Willington Quay Ropeworks

[middle_aged_codger]

I started my first ‘proper job’ in life as a Management Trainee at the rope works in 1973.
Over the years the factory was known as Haggies, British Ropes or in the latter years as Bridon Fibres.
The whole site is now sadly closed, demolished and a nature trail has replaced the site along the banks of the Willington Gut.
I loved the job, the industry, the sights, sounds, smells but most of all the people at the ropery.
But my, what an eye opener this was for a very wet-behind-the-ears 19 year old!

When the factory (and a sister site at Dunston) closed I kept some old photographs and a copies of an old trade directories and I’m hoping to use these as the starting point to write of a brief history of the industry on Tyneside.
Up until the 70’s literally hundreds of people were employed in rope and cordage business in and around Newcastle.

I have my own recollections of the wonderful people I worked with over 18 years in the business, and believe me, there were some outstanding colourful characters! Some of my recollections are even printable!
However to add some more colour and warmth to the story that’s waiting to be told I’d love to hear any reminiscences from anyone who has worked or had friends or family working ‘doon the Willington Quay ropery.’

[ALF2]

no noose is good noose ,codg,

[middle_aged_codger]

Arrggghhh!
Alf man, with jokes like this you should be strung up yourself!

Now if you want a really bad rope joke this is as bad as they get….

There were three pieces of rope wandering in the desert. They were very hot and thirsty. They came upon a bar and one went in. He asked for a drink and the barman said, 'read the sign mate we don't serve ropes.'
'Oh come on just this once', the rope asked again. The barman said 'no', so the rope left. The second rope figured he was a bit better looking and maybe the barman would soften a little and let him have a drink. He went in and asked for a drink, the barman shook his head and said 'Hey pal, it's just like I told your friend we don't serve ropes here.' Dejected the rope left the bar.
The 3rd rope heard both of their stories, thought for a moment. Then he rolled himself into a knot and fluffed the edges so it was a little frayed. The third rope went into the bar like this and asked for a drink.
The barman asked, 'Hey, are you a rope?' The 3rd rope looked down at himself and said 'No, I’m a frayed knot!'

The sort of thing I had in mind was memories about the folks who worked there.
Who could ever forget Jimmy Chambers the singing splicing foreman?
Whenever there was a works ‘do’ in the Villa Canteen (with Kitty the Mill Ghost’s stone set beside it – but that’s another story!) it was next door to impossible to get Jimmy off the stage.
Or at least not until he’d sung ‘Delilah’.

Or how about Geordie Oliver - the Foreboards Foreman?
This is the bloke who used his bike to come to work from Jarrow through the Tyne pedestrian tunnel every working day of his life.
During his near 50 years service (excluding the war years when he was on the landing craft serving under Sir Ralph Richardson – but that’s yet another story!!) he had a total of three days off, and that was when his Dad died.
When the factory closure was announced he shrugged and said that if he’s known that it was only to be a temporary job, he wouldn’t have ever taken it.

These are the folks I have in mind and these are the stories that need to be recorded.

[ALF2]

sadly, when any firm closes,it's not only your job you've lost ,but also the second family,your workmates,and your way of life that despite the dreary monday mornings,you would take it all back in a heartbeat. our politicians,many of which,have ice flowing through their veins,fail to see this very important aspect of our lives, that is like a death in the family whenever it happens and a huge sense of loss engulfs you ,for something you have cherished without even knowing at the time,has gone forever

[alfstone]

I worked for the wire rope division of Bridon in 1975/76 and although we didn't have much to do with the fibre ropes side I did get to know their manager quite well. Bob McFadden was his name and we had a lot in common despite a big difference in our ages. We had both attended St. Cuthbert's Grammar School at the top of Westgate Hill, although years apart and Bob's brother, a priest, taught at the school while I was there. Bob was one of nature's gentlemen and always seem to have a good tale to tell on just about any subject. Mind, I have no idea what his employees thought of him. The thing that stands out most about my time with Bridon was the hierarchy in the shared canteen. There was a management dining room, one for senior staff, one for other staff and finally, the workers bit. This was at a time when such barriers were frowned on and at my previous firm we all ate in the same canteen. It is indeed sad that the Willington Quay plant has gone, I enjoyed my short time there.

