The History
Pilkington Glass opened in 1922. The factory was very much part of the local community, investing in the local area through the construction of houses, pensioners day centre and a bowling club. The building closed in 2009. The high esteem in which the community held the factory is communicated well by some reflections in this article from the time: http://www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/features/end-of-the-land-of-pilks-and-honey-1-300547
Part of the building is now used by Trackworks.
The Visit
I was reminded that I had still not visited here when I discovered that a family member worked at the factory in the 1960s. Working as a carrier (or ‘shoosher’ as he described his role - a term I can’t find anywhere online, so it could be a word lost in translation - he’s no longer around to ask) he left employment with the firm suffering from a back injury that remained with him for the rest of his life. Turns out carrying really heavy stuff repeatedly every day is bad for you…
What I was expecting from Pilkington Glass: reaaaaaly long buildings, a bit of an encounter with some anti-climb paint and a quick wander around some fairly trashed offices.
What I wasn’t expecting from Pilkington Glass: some really impressive industrial heritage and a decent amount of remaining machinery. Of course, I’d seen other people’s photos but was still impressed with the amount of stuff left here in the workshops. I spent almost two hours poking around, and would have happily remained longer. Unfortunately I became aware of footsteps and talking nearby. Sneaking a look through a hole in the wall, I saw two workmen - presumably from Trackworks - walking where I had stood just a minute before. I took this as my cue to leave as quietly and discreetly as possible.
Pilkington Glass opened in 1922. The factory was very much part of the local community, investing in the local area through the construction of houses, pensioners day centre and a bowling club. The building closed in 2009. The high esteem in which the community held the factory is communicated well by some reflections in this article from the time: http://www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/features/end-of-the-land-of-pilks-and-honey-1-300547
Part of the building is now used by Trackworks.
The Visit
I was reminded that I had still not visited here when I discovered that a family member worked at the factory in the 1960s. Working as a carrier (or ‘shoosher’ as he described his role - a term I can’t find anywhere online, so it could be a word lost in translation - he’s no longer around to ask) he left employment with the firm suffering from a back injury that remained with him for the rest of his life. Turns out carrying really heavy stuff repeatedly every day is bad for you…
What I was expecting from Pilkington Glass: reaaaaaly long buildings, a bit of an encounter with some anti-climb paint and a quick wander around some fairly trashed offices.
What I wasn’t expecting from Pilkington Glass: some really impressive industrial heritage and a decent amount of remaining machinery. Of course, I’d seen other people’s photos but was still impressed with the amount of stuff left here in the workshops. I spent almost two hours poking around, and would have happily remained longer. Unfortunately I became aware of footsteps and talking nearby. Sneaking a look through a hole in the wall, I saw two workmen - presumably from Trackworks - walking where I had stood just a minute before. I took this as my cue to leave as quietly and discreetly as possible.
The main building
The workshops
The workshops
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