G3NGD @  Trafford Park, Manchester England.

 

G3NGD  at  his  Radio, Television, and  Electronics business in Fourth Street, Trafford Park in 1975.

 

Aerial view of Trafford Park before the "Bulldozers" moved in.

The Trafford Park Works of Metropolitan-Vickers Electrical Co. Ltd.

 

The  Company was  founded as  the British  Westinghouse Electric  and  Manufacturing Company in 1899.  Soon  afterwards the "Main Works"  (shown above) was begun on a site of 130 acres; the foundation stone of the main offices (top centre) was laid in August 1901, by the Lord Mayor of London, with one of each coin of the realm placed beneath it "to put  the undertaking on a sound foundation". By the end of 1902 production was under way and the number of employees was about 300.

 

Traditions

It has been said that the success of the company was attributed to the early managers, who set the standards which prevailed to the end. These were simply, the insistence upon a first-class product, the encouragement of  all  to accept  responsibility, if  necessary without instructions, and  the just reward of credit to those who earn it. Metropolitan-Vickers was an institution of national, even international, importance, towards which every employee made some contribution and  in which each had the opportunity to find happiness and take a personal interest and pride. The  Company  was  an  association of  men and  women who  had common  interests and  who  together accomplished much.

Information and photographs on Metro-Vick in the early 1900's can be found on  http://www.mvbook.org.uk

 

Expansion

In subsequent years, new buildings were erected:

Research and Education  Department. West Works - originally built for switchgear was extended for the development and manufacture or  Radar Equipment during the war. Mosley Road Works - built for the production of the twin-engined "Manchester" and later, the four-engined "Lancaster" Bombers.

Who remembers the  R1155 Receiver and the T1154 Transmitter? After the war, the factory was used mainly for the large-scale manufacture of industrial motors. Other factories included Leonard Works and Barton Works. Barton Works was used to design and build Scientific Apparatus.

At its peak, the company employed 28,000 men and women. A quarter of Manchester Corporation's vast  fleet of buses, in impressive arrays and processions, served Trafford Park at starting and stopping hours.

 

Hours of work
Five-day week
	Workshop staff		0730 - 1200Hrs		1242 - 1700Hrs
	Staff Departments		0824 - 1200Hrs		1242 - 1700Hrs

 

Lunch duration  42 Mins.

A drink of Tea was allowed in mid-morning, served by a labourer, but no drinks were allowed in the afternoon. During the drinking of tea in the morning, no food was allowed, and work was not to be interrupted.

 

Of interest:
		In 1958, an Apprentice starting work at 16 years of age, earned £2. 9s. 0d.  (£2.45p) per week gross.
		It was a recognized fact at this time (1958), that an apprentice trained by Metropolitan-Vickers could find employment as an Electrical Engineer anywhere in the world.

---

 

With reference to the Left Hand Photograph shown enlarged below.

The curved roof building right of centre bottom  was the High Voltage Laboratory        and was Part of Research Department which extended across to the Main Avenue.     Research Department was the location for the first Radio Station in Manchester '2ZY' In those days people used "Crystal Sets" for reception - Radio had been established.    In 1924, Metropolitan-Vickers built the Cosmos 2 Valve (Model VR2A)  Radio Receiver.

The Building at the Bottom on the south side of the canal was the Apprentice Training School. This is now the Engineering Section Annex of North Trafford College Stretford.

 

With reference to the Right Hand Photograph shown enlarged above.

The Building top right corner on its own was Leonard Works. Of interest - It was in this building that Henry Ford made the Ford Model 'T'.

The building top centre on its own was Paint & Varnish Department.

To the right of Paint & Varnish is  Trafford Park Village. It was here in Fourth Street that John had his own Radio, Television, and Electronics business after  being  made redundant at  what  was originally Metropolitan-Vickers; later to become Associated Electrical  Industries (AEI); and then taken over by GEC.

John included this section on his "One Hundred Years of Amateur Radio  Website",  because he made a lot of good friends whilst employed here, especially "Radio Amateurs",  who worked with him at MV / AEI / GEC.

This photograph is  nice to look back on, as  the site has now all been cleared for future development. There are only a few buildings remaining of what was once a self contained Engineering town in its own right.

John owes his thanks to Metropolitan-Vickers for giving him the opportunity to become an Electrical Engineer after serving a Technician Apprenticeship of five years duration, and attending Stretford Technical College (now North Trafford College, Stretford).

 

The Metropolitan-Vickers Apprentice Training School It was originally opened in January 1951,  extended in 1956 and accommodated 700 apprentices and trainees.

 

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Updated: September 2006