Old Businesses

[William R]

Hello Tony, Stomping round the Bent Bridge area was you? Our paths must have met sometime. When the bombs fell on Farington tool Room I was down at North Works Tool Room, it was shortly after that I went up to the B.X.Tool Room under Jock Love to work on the tooling up of the A22 tank which became the Churchill, twelve hour shifts in those days. If your Dad was in there he would have remembered all the little things which went on,as I mentioned. Once we got the A22 up and running we spent a lot of time getting the Bomb Shop in operation, I remember Bill Wakefield being the final Inspector there. People nowadays couldn`t imagine what we had to work with then. The machines we got hold of were decrepit and had to be renovated to make them acceptable, it was hard work. The Bomb Shop was at the top of Farington yard opposite the Axle Factory, a real "dark ages" place. I got involved in the Oerliken shell plant we put into Dewhirsts Mill at the top of Mill Street, but thats another story. When I left leyland I went to live in Chorley at Lighthurst Lane up in the Welbank area, I did hear that there was a village complex in Astley Park, it must be nice. Cheerio for now, keep posting, Bill.