Another historic site gone – Chadderton to close

Only just noticed that – blasphemy!:eek: 😀

Interesting to hear from people whos families worked in these grand old places, aeronut it sounds like your grandfather had a very important job at what I find to be Chaddertons’ most interesting period.
Pattern work itself I find fascinating.

Easy Tiger & Aeronut It’s Hawker Siddeley !;)

C’mon Pagen, don’t let Skudupnorth get away with BAC! Southerners, tut!

Hawker Siddeley

Easy Tiger & Aeronut It’s Hawker Siddeley !;)
Hawker Siddeley seems to be only associated these days with the major rationalisation of the British aero industry in the early 1960s, but as Aeronut touches on the company was formed in 1935 when Hawker took over the companies of Armstrong Siddeley, and Armstrong Whitworth. A.V.Roe & Co and the Gloster Aircraft Company also came under the unbrella at about the same time.

I don’t find it strange that it said Hawker Siddley over the gate afterall the company that built Chadderton was Hawker Siddley, they just happened to trade at that site as AVRO (AVRO becoming part of the Hawker Siddley Group in 1934).

Until I read up on the company history I had found it odd that the management letter congratulating my Grandfather on the award of the BEM in the 1944 Birthday Honours list was on Hawker Siddley headed paper.

My Grandfather (William Wilkinson) would have seen Chadderton being built as he was the Pattern Room foreman at the Newton Heath works at the time, having worked for AVRO from before the start of WW1. After the end of WW2 he went to Chadderton as one of the works managers, a post he was in when he died in March 56.

Chadderton

I started in aviation there in 1969. Although it said Hawker Siddely Aviation over the gate, everyone still regarded themselves as Avro people. There used to be many hundreds there building 748s. Because it was such a huge site, there was always extras going on. All the Victor noses came through as part of the tanker conversions, and lots of ground equipment for Harrier & Nimrod was developed there. Happy days:)

Both my Grandparents worked there during and after the war,my Grandad worked up to the Vulcan era when the company became BAC…real shame 🙁

Ah yes, BBC grammar…

..like this..

Beck also deliberately set off fire alarms and left the building insecure by leaving the communal door open at night, magistrates heard.

Really? Perhaps some form of therapy would help the building with it’s feelings? :diablo:

from = to (sort of)

The first aircraft produced there were Bristol Blenheims under licence from Avro…

Eh?