Curlers, nappy pins, hooks and eyes
THEY may have closed down almost twenty years ago, but thanks to these photographs from reader Trevor Evans, we can help keep alive memories of the Tipton firm he once worked for.
They were Newey Goodman, based on Sedgley Road West, where Trevor worked for a total of seventeen years. His wife Karen, nee Donnelly, also worked at Neweys, having originally worked at their Birmingham factory before transferring to Tipton.
Packing
“I was there from 1975 until 1992,” Trevor told us.
“For the first four years I was a labourer in the Packing Department, then I moved into Maintenance.
“As with so many old Black Country firms, there were whole families who worked in the same factory. But they went in about 2002, and the whole place was closed down. I think there are some small business units on the site now.”
Neweys made small items that many would have been familiar with up and down the country – curlers, hooks and eyes, hat pins, nappy pins, hair grips – usually sold on little cards.
Karen originally made curlers at the Birmingham factory, and on moving to Tipton worked in the Hook and Eye Department, before another move into the Straight Pin Department.
The larger photograph of the group of men was taken in 1989, and shows some of the men from the Maintenance Department. They were, from left in the back row: Neil Langford, Colin Pugh, Mac Green, Cyril ___.
Front row: Doug Harding, Dennis Williams, Ted Lewis and Barry Guest.
Ladies
The ladies’ group picture was taken in 1987, and shows some of the workers from the Tape Department. They are, from left: Floss Holloway, Lil ___, Jackie Stone, June Howells, Debbie ___ and Pat Icke.
The four square photos are a fair bit earlier. Dating
from 1978, they were all taken in the Packing Department, and alongside Trevor and his colleagues is a regular visitor to the firm – Ray the Angel was a lorry driver who delivered to Newey’s and was a member of a Wolverhampton Hell’s Angels group. ■ Do you have memories of Neweys, or do you have photographs from your own workplace of years gone by? We’d love to hear from you: email us on gjones@blackcount rybugle.co.uk, give us a call on 01384 889000, write to us, or pay us a visit at Black Country Bugle, Dudley Archive Centre, Tipton Road, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 4SQ.