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Report - - Welton Bibby and Baron Factory, Midsomer Norton, Somerset - April 2015 | Industrial Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Welton Bibby and Baron Factory, Midsomer Norton, Somerset - April 2015

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Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
My first ever meaningful exclusive all-new discovery; but with regular security patrols, a huge site, a well-used public footpath that looks into the site and sealed entrances to the buildings there was no way that I could had done this on my own, hence my recent call for help on the forum. Thanks to all those who responded. Whilst entry onto the site was straight forward, it wasn't so to enter any buildings. Biggest thanks to End-Proc who discovered the imaginative way into the buildings and made it all possible.

Visited with Seffy, WhoDaresWins, End-Proc and Oort

Still bits here to be discovered (including the old building which I assume dates from 1858) and I am aware of others intending to visit.

History:

From their own website:
"Welton Bibby & Baron is the largest manufacturer of paper bags, carrier bags and printed paper on the roll in the UK. We manufacture billions of impressions every year ensuring our customers recieve the best possible economies of scale."

Well they may be good at making paper bags but they bloody can't spell AND THAT MAKES ME MAD :mad:. As any fool knows its I before E except after C. It's "receive" they meant to have said up there and this spelling mistake is on the front page of their own website. I going to write a letter of complaint (maybe get some free paper bags out of it). Rant over.

Anyways on with the history -
1858 - Bibby & Baron founded; Mr Bibby & Mr Baron begin making paper bags. I assume this was instead of going to school and learning to spell.

1889 - Bibby & Baron win silver medal at the Paris Exposition for the first automated bag machine. They did not win any colour of medal for spelling ability I notice.

1890 - Bibby & Baron reveal a contraption with printing stations around a central drum – the first flexo printing press. Unfortunately they did not invent a spellchecker.

1934 - Welton Bag Company opens in Welton, Somerset. I assume that Mr Welton is also unable to spell.

1999 - Welton joins Bibby & Baron to enable the widest possible range of paper bag manufacturing but not spelling.

2005 - Opened Welton Bibby & Baron Slovakia. I bet those Slovaks can spell English words.

2013 - Welton Bibby & Baron move to brand new state-of-the-art Westbury production and distribution facility. Dictionaries and spellcheckers were not installed at the new factory.

So there you have it, the 12 acre site in Midsomer Norton dates from 1858 and closed in 2013 when the company moved to larger premises in Westbury, Wiltshire. At the time of the move, 300 people were employed at the Midsomer Norton site.

The Explore

For this explore we were not allowed to smoke. A bit wrong to impose these rules on explorers I say. I going to write another letter of complaint.The old building which we never got to, is far upper left.
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And the main entrance viewed from the road. Security sits in the window at the no entry sign. If he is not in, he is doing a patrol.
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The building is secured with a broom, a plank of wood, metal poles and a padlock! That makes me think that I wasn't welcome. Well thanks for hurting my feelings guys :(.
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We were greeted by samples of the final product
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and huge open spaces
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Like a bunch of giggling schoolboys, we found the lift to be utterly hilarious
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Let me just clarify that we did not push the giant paper rolls around the factory floor. That would had been very childish and immature. We are better than that. This photo is just a staged dramatic reconstruction of childish idiots that would do things like that.
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We surprised this employee who had no idea that the factory closed 2 years ago. "I thought it was a bit quiet here" he told us before going home.
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In the office they wanted us to pull out our butt straps. Not something that I do too often I must confess.
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Paper bags for gingerbread men.
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I claimed 2 hours of overtime for this explore.
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The factory didn't close that long ago.
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Millions of paper bags would had lived here once. (I know it's a crap caption but I couldn't think of anything witty to put for this one)
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Thanks for looking and once again thanks to all the members that turned up.

(by the way I guarantee no spelling mistakes in this report)
 
Last edited:

WhoDaresWins

Let's do this
Regular User
Good photos there Bertie. It was a good day, a bag of laughs for sure. Shame we didn't get round to seeing the older part though. Another day though perhaps.
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
A quick update. I did send an email to Welton Bibby and Baron saying that "receive" is misspelt on the front page of their website., but they haven't replied.

I thinking it would be funny if we all did it. The email address is [email protected]
 

The_Raw

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Looks like a good day out, I'm sure seffy and matt would be far too grown up to push those giant paper rolls around the place ;)

Millions of paper bags would had lived here once. (by the way I guarantee no spelling mistakes in this report)

Say whuut?
 

Bertie Bollockbrains

There is no pain
Regular User
Well spotted, I hang my head in shame. Just going outside now to shoot myself.

(Although that's a grammar error and not a spelling error - I never said anything about perfect grammar)
 

Seffy

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Hadn't seen this report before either! Decent job with the photographs Berite, and cheers for the heads up about this one :thumb
 
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