Friends' Gallery Picture of the Month - July 2020

[Mike Costigan]

   

The Heavy Press Department at Longbridge in 1936.

[Renaud]

How impressive! (excuse the pun...)

[Hugh Barnes]

All very 'Chaplinesque' - Moderrn Times....

[Parazine]

No apparent PPE requirements: no gloves, safety glasses or ear defenders.

'Elf 'n Safety would have a field day today!

[Mike Costigan]

Probably no guards on the machines either.

[Ivor Hawkins]

Austin ten Sherborne rear panels being bashed out by the looks of it...brilliant picture!

[Bob Culver]

Those old machinery shots are always interesting as can see how all works.  I would have been tvery worried about some major mechanical failure up above. The old machine shops with forest of token or unguared belts also impressive.

[Tony Griffiths]

These presses remind me of a story. When changing dies, a British factory could take up to twelve hours to accomplish the job with only certain "union" men being allowed to perform the task. Meanwhile, in Toyota land, 90 minutes was the usual figure - with, in recent years, investment in automated die-changing systems taking the time to under two minutes

[Dave Wortley]

I was an apprentice at 16 in the early 60s and spent time in a steelworks.  No ppe except steel toecaps in my boots. Not even a hard hat!

[Charles P]

There used to be a pub in Sheffield's Don valley, hemmed in by steel works on all sides. You could watch your pint vibrate from the action of the forges nearby.
Probably long since closed and replaced by a Starbucks......

C