Underwear, Knitwear & Associated Companies


Recommended Posts

  • Replies 128
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Popular Posts

Mother was a smocker (spelling) at Bairnswear bottom of Perry Road. in the same large room were the machinists. When they were going full tilt no one could hear a word said however all the ladies coul

If it was up to men to buy their own underwear all the Small sizes would remain on the shelves

Mother worked at Bairnswear on the junction of Nottingham Rd and Perry Rd as a smocker. I can remember very well going to see her at work on occasions in the 50s. One abiding memory is that the machi

  • 1 month later...

I can remember helping a driver for brairs carriers of shepherd,his drops included most knitwear ,dyers in the meadows and basfordred,lace market,there were quite a few carriers around then.Most things then were tied with strong wrapped in brown paper,or came in metal drums.

Link to post
Share on other sites

#16 beefsteak my wife worked at meridian carlton as a machinist, but dodn't stop there long, there was no windows in the factory, and felt like being shut in

Link to post
Share on other sites

#20 Lovely old buillding,part of which i believe has just been converted to a school,i think the Courtholds shop is still operating at the rear,used to be involved in the Security for them,also nice sports field,played football against Meridian there a few times for ABGibsons of Daybrook.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I worked at Saxby's in the 70s.

I worked quite a few weekends there for a builder doing alterations when the factor wasn't busy, I believe the man in charge of maintenance

was a chap called mick prout.

Link to post
Share on other sites

In the 60's I worked in the offices of a wholesalers of ladieswear, menswear and childrenswear.
It went under various names Walker Reid, Luvisca and Chaffinch.
It was part of the Courtaulds group as were Bairnswear and Meridian - both in close proximity to the bulding where I worked on Nottingham Road at New Basford.

Link to post
Share on other sites

As a kid the conversations in our family seemed to always contain the phrases 'overlocking', 'flatlocking' or 'prices per dozen'. Mam and all of my aunts worked in hosiery. There were four companies on Peveril St alone, but only one bearing a name - Beales. Maybe the others were sub contractors? Dad worked at Wm Hollins, later to become Viella, opposite the castle. It's ALL GONE! My bil had a sock making business near Alfreton. That's gone too. The other halves granddad owned a hosiery firm in Arnold but that went in the 40's. Are there ANY hosiery firms left?

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Overlocking: Flatlocking; Bartacking; Buttoning; Button Holeing; Felling not forgetting the Lockstitch. The felling machine always fascinated me, as to how it could turn an edge over and show no stitches on the right side of the Garment. I think Peveril Peril, those kind of conversations were had in many homes around Nottingham. In my home in the early 1960s, Mam, myself and sister were all in the sewing industry. I had a look for City Uniform on Woolpack Lane, but as most of the Sewing Factories, it has gone, The need for Uniforms will always be around So what happened. Did it get moved to another area, or become part of some bigger Firm. Or even. Did the production get taken over by some Cheaper factory abroad? Probably the latter!

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Absolutely the worst job I ever had was at Weldon & Wilkinson factory on Rawson Street Basford for two weeks in 1967.

God awful sweatshop underground, no windows etc. Couldn't leave fast enough.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Overlocking: Flatlocking; Bartacking; Buttoning; Button Holeing; Felling not forgetting the Lockstitch. The felling machine always fascinated me, as to how it could turn an edge over and show no stitches on the right side of the Garment. I think Peveril Peril, those kind of conversations were had in many homes around Nottingham. In my home in the early 1960s, Mam, myself and sister were all in the sewing industry. I had a look for City Uniform on Woolpack Lane, but as most of the Sewing Factories, it has gone, The need for Uniforms will always be around So what happened. Did it get moved to another area, or become part of some bigger Firm. Or even. Did the production get taken over by some Cheaper factory abroad? Probably the latter!

Those sewing machines you mention bring back lots of memories I worked on all of them over the years the Fellers were almost the same as the Blindstitch. The industry as you remember it all went in the late nineties Courtaulds were taken over by an American company named Sara Lee who transfered all of main production abroad. There are still a few private units that survive making the high end stuff but they are few and far between.

  • Upvote 2
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Those sewing machines you mention bring back lots of memories I worked on all of them over the years the Fellers were almost the same as the Blindstitch. The industry as you remember it all went in the late nineties Courtaulds were taken over by an American company named Sara Lee who transfered all of main production abroad. There are still a few private units that survive making the high end stuff but they are few and far between.

Hi my grandma Lydia worked in a factory as a machinist in the 60's she lived in Radford n recognise some of the words people are using. She also did some work at home, the front room was covered in bobbins, lace and threads!! When I was younger my dad said I always had ribbons in my hair that matched my dresses - such great memories :-)

  • Upvote 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

Mother was a smocker (spelling) at Bairnswear bottom of Perry Road. in the same large room were the machinists. When they were going full tilt no one could hear a word said however all the ladies could lip read and could carryon a conversation with no problem.

My problem was mother would lip read me to, cost me many a belt round the lughole.

  • Upvote 6
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 weeks later...

Mother was a smocker (spelling) at Bairnswear bottom of Perry Road. in the same large room were the machinists. When they were going full tilt no one could hear a word said however all the ladies could lip read and could carryon a conversation with no problem.

My problem was mother would lip read me to, cost me many a belt round the lughole.

That, as i'm sure you're aware, was the basis of the late Les Dawson's "Cissy and Ada" routine with Roy Barraclough; inspired originally by Norman Evans' "Over the Garden Wall" routine.

Briiliant observational comedy of a type no longer seen today.

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 3 weeks later...

Some old school mates worked at the Bulwell factory,lad called colin Petitt and his brother Neil,saw Colin only couple of days ago,

Link to post
Share on other sites

Absolutely the worst job I ever had was at Weldon & Wilkinson factory on Rawson Street Basford for two weeks in 1967.

God awful sweatshop underground, no windows etc. Couldn't leave fast enough.

Mam worked there as a cop to cone winder (whatever one of them is?) she hated it & left to work in Babbington pit canteen. She was at Babbo till she retired in 1980..

  • Upvote 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...