plantfit 7,535 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 They were on Canal street just before getting to Broad Marsh as if you were coming from London road,I had to ride the old butchers bike from the garage where I was apprentice either taking vehicle starter motors or dynamo's for rewind or repair (you could get all sorts of things repaired in them days) before we lapsed into a throw away society,inside was workbenches with all sorts of motors in the process of being repaired, I always had a walk round there while waiting for my parts to be ready,anyone else use/remember them? Rog 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Every employee a craftsman ! An old fashioned company who even had an annual days outing every year. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Been there many times. Nothing auto electrical they couldn’t do. They had an appointed expert on every subject. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,535 Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 I only remember one of the "experts" name,well nickname and that was Nello,He knew everything there was to know about dynamo's and motors, I am going back to 1968 now Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 I think the boss was Geoff Pike - am I right? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 They used to advertise their annual outing in the Post with photos of all their specialist employees and apologised for being closed on that day! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
catfan 14,793 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 You're quite right Phil & the number of years each employee had been with them, quite an enviable reputation & an indication of a good employer ! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,535 Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Phil,the name Geoff Pike certainly does ring a bell,,they were the days when you could repair things instead of replacing it, we were recycling motor parts years ago,re lining brake shoes and clutch plates, re jetting carbs,re grinding valves,hardly anything went to waste, Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
meeowed 314 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 The king pin of midland magneto was cliff he organised everything nello was indeed starter motor dynamo and magneto expert Geoff Pike dabbled in model aircraft radio control I still have a picture of him in an old model flying book I remember seeing an open top sports car of around 1930 vintage in there electric power all on old milk float batteries I raced a bsa goldstar at the time early sixties and it had a persistent misfire and nello got brassed off with me keep bringing the mag in every dinner time to be tested only to find nothing wrong with it we wont see firms like that anymore 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 I posted this is the 'Nottingham from above' series, but it will obviously go here as well. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NewBasfordlad 3,599 Posted December 5, 2017 Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 I had a car with a short on the lighting circuit, played about with it for hours, gave up took it there, less than an hour sorted no more problems. Now they would probably rip out half the wiring loom only to have the problem come back in less than a week. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
plantfit 7,535 Posted December 5, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2017 Good picture CT, the railway line GCR heading towards weekday cross on the right and you can just see a bit of Broad marsh bus station behind the lines top left, I think on the side of one of the two white buildings in the middle of the picture was written "Rooms 6d a night" or similar, I might be wrong on the building but it was certainly that area Rog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,085 Posted December 6, 2017 Report Share Posted December 6, 2017 Thought the building in the middle had a name on the roof. Trying to figure it out, then decided it was a row of windows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ValinCanada 0 Posted November 11, 2019 Report Share Posted November 11, 2019 My Father, Albert Marshall, worked as office manager at Midland Magneto until 1952/3 when he emigrated to Canada. At that time the “boss” was Len Pike, Geoffrey’s Father. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted November 12, 2019 Report Share Posted November 12, 2019 Canal Street in the 1950s with Midland Magneto on the left, and a great selection of cars parked outside. 5 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IAN FINN 792 Posted February 15, 2020 Report Share Posted February 15, 2020 Yes i remember midland mag my dad had a garage at Watnall we took a lot of electrical parts there to be repaired starters dynamos wiper motors they could repair anything in the 60s. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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