Leeds's lost steel fabrication industry

PhilipHHH · Post by **PhilipHHH** » Wed 22 Jan, 2014 12:19 pm

I worked at a number of Leeds based Engineering Companies in the late 1980's and early 90's, before leaving the industry to seek further education and go into professional white collar roles. One of the main reasons I left Engineering was that a friend had got a job at Treats Ice-Cream packing lollipops and was getting paid more than me.

morleyman2 · Post by **morleyman2** » Wed 22 Jan, 2014 12:25 pm

A.Taylor are still in existence, in fact 2014 is their 150th Anniversary so they must be doing something right if the ones that didn't move with the times disappeared.

guitar man · Post by **guitar man** » Wed 22 Jan, 2014 8:31 pm

Another Steel works has gone, what used to be Lye Spencer Steel, later British Steel ,Corus and then Tarta Steel at Copley Hill which supplied steel plates to the fabrication industry has closed down. I worked there for nine years as a yard shunter loading steel plates on trailers for delivery.

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Thu 23 Jan, 2014 11:52 pm

I recall a name from the sixties who fabricated steel buildings - mainly agricultural - Teasdale & Metcalf, I believe they were based somewhere in the Wetherby area. When I started work in the early sixties I worked for a company in Morley who did a bit of steel fabrication. They also did a lot of repeat machining jobs - such as making pit bolts. These jobs employed a man full time, to cut the bar, thread the bar, and screw a nut on. Jobs like this today are done by CNC machines. I recall they made some sort of milled plate for Spencer and Halstead of Ossett, and the raw material, cold mangled plate circles used to come in periodically from the Consett Iron Co in Durham, another famous name that disappeared in the eighties, when "smokestack industries" as they were so derisively called, were allowed to fold.

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Sun 26 Jan, 2014 8:20 am

.

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Sun 26 Jan, 2014 11:45 am

Jogon wrote: . I guess you have nothing to say this morning Jogon He.He

zip55 · Post by **zip55** » Wed 29 Jan, 2014 1:50 am

On my birth certificate (1955) it states my dad's occupation as 'Spring Bender's Mate'. Any suggestions as to which co. this could have been (all I know is that we lived in Thwaite Gate & it was probably on Low Rd or Hunslet Rd) ?

PhilH · Post by **PhilH** » Wed 29 Jan, 2014 10:33 am

"Spring Benders Mate"!...Sounds a bit. Gay!

morleyman2 · Post by **morleyman2** » Wed 29 Jan, 2014 10:37 am

Braime Pressings perhaps?

tilly · Post by **tilly** » Wed 29 Jan, 2014 10:49 am

zip55 wrote: On my birth certificate (1955) it states my dad's occupation as 'Spring Bender's Mate'. Any suggestions as to which co. this could have been (all I know is that we lived in Thwaite Gate & it was probably on Low Rd or Hunslet Rd) ? Hi zip55 It could have been Hunslet Engine Company on Jack Lane or John Fowlers there were a number of engineering firms in Hunslet at that time.Not so anymore this was were i lived in the fiftys you would not know to look around Hunslet today just how much was made in that area it was known all over the world.