Memories of Wickham's of Ware
Photographs of workers in the 50s and 60s
By Jean Gilby
Ian Webb in the machine shop
Mr Roberts on the right and and unknown colleague
Midday recouperation
Group photo taken in the workshop
A worker standing in front of a railcar
Another two workers at Wickham's
Another worker at Wickham's
These photographs were taken by the late Ian Webb who was a worker at Wickham’s in the 1950s.
He was a time-served apprentice through the whole engineering process, the company being involved in the manufacture of railcars for world-wide distribution.
We don’t know the identity of most of these men so if you recognise them please add a comment below.
This page was added on 20/05/2010.
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My Dear Grandad Charles Cutmore group photo top left , , Many many so wonderful memories of a loving Grandad , bless him , Worked in the wood shop for around 50 years ,
Ian was nicknamed spiegal (German for mirror) by one of the foriegn workers in the machine shop because he always had a smile on his face from then on everybody used it
The man next to Mr Bill Roberts is Fred Stringer.
extreme right standing is my late father Reg Burgess.
The chap second/third from the left on the back row (in the dark overalls) looks like my uncle; Tony Andrews. He was an employee at Wickham for many years until made redundant by its closure.
Perhaps I can add to Mick Nottage memory. From the left Back Row is Charlie Cutmore, ? , John Walsh, Jim Spencer, Percy Carter, Wally Brown. Centre Row is Billy from Ghana, Arthur Bassill (Foreman), George Pearce, George Willshire, ? . Front Row iis Brian Godfrey, ? , Walter ‘Boxer’ Clift, George Patmore. Have checked with Percy Carter (who will celebrate 90 years in January) to confirm my memory. Can anyone else add to the names?.
Served my apprenticeship with Ian. He had the nickname of ‘Spiegal’, I’m not sure why.
Bill Roberts colleague is Fred Stringer. He was the chargehand on the gear cutting machines and I served a period under him during my apprenticeship at Wickham.
I believe this person having a lunchtime nap in the machine shop, was Dennis Head.
This photograph was taken in No.1 fitting shop, where the small rail inspection cars and gang trolleys were assembled. I should remember the names of more people than I do but time blurs the memory. Third from the left at the back is John Walsh, and in the front row extreme left is my very good friend Brian Godfrey.