Visited with the eminent Clebby on a bitingly cold January morning, tricky access and the cold couldn't hamper the enjoyment of this treasure trove. I have never seen so much kit, machines and full stock bins left behind before. Everywhere you look theres stacks of springs, tooling, coils, presses, lathes, raw stock and folders. What a waste.
THE COMPANY
Founded in 1896 the West Brom Spring Co employed 80 people and made fasteners, chains and springs (fom tiny to chuffin big ones like the trains use.) Coming upon hard times they downsized and became TSL Turton Ltd, now employing 36 people.
On the 8th March 2011 they didnt have enough money to purchase stock or pay outstanding bills and at the Emerald Hotel on Anchor road, signed the voluntary liquidation documents.
Explores can sometimes be a sombre reminder of todays economic woes but this time theres a happy ending- all the staff were given jobs by the new company, fetchingly called TSL Turton 2014 Ltd...
THE RUMOURS
Now this sounds like the management I work for- allegedly the boss walked out one day and didn't want to come back. When the receivers went in they found £500'000 of machinery and £200'000 of raw stock. Another incident apparently involves him buying three enormous pieces of machinery for £30'000 at auction. Realising later they wouldn't fit in the factory, more costs were incurred by craning them in over the buildings and having them installed- only to find out they didn't work.
THE SITE TODAY
Parts of the site are still being used and live. Lights still left on in a couple of buildings and ice on puddles broken by a forklift the morning we visited.
Three or four pieces of machinery were wrapped on pallets by the weighbridge,ready to go out so things are slowly being cleared.
Period advert circa 1929
Map of the site today
Mange tout Rodney! Dozens of machine lined up and rusting.
This thing was the size of a van
The £30k mistake...
Insert your own nuts joke here
Into the offices..period product range poster
Lovely ledger storage crates
Some arty farty stuff to end on
With aching limbs,numb hands and feet,we left tired but happy. A lovely unmolested glimpse into yesteryears world.
Thanks for looking.
THE COMPANY
Founded in 1896 the West Brom Spring Co employed 80 people and made fasteners, chains and springs (fom tiny to chuffin big ones like the trains use.) Coming upon hard times they downsized and became TSL Turton Ltd, now employing 36 people.
On the 8th March 2011 they didnt have enough money to purchase stock or pay outstanding bills and at the Emerald Hotel on Anchor road, signed the voluntary liquidation documents.
Explores can sometimes be a sombre reminder of todays economic woes but this time theres a happy ending- all the staff were given jobs by the new company, fetchingly called TSL Turton 2014 Ltd...
THE RUMOURS
Now this sounds like the management I work for- allegedly the boss walked out one day and didn't want to come back. When the receivers went in they found £500'000 of machinery and £200'000 of raw stock. Another incident apparently involves him buying three enormous pieces of machinery for £30'000 at auction. Realising later they wouldn't fit in the factory, more costs were incurred by craning them in over the buildings and having them installed- only to find out they didn't work.
THE SITE TODAY
Parts of the site are still being used and live. Lights still left on in a couple of buildings and ice on puddles broken by a forklift the morning we visited.
Three or four pieces of machinery were wrapped on pallets by the weighbridge,ready to go out so things are slowly being cleared.
Period advert circa 1929
Map of the site today
Mange tout Rodney! Dozens of machine lined up and rusting.
This thing was the size of a van
The £30k mistake...
Insert your own nuts joke here
Into the offices..period product range poster
Lovely ledger storage crates
Some arty farty stuff to end on
With aching limbs,numb hands and feet,we left tired but happy. A lovely unmolested glimpse into yesteryears world.
Thanks for looking.
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