Winget Ltd., Strood.

[Merv]

I worked at Wingets myself in the early 70's, my Father worked for a while in the refridgeration department.
I was based in the Vibration department just behind Guards clothing manufacturers and opposite the Cricketers pub(now the Alma)
We had an old Misson hut.

[tono]

He probably wished it had been just water! It was mixed with oil, grease, probably some diesel, definitely old teabags, in fact everything that could be found in an industrial environment

This was the fate of apprentices (the slow ones that didn't run fast enough!!) that had done their 'time' & were about to become skilled tradesmen

My 'banging out' ceremony in the printing industry involved being doused in similar materials! Character building they called it!

[swiftone]

I started at Wingets in 1947 after leaving the RAF. As I was an ex Shorts fitter & turner apprentice I went on to a Ward 7 turret lathe. I met my wife there as she worked in the machine shop office as a clerk. Originally she worked in the tool room on a cylinder grinder but had to make way for the returning service men. I worked with at least 15 of the men seen in the works outing photo and the three shown on the sports day page were, from left to right, Jimmy Hopwood, M/c shop Superintendent, Doug Taylor, Foreman and Ernie Ambrose Winget Syncro Foreman. It was a great place to work, with everybody like an extended family. Later on I moved up into the new offices in the Process dept. I left before the closure and I am extremely sad to see what Medway council have done to the building.They did the same to Shorts works with no mention of it's contribution to flying history, but that's a another story 

It seems like we were probably work colleagues. I joined the Process office when it was on the balcony and then moved up to the top floor of the new building. It does appear strange that the old building was reported to have subsided. There was no evidence on the outside and it survived all of the pile driving that went on for the new offices in the sixties without any ill effects.

[numanfan]

This is from the Summer, 1953 issue of Winget Life


These staff worked in the offices that were originally Rochester Bridge Station in Strood.

[merc]

[colin haggart]

My photo, without the name on the wall.

[N0SEY]

Couple of photos fom the early 80's. Taken on the 'Morrissons' side of Janes Creek, the blue buildings were taken over by Fisher Controls when Winget shut down

Health & Safety would have a fit nowadays, the fella is sitting in a flimsy metal cage with about half-a-ton of concrete mixer panels above his head! Still, everyone else was happy

For my sins, I was these lads apprentice training officer and I remember their faces well. I cant think who it could be in the cage but I can think of a few over the years that should have been in there

[numanfan]

Welcome along Nosey. Or should I say BOSS?

Somewhere, I have the official group photo of the 1979 apprentices - so you must be in it! I'll try to find it & post it here.

It was nearly 30 years ago, but I still remember it was Sean Filkins in the cage.

[N0SEY]

A good place for him some would say, in the cage lol I currently have an ex Winget apprentice working for me now of a little before that era (Malc Durling). Considering just how many apprentices went through the system there, I think I have only ever bumped in to maybe 4 after Wingets clossure.

[numanfan]

I'm fairly certain this is another Winget outing, possibly posing in the foyer of the now demolished Aveling & Porter building beforehand.



My late Grandfather is stood on the left. Can any 'older' ex-Winget employees identify the rest of the group please?

[numanfan]

From 1980-81.


Apprentices in the car park behind the Town Hall Gardens in Chatham, waiting for the carnival to begin.

I have no idea why we're dressed as pirates

Footnote: Apparently, a youngster from Canterbury was watching our antics in the carnival parade. He grew up, took up acting, became Orlando Bloom, & modelled his character in Pirates Of The Caribbean on us. Or was it the pointy-eared elf in Lord Of The Rings?

Go to your local pub, tell as many people as you can about this event - by next week it should be undeniably true (it worked with the tunnels anyway )

[N0SEY]

I can’t remember why the theme that year was Pirates but there are two short videos stored on “city ark” taken the year we had from steam to diesel as the theme and the parade was led by an old steam traction engine, manufactured in the Rochester factory. The guy in the centre is Ray Hicks, who worked in the training school until the remaining apprentices to found other employment, when the site closed. I was recently in touch with him, I wonder if he remembers the pirates

[richard morphett]

hi just seen your message on this site, i am richard morphett and worked in the foundry from 1958 until about 1967 when i moved to kent alloys for about a year before going to stone manganese marine for about 2years now retired and living in devon. my brothers name is john and he now lives in australia near sydney stil l quite fit but not cycling now!!!

[AlanH]

Hi Numanfan.
The bloke 2nd from the right looks like Tony Kane and old Strrod tough nut who also worked for Ozonair over at Larkfield at about the same time as I did in the late 70s.

Richard. Nice to hear you're going well and retired and like me gave up cycling years ago. I think girls gave me another interest . My elder brother Jim  was in the cycling club as well along with blokes like Norman Bell, Bert Wakeham etc. Good fun in those days.
I thought your older bro was named Drew but I am obviously wrong! Like him all my family have lived in Oz for many years now but Jim (James he like to be known as now) lives in Switzerland.
Many good memories of those days.
Cheers.
Alan.