[middle_aged_codger]

You're absolutely right Bob McFadden was a great works manger and a lovely man as well.

Here's a URL to a photo of the staff taken around about 1977/78 - I think that I've remembered the names correctly although some of the spelling may be a bit dodgy!

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/ahppics/R ... 7479274994

Back: L – R Fred Lee, Norman Sansom, Jimmy Anderson, Austin Price, Jackie Bell, John Sloan, Ken Riding, Paul Erikson, Geordie Oliver, Jimmy Chapman, Stuart Bell, John Reynolds, Gordon Caizley.

Front L – R Eric Fitzpatrick, Frank McGuckin, Harry Ward, John Gallagher, Peter Spence, Alan Oliver, Bob McFadden, Ozzie Craggs, Alan Lamb, Colin Todd, John Ornsby, Tony Gibson, Jimmy Stark.

You'll see Bob in the middle of the front row looking just like the captain of the football team!

I'd love to hear from anyone else in the picture or their friends and family as I know for sure that a number of those on the picture are no longer with us.

[alfstone]

A very interesting photograph and thanks for sharing it. I remember two of the names - Jimmy Stark and Harry Ward - I had dealings with both of them but sadly I don't know any of the others. Good luck in your search.

[middle_aged_codger]

Thanks for your good wishes Alf.
Jimmy was the boss of the wages department and oversaw the weekly pay calculations and dishing out the wage packets (by the wages clerks Florence and Marion as I recollect) on pay day. If I’m not mistaken Jimmy also had a brother in the priesthood, not John who was a self employed painter and did a lot of work in and around the Willington Quay factory.
Harry was the Personnel Manager and was my first ‘real’ boss at Bridon. Although Thelma McKay – his secretary – saw things somewhat differently where she was the real power behind the office! She was keen to remind us that it was never truer to remember the expression that ‘behind every successful man is a surprised woman!’
Harry had the look of Eric Morecombe and a sense of humour which was almost as sharp – although Harry’s was a far dryer humour. Despite his bluff exterior, he belied one of his favourite expressions ‘sack the b***er!’ when he found out about any misdemeanour as he was, in truth, a compassionate and caring man.
It can also be fairly said that Harry liked a tab or two. On occasions when he was under pressure or stressed you almost needed to put a fog horn on his desk to find him in his office!

[Chess]

You left out two other "key" British Ropes or Bridon locations up here! Gateshead had one at Abbotts Road which is now the location for the Sage and there was an office complex on the West Road in Newcastle which was their regional H/Q. Its now a dole office. Ive had lots of association with Bridon. My Grandfather, Mother, Father, Aunts & Uncles all worked there during the was and my dad retired from Gateshead just before they closed. I have lots of stories from the war years and if you want to mail me I can relate them to you. (1chesters@sky.com).
I had the responsibility of looking after their various communication systems (as a contractor) for many years at all of their local sites and often popped in to see my dad when he was still working there.
One story I can remember was at Gateshead.. They had a problem with the canteen phone and I had to go up into the false ceiling above the kitchens. there was pile of old tin hats from the war...there must have been a hundred or so!
During WW2 my dad was on "war work" and couldn't join up (another story). He was in the factory on air raid patrol the night they bombed Spillers and they spent all night dousing out incendiary bombs!

[novocastrian]

The whole site is now sadly closed, demolished and a nature trail has replaced the site along the banks of the Willington Gut.

I don't think it's completely "closed, demolished". I passed by Bridon just the other day and it still seems to be operational and open for business.
Maybe not as big as it once was, but it's still there.

