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Forums10
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Apr 29th, 2024
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,688 Likes: 31
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,688 Likes: 31 |
Today is a very emotional day in my life, and gives me faith in goodness, good fortune, luck and God working in mysterious ways.
Being brought up in 'The Black Country' the Industrial area in the West Midlands of England UK as a school leaver I was fascinated by the Birmingham Gun Quarter and had many part time jobs there before settling down at Uni and my chosen engineering career.One of these Saturday jobs and school holiday jobs was at Webley's. There they had a great man who was works foreman and finisher Bert Williams.
Fifty years later I do business with a company from Birmingham the CEO happened to mention his Dad used to work at Webley's. "I think I've got his tools in the shed somewhere, you can have them if I can find them out"
Today I took delivery of the toolkit which belonged to yes you've guessed Bert Williams.But with a twist of fate there nestling amongst them was a chequering cutter with the initials on the handle PH "welcome home baby" it is irrefutabley my initials.Nice to know Bert had time for the 'little rascal'and his tool.
Also amongst the bits and bobs are numerous pins, springs, strikers, swivels etc., which will probably get one of us here on this board out of a fix one day.
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1 member likes this:
Tim Cartmell |
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,954 Likes: 12
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 5,954 Likes: 12 |
Fantastic!! So much has been lost in the hands of those who "just didn't know."
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,271 Likes: 202
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 6,271 Likes: 202 |
Thanks for this neat post. We don't get enough of this type of thing. Glad the memories came back to youl
Daryl
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 283
Member
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Member
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 283 |
The English have a word for this sort of thing, fortuitous I believe. What a great story!
Exorcisms performed cheaply. "We get the Hell out!"
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,378 Likes: 105
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 11,378 Likes: 105 |
Great story, and very fortunate for you.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,964 Likes: 89
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,964 Likes: 89 |
Salopian, please tell us all you can remember about the Birmingham gun industry. And again, what do you recall of Webley's operation? Any and all fragments of information will be welcome and valuable. Too much has already been lost!
When an old man dies a library burns to the ground. (Old African proverb)
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Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 625
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 625 |
What a nice thing. Sometimes the world and time can seem so small. Thanks for telling the story. Jake
R. Craig Clark
jakearoo(at)cox.net
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 89
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 89 |
As the owner of a Webley DB 10ga it was nice to read your story. Save all those pieces, someone will need them sooner or later.
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Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,688 Likes: 31
Sidelock
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OP
Sidelock
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,688 Likes: 31 |
Thank you all for your kind remarks.Today was one of those days, did a little bit of travelling, jobbing and visiting old mates, like master stocker Ken Dawson, down at Bilbrook (Wolverhampton), Wisemans, Mike Dingley (Ex-Scott Checkerer) finally ending up at York & Wallin Lockmakers.Remembering the days when in the 60's the Old men would go and have a skinfull of beer at lunchtime while us young uns would go to The Surfside Stop coffee bar in Soho road.Remembering the day that Christian Ashthorpes daughter was sent to the Proof House with a load of barrels for proving, but didn't make it because every time she had gone there with her Dad, she remembered seeing a pigeon drinking from a pothole in the road full of water, but when she was on her own she couldn't find the pigeon or the street.He was not amused when she got back without delivering the barrels.
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Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,964 Likes: 89
Sidelock
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Sidelock
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,964 Likes: 89 |
Salopian, keep it up. I suspect you've got a lot of information and stories trapped somewhere behind your eyes. We're all anxious to hear it!
When an old man dies a library burns to the ground. (Old African proverb)
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