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- Опубликовано: 26 окт 2019
- Plessey was once a major employer in Redbridge and a force amongst the borough's international manufacturers along with Kelvin Hughes and Ilford Photo.
Established in London in 1917, it moved to Vicarage Lane in 1923 with a plot that edged Ley Street opposite Sams Green.
Its success ultimately led to a hostile takeover by GEC Siemens and the site was eventually cleared for housing.
Siemens continued on a smaller plot on Vicarage Lane until 2001. By then Plessey's operations had long since been divided amongst its many national and international locations.
Available NOW on Amazon - Ilford Retro Vol.1 From Gants Hill Odeon to The Plough and Plessey, all 52 episodes with photos of old and new! tinyurl.com/IlfordRetro
I used to walk through there over the iron bridge, to visit my gf in Seven Kings High School... happy days.
To see a sweetheart would make any dodgy-looking bridge worth crossing.....!
Thanks for posting very interesting. I remember many of my friends going on training schemes in 83/84 when we left school. It was regarded as an influential employer in the day
Much appreciated Ian, it's a shame that such influential players are no longer in the town; or at least aren't the multinational conglomerates of yesteryear.
I remember plessey from my high school days. Then 30 years later I forgot what that place was called. Thanks for reminding me and sharing this beautiful history with us.
You're welcome Sam. It's funny how we can forget things we used to walk past every day for years. Glad it serves as a reminder of what was there before.
I did work experience there in the early 80's. It was an amazing place to see.
I can imagine. It's a shame the place is no more. The old warehouses and factories of Peckham and Hackney are now burgeoning hives of co-working and collaboration. Housing is of course needed but it would have been nice to reimagine the old Plessey building as a desination for new industry.
I live in Vicarage Lane. When the factory was demolished, excavating what was beneath took a VERY long time - there must have been a substantial structure below.
That's very interesting. I didn't come across any information which described an underground bunker or something similar, but don't think it would have been widely publicised anyway. Judging by the comment from @ohyeah2816 there was indeed an underground factory there!
Little fact, Plessey developed the TDM push pull and multiple working system, that British Rail installed on class 86, 87, 89, 90, and 91 locomotives from 1987 onwards, permitting locos to work in multiple with only one driver, but also to allow a locomotive to push a train, with the driver controlling the locomotive from an unpowered control car or driving van trailer. Indeed, Intercity trains passing through Ilford, on the London - Norwich service, went over to push pull operation in late 1990/ early 1991. So, perhaps the equipment was made in Ilford!
This would be uncanny but also apt if it had also been made in Ilford!
Another great video. I remember the pedestrian overpass that ran across Ley Street to join the two sectors of Plessey Works.
A pleasure. Is that overpass the infamous "iron bridge" that also straddles the railway?
@@IlfordRetro I think it was. I remember driving underneath it when heading up Ley Street towards Newbury Park.
@@MadGearGang Intriguing. There certainly has been a lot of change around that area post-Plessey and those distinct characteristics have been lost.
My aunt and uncle moved to Newbury Park with a couple of my cousins in the 60's. I was raised in Strone Road. Manor Park and a couple of times I walked from there through Ilford to visit. We used to drive down Ley Street to visit them at least once a month My mum worked for Plessy in their underground factory and I temped for them for 3 weeks on an audit.
My part of the family moved to Cambridgeshire and stopped using Ley Street to visit just drove down the M11 and on to Gants Hill, so it was a big surprise when I drove into Ilford to find Plessey gone! Ilford was a shock to, try to avoid it when we visit The City of London for all my family who are buried there. Occasionally I have dreams of walking up the Romford Road to Ilford, usually included the toyshop?!?
Does anyone remember Gilberts the tobacconist on the Romford Road? Like your stuff, so many memories, thanks!
I love hearing stories like yours of old routes to visit places. The walk from Manor Park to Newbury Park would have been full of life, and included the buzz around the industries which were still part of Ilford (like Ilford Film and Plessey) and the huge array of shops. It must have been a huge shock to see the imposing Plessey building had vanished! The main toy shop in the 60s and 70s would would have been Worrickers on Cranbrook Road, then later Zodiac came along on the High Road. Not sure if either of these is what you remember? Someone out there must remember Gilberts...!
@@IlfordRetro Gilberts belonged to the dad of a kid I went to school with. He was given a cruel name by we boys. Bit worse than Polecat which was mine, though I wore my nickname with pride.🤣
I also explored the ditch behind the Charringtons brewery wharehose with another school friend. We ended up in Valentines Park then walked back to Manor Park.
Just one more memory, my dad took me for my first ever steak in a restaurant owned by a chap named Dallas. I think it was opposite Ilford station? This was 1970. I later found out he used to go there on his own if he fancied a good steak because my mum used to cook steak, even rump or sirloin, in the oven.🤣
I checked a map, Balfour Road or Heron Mews for the steak house
Green Lane/Barley Lane for the toy shop, though that isn’t in Ilford.
Quick question, was there a Palais along the main drag?
@@ohyeah2816 Ha ha, glad to hear your nickname was work with pride! Funny how many adventures for people who live nearby include Valentines Park. It's definitely a focal point for people who know east London. While Ilford is bursting at the seams with places to eat at the moment, it always did have a decent range of menus to offer. I wonder if the place you went to opposite Ilford station was the Sombrero restaurant? They did a good steak and were quite popular - probably popular enough to skip homemade steak however it was cooked! 😁
I remember the building very well
It was quite iconic wasn't it
a mate of mine lived above the launderette in the early 70s
If my experience serves me correctly, his flat would have been quite warm with a smell of soap suds!
@@IlfordRetro lots of cockroaches
@@mitchelmayes6180 😧
Think there was a Chinese takeaway next to it.Anyone remember
@@mitchelmayes6180 I think it might have been called Tin Wa. Was there at least till early/mid 2000s
i worked at plessey in the 70s, also for thorn, another large employer in the town and mcphersons in leyton and barking, all these companies were asset stripped by fair playing european companies.
It's such a shame that those big names left the locality; industry is one of the main contributors to a thriving local economy. It must have been such a good experience for you working at those firms.
The Edge from U2 parents worked for Plessey’s, hence he being born in Barking.
Really?! What a great nugget of info
That’s my estate 😂🥴
Glad you can now see what it looked like before!
Ilford Retro yeah thank you