A few years ago I found a bill and it made me chuckle , John Browns Shipyard Canteen. I guess it was a great idea. This shipyard in Clyde built , the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary and was one of the biggest firms for shipbuilding in the world. From about 1850 it was providing jobs and at it's peak on a massive scale. In it's time Britain was booming. In 1972 , an evening night out for a couple of quid , dinner dance and wrestling as entertainment.
Got to thinking I had seen all this before. Remember the Foden Lorries , there were plenty about when I was a kid , in fact I think my uncle had a couple as he was a coal man. Foden's again were a big British industry and had a place in Sandbach. They even had a famous Brass Band. Those were the days
1965 and a night out in the Canteen at Foden Motor Works seven shillings and six pence or five bob.
Mid sixties again and back up to Scotland and Bathgate. BMC was the British Motor Company , big new venture built in Bathgate , think it specialised in Tractors and heavy machines of that ilk, Another massive employer Nights out in their canteen were from about ten shillings downwards in good old Britain.
Shame the match in 1966 with Nagasaki got cancelled. It was one of those shows before he had unmasked Bartelli and gone to the next level. Mc Manus even got up there and never short of local boys like George Kidd , Purvey and Campbell, McKenzie and Bill Ross.
But even earlier during the war , 1943 there was a factory Ransome and Marles in Newark. It was another big employer , massive in ball bearings for aircrafts even during the first world war. This firm had it's own Football club that played at a good standard. Played the qualifying rounds of the FA Cup.
Wrestling in the canteen for as little as two shillings and it was even shown at two o'clock in the afternoon to raise funds for the RAF Benevolent scheme.
In 1941 the Germans knew about this factory and bombed it. 41 people were killed. Such was it's importance. Wrestling also took place on the Firms Sports Field in 1944.
Yes , Canteens , A collection , if I get any more I will add then into this thread.
Just a nice slice of nostalgia. Good old Britain when it had proper factories.
This topic has been given a permanent home on Wrestling Heritage.
Please continue to post your comments here.
https://wrestlingheritage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/old-industries-canteens-and-wrestling--1.pdf
Yet another addition , regular wrestling found in 1962
Sankey's today is now Bae Systems , but a 200 year history of this site , Telford in Shropshire.
Looks to me like Wryton had their names on this one.
The site initially made Iron 200 years ago and went on to do Trams , Railway Carriages , Wheels and Car Panels , Bombs , Grenades and Shells in the war , Air Raid Helmets , by 1946 the biggest manufacturer of steel wheels in Europe , Farm Equipment and Army Vehicles.
Click for larger image.
Wrestling in the canteen in the Evening for a works night out. When great Britain was great.
Just adding another one to the collection.
Gec Whetstone on the outskirts of Leicester was opened in 1941 for the purpose of testing Jet Engines.
For a while a big employer with it's own Football Team.
Yet another works canteen that showed wrestling.
Wonder if Street put the show on for them.
Garrington's Works Canteen
I just found a totally unexpected venue. You could have knocked me down with a doughnut when I saw this. I had to add it to this thread. It was a good day out when my kids were young.
Apart from one prison and two Mental Hospitals canteens were the strangest I graced Hawker siddley lockstock and Farnworth, a battery firm in North Manchester,rolls Royce north lancs,British insulated cables Leigh,an engineering plant in the middle of nowhere in Shropshire multiple times,a biscuit factory in Levenshulme and bus clubs at Atherton and south Manchester.Nearly all capacity crowds and greatly differing facilities.
Came across another addition today although it's not a canteen. Aveling- Barford in Grantham made really heavy trucks and Road Rollers. Dumper Trucks and heavy earth moving vehicles , some for the war effort.
Company took the title in 1945 ,was part of British Leyland at the time of this wrestling bill and eventually sold in 1988. Big company though like many had it's own social club.
Well spotted John. Jack Taylor pulled some tricks but Ric Charles partnered by Ric Charles takes the biscuit. I would guess Ric Charles from Yarmouth was Ric Charles and as the other wrestler is billed from Clayton it should have read Ray Taylor.
Great stuff Ron! Mixed bills, some good match-ups, some questionable and I particularly like the tag match that appears to be : Jack Taylor and Ric Charles v Ken Davies and Ric Charles. One Ric hailing from Clayton and the other Ric from Yarmouth. I expect some fans had a ‘rick’ in the neck, trying to follow that pair!
If that was his name Peter then yes, but more likely to be Duncan Faichney
Should Dunk Faunchey be included in wrestlers you have never heard of?
Absolutely stonking stuff and as ever from Ron, a great grouping of random events to build a logical story, or history. Another one for the sociology degree.
Seeing orphan Joe Murphy in Scotland is fascinating; I wonder what was dgoing on?
Chic Purvey seems to have been McManus's chaperone in Scotland. Maybe McManus put in a good word for him to appear on Coronation Street? Good on McManus for persisting in Scotland, he must have been in real danger at times.
That looks like Norman NORMAN Cooper in 1965, as opposed to the late Norman SYD Cooper? Soooo confusing, that one.
Great finds Ron
The John Brown one was at the time the place was under threat of closure and the workers there were fighting to save it, hence the “Fighting Fund” reference.
Here's another one.
Fantastic stuff Ron, a real window into bygone era.
Hal Kirk must be Mal Kirk, in fact a lot of the bills seem to have mainly a group of Yorkshire lads travelling up to Scotland.
Red Brokko will be Red Brokau, wonder if Jack Hussey was Jim Hussey or John Hussey?
Anyway, great stuff, when companies provided entertainment.