called Eric. I can”t really remember anyone who he worked with.
Thanks to Frank for all that info, it”s great to know that someone worked there and remembers the time they were there, he mentioned accidents in the ICI plastics, my grandad had an accident there it nearly cut off his right arm he was off work for 6 months. He used to have a motorbike to go to work it was a BSA a10 an old banger nowadays but it looked good at the time. Frank, if you do find any photo”s I would love to see them and my mum too, she is in her 80″s now but still active. Thanks for your input. Best Regards. Steve.
I have some very mixed memories of ICI plastics at Billingham. As a fresh from school apprentice at Browns Sheet iron works Prince Regent street Stockton I often found myself working there with a sheet iron worker called Tommy Dixon. He had a motor bike so we could get to Plastics easily where we were employed fitting guards to machinery. The government were cracking down as there had been many accidents with unguarded machines. I did witness one such accident at Head Wrightsons where a woman lost her hair. We would measure the machines and make drawings which were sent back to the works for fabrication then we would fit them. This was 1945 and the war still not finished, the main workforce at that time were women. They worked hard loading the plastic into glass moulds sealing them and loading the moulds into long ovens where they were baked. Once baked the glass moulds were removed and the plastic sheets wrapped in paper and stored for use. They did not get much spare time but catching and harassing a young lad provided them with some relief from the hard work. It became a cat and mouse game with me if on my own finding my way into the plant any which way but by the doors. I would climb on top of the ovens which were about eight feet high and flat on top. Jumping from oven to oven to dodge the girls was a bit like gymnastics and very hot. Dad who did all the shoe repairs had to nail the soles back on my boots on a regular basis. Over the next two years I spent a lot of time at plastics putting in air cleaning units a lot of it made on site and gradually grew too big and tough for the girls to tackle me. I am sorry it was before your Granddads time so I never knew him but you brought back memories. I may have some photo”s of plastics and will look for them. With the scrap plastic we made lighters and jewelry which were sought after outside plastics so apprentice rates could be supplemented.
I can find no mention of ICI Plastics on here, my grandad used to work there in the 1950″s, he was Arthur Johnson, it would be nice to know if there is anyone out there that remembers him.