Don Govan
I was a trainee draughtsman at British Trane from July 1951 to Dec 1955. Frank Trotman was Chief Draughtman, (he was also captain of St Nicolas camponologists). After Frank died Charlie Davenport became Chief Draughtsman and Harry Brown, Ted Taylor & Pete Fowler were also in the D/O. Mr Joy was gatekeeper and Frank Bentley was MD.
I believe that British Trane Co. Ltd was the manufacturing side of the company, and F H Biddle was the sales and marketing side, operating from their head office in Clerkenwell, London. I presume that Biddles in Nuneaton are still manufacturing heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment.
When I was an employee the offices and factory were in Newton Road, where ASDA is now. The photo of the building shows an extension on the first floor over the original entrance (the white area), built after I left in 1955. The original drawing office was in the brick façade to the left, on the first floor. Apart from the prominent chimney I recall that the works housed a small pumping station which extracted water from an underground source, and supplemented the town supply.
Ken Casey
Don described life in the Biddle drawing office in the mid 1950s. I have attached a photograph taken inside that drawing office, I would think probably in the late 1950s.
In the foreground is Charlie Davenport, the man in the jacket, who is seen leaning on the drawing board of Albert Jones. The two guys talking in the background, are on the left, Harry Brown who later became head of the drawing office and Bill Chetwyn.
Albert and Harry spent all their working lives at Biddle whilst Bill spent a very big part of his there too. Perhaps Don might be able recognise the remaining people in the photo.
Comments
My mother worked for British Trane in Nuneaton before the war probably in the 1930s as a comptometer operator. She was born in 1911 and died in 2000.
Hi all. I worked for F H Biddle, but in 1960 the head office was in the West End just off Park Lane. Culross street where the ordinary office staff went in and F H Biddle and I think F D Biddle? went in. I used it a couple of times and stood and walked on the plush carpet to F H office where he sat behind a massive wooden desk. We then moved our office to Battersea ( Relegated for some reason?).
Started in DO at F H Biddle in February 1966 working alongside Harry Brown, Ron Lusty, Brian Gardner ( RENDRAG ), Bill Chetwynd, Alf Bradbury, Ian Burgoyne, Albert Jones and with Charlie Davenport ( Chief Draughtsman ). A great working environment with sparrows often flying around and having to cover up our desks and boards overnight.
A great character named Bonner- Feast was in charge of all our printing, with the ever present smell of ammonia. Hazel Shear started on the same day. Good days working with lovely people who respected each other and with the ’60s humour in abundance. More names to be remembered in due course.
The lady in the centre of the photograph is my sister-in-law. Her name is Janet Jones (nee Emery). She now lives in Eastbourne with her husband Brain.
Just recalling some of my early days and remembering working for F H Biddle in Ilkeston, Derbyshire for a short time in the early ’80s until its closure. I can remember the manager going to the Nuneaton site every Thursday
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