[middle_aged_codger]

Hi Novocastrian,
You are right, there’s still ropemaking going on at Willington Quay in Bridon Ropes the wire rope making factory. I used to work at the factory ‘next door’, the Bridon Fibres site.

The company structure was slightly strange and wasn’t helped by a number of name changes over the years, but here’s a quick summary:

Bridon Fibres and it’s sister company, wire rope maker British Ropes had several factories in the region – Bridon Fibres at Willington Quay, Teams (Dunston) and Roker Avenue in Sunderland. Whereas British Ropes (now Bridon Ropes) were based at Willington Quay and also at Abbots Road in Gateshead.
Willington Quay was the only ‘split’ site where both wire and fibre rope production took place in adjacent factories.

When the Fibres factory closed the whole site from Gut Road (opposite the Bogie Chain pub) to Church Bank was demolished. The flattened area was landscaped and planted.
The oldest building survived – the multi-story West Mill - which is protected in some way, perhaps a listed building? Bridon Ropes now occupy the West Mill, I believe that the works canteen is in there.
These are the buildings which remain at the Willington Quay site and can be seen as you go by, either on Western Road or Hadrian Road.

[mickold22]

i used to work at the teams plant in the warehouse and later in the mill loved the place i remember you austin and also anne liddle she was a nice women . was great to see that picture of all the management again wish i had of took some photos of my own at the time

[sallee]

My first job was at Willington Quay rope works (Haggies) in 1951 I was a Haggies Angel thats what we were called I worked in the Haskel Doors and my bosses were Danny Sloan and Billy Sloan we had some real good times made some great friends I can remember when we used to all cram into the Duckets that the name given to the toilets we all used to smoke in there sometimes as many as 8-10 of us so you can imagine how much smoke belched out of the window good memories

[bykerlad]

Hi, I was born in Byker and now live in Australia, recently i have been doing my family tree
and i was sent a photo of my Grandmother when she was about fifteen, it was a group photo
and was taken at Heggie's rope works circa 1920.
Am I correct that the rope works was on city road, and a chimney was erected outside in the form of a rope,
but the rope was spiralling the wrong way as to what a normal rope would.
How do I upload the photo ?

[middle_aged_codger]

Hi Bykerlad,
I hope that it’s warmer where you are than on Tyneside right now. It’s freezing with the wind right out of the north!
I’d be very interested to see the group photo at Haggies ropeworks in the 20’s, but as far as I can tell you from the FAQs can’t upload a picture to the forum.

The link to these is here:
faq.php

and there’s a specific question about attachments.

I might be missing something though, so if anyone else can help with posting a picture I’d be very grateful.

You could however, upload you picture to a photo hosting website such as Google’s Picasa, or maybe Flickr and then post the link to it – in the same way as I’ve done in my post (6th in this thread, if I’m counting correctly?!)

Haggies Ropeworks were at Willington Quay near Wallsend, but I have heard about St Anne’s Ropeworks which were located on or around City Road in Newcastle. I'll check some old maps and see if I can find any mention of it. The works were owned and operated by Joseph Crawhall I (1793–1853) and rope making continued to be the family business for many years. I’ve heard of the rope shaped chimney but haven’t been able to find a picture of it anywhere online.
This is a huge shame, as I’d love to see it - so I’ll carry on looking.

It’s interesting that you mention the rope-shaped chimney being twisted (laid) in the wrong direction.
Most ropes are 3 stranded and right hand laid and the spiral goes in the same direction of the angled section of a capital ‘Z’.
Whereas if they are left hand laid the spiral is in the same direction of the central part of a letter ‘S’.
Both right hand and left handed ropes have their own specific uses, but right hand just happens to be the most common.
However, if we think about a cable – that’s three ropes twisted together – most of these are left hand laid as they are made from three right handed ropes!
So the chimney may be intended to represent a cable if it’s the wrong way around?
OK enough of this rubbish, if I find the elusive chimney photo I’ll post a link to it in the forum.