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Report - - Metal Box Ltd 2015 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Metal Box Ltd 2015

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huey

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
metal box ltd

After a couple of miserable fails Cleb and i decided to end the day with at least one success, so being in the area, it was decided to visit here. Clebby's no stranger here but it was my first visit, so using his prior knowledge the greased weasel soon had us in.


the company


Metal Box was Britains first purpose built tin can factory. Opened in 1931, the Perry Wood factory sits right alongside the Worcester to Oxford rail line, its sidings now sit idle when not so long ago they helped shift up to 2 million cans a day.
Not an attractive place by anyones standards. In human terms its a munter, with little or no redeeming originality left. Industrial chic it is not.
Notable for several things, the most most important probably is being the first company to make British beer cans, but they also did plenty for the war effort- dozens of anti-gas attack devices, ammo belt clips, food and water kits etc.

After WW2 the demand for tinned items rose sharply and so did the amount of people employed. The workforce grew to 1000 staff who enjoyed an excellant sports and social centre (producing a top cricket and football team.) This place must have been massively important to the locals. Profits kept falling from a record £33m in the 1970's to a point where redundancy waves started in the early 1980's. Whether this was down to boardroom mismanagement or other competition isn't clear but the rot had set in.

The company decided to shut the place down and concentrate on its other three companies. In July 2013 all 116 staff were given the chop


The sidings mid-eighties. If you are the type who feel obliged to reply with the type and name of the train, please don't.
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And today...
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Period advert 1971
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Opened by Viscount Cobham in 1931, inspecting the brand new conveyor systems. It doesnt look quite the same today...
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And today...
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Its a big place. Several warehouses, departments,offices, entire working basement,rail sidings,carparks...........
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After 72 years of service the place was canned. Sorry.

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Managers office
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A typical product
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Cleb measuring his I.Q.
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Sometimes he needs reigning in- i feel like Sgt Wilson from 'Dads Army' belating Cpt Mainwaring ' Do you really think that's wise?' but it falls on deaf ears. Must be an age thing.
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Down into the now empty basement.
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Groovy doors and powder blue offices
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Discarded bits and pieces
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Scrap can be arty too, no?
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Found in one of the offices-couldn't have put it better...
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Twas all going swimmingly until an hour or so in, i must have triggered a PIR somewhere- a huge compressor kicked in, booting up lights, motors and plenty more besides. The noise reverberated around the empty factory seemingly getting noisier by the minute. We looked at each other, knowing full well the time limit had just been cut shorter and pressed on.

Several minutes passed when suddenly, whilst i was using the ladies WC (like yer do,) i heard Cleb being challanged. Finishing off as quickly as i could, and after replacing the magazine back to its correct place, i raced to his aid but it was to no avail. We were busted. After an awkward 'staring at your shoes' and nodding at everything talk we were politely and firmly shown off site . Not many security guards are as switched on or as alert as this one, so please, don't have nightmares.
Anyway, an interesting mooch with good company as always, so thanks to Cleb for the day out and to you for reading. Hope you enjoyed.
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
The sidings mid-eighties. If you are the type who feel obliged to reply with the type and name of the train, please don't.


Well you may not be interested but I'm sure others are. It's possibly a Cardiff based, class 08 diesel locomotive at the Metal Box factory in Worcester in 1985.
 

huey

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
No comment although entry wasn't nice! And again I say, I have never seen you and Mrs Bertie at the same time...prove yourself, a topless pic would convince everyone...
 

huey

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
PopPunk- I've been sworn to secrecy over the shirt saga, all I can say is,it definitely didn't get the elbows torn out of it during the day. Expect it to get lost in post if you ask for it back mate.
 
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