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Worth a watch - history of the massive Ford plant.
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Just watched this and I found this very interesting, I studied a lot about motivational theries in the past and found it amusing how Ford made all their workers do the same job. Why was this not obvious that the workers would become bored? The Japaneese car plants always rotate workers and this is what Ford should have done.
Well done to the women for showing Ford that if the seat covers stoped being made the entire factory comes to a halt :)
I was also amazed at how dangerious the foundery looked and also the engine castings bit. This surely would not be allowed today?
Watching this you get the impression there was a lot of bullyboy management tactics which is now very old fashioned. I could just not imagine employing people and using bullying tactics to get results. If you employees are not delivering the goods then look at the reasons why, people are not lazy for the no reason.
I always find ironic that industrial unrest seems to be one of the biggest cause of job losses. It is a well known fact for example labour relations at Nissan in Sunderland are pretty good and it is no coincidence that this factory was also once (and maybe still is?) the most efficient in Europe?
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>I was also amazed at how dangerious the foundery looked and also the engine castings >bit. This surely would not be allowed today?
go to any steel works - frightening place - still very dangerous
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Sunderland
A friend of mine who grew up in the North East tells me the Nissan plant in Sunderland was THE place to work for a long time. Very informal management structure (team leader system), lots of variety, good fringe benefits and an excellent relationship between management and staff. They expected a lot of you, but gave a lot back in return.
My dad was telling me recently about his brief stint as welder at the BL factory in Oxford (now the MINI plant) in the 1970's. Apart from having to leave because he couldn't afford to keep walking out on strike, he told me how they'd work in teams of 8, all doing what one person could just about do on their own. They quickly hatched a plan so that each of them would spend an hour doing all eight jobs, while the other seven slept, read, or pursued surprisingly lucrative sidelines making jewellery or trinkets out of metal offcuts or other things lying around. In effect, you'd work (hard) for one hour out of your entire shift, and the rest of the time was your own!
Immediate management were aware this went on, and turned a blind eye to it, since as long as the line didn't stop, and the cars got built, they were seen to be doing their job.
Edited by DP on 06/03/2009 at 14:00
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I've recorded this Pug and am looking forward to watching the bygone days before my time!
In 1991 I went on a trip with the school to Dagenham car plant where Fiestas were rolling off every few minutes. The most fascinating place. The one thing I remember above all else is the mass of pulleys and tracks in the roof space through which hundreds of engines and car parts were being transported. They were so high up you could hardly see them. Then we had lunch in the workers' canteen which was like a aircraft hangar in itself. We all got lost.
Not much will let a 17 year old phase them (at least visibly) but we were all walking around with mouths wide open at the scale of everything.
I feel honoured to have had the chance to see such industry in action.
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FocusDriver, in my youth I was equally fascinated by a visit to a place of industry.
In my case, I descended into a coal mine and went to the actual coalface.
I was impressed by the men who worked there but also by their solidarity and friendliness.
Most of our workers now sit behind desks and snipe at each other.
I've worked in the desk-bound sniping field of the NHS and have now, thankfully escaped.
We all need to be employed in something worthwhile and physical to become contented.
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I'm familiar with desk-bound sniping! Good for you for taking the risk of getting out; fortune favours the brave - and other cliches :)
Thinking about it, a trip to the coal face would have done me the world of good in my arrogant, cossetted, middle class youth. Dagenham was an eye-opener but it's not quite as dirty, dangerous, claustrophobic or other-worldly as coal mining was a few decades ago.
Right, make some mince for the freezer and then settle down to some motoring telly!
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I saw this programme (or some of it) and very interesting it was. I was surprised to see a foundry but then this was a proper car manufacturing plant and not just an assembly plant. They probably made the engines there too.
I have had the pleasure of having a tour of Bentley's facilities in Crewe. Very different. I know the bodies are shipped in from Germany and the engine blocks too. But you really could eat your food of the floor!
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This series is a goldmine of previously unseen (by me anyway) quality footage, where did they manage to find it all!!??
I agree with just how huge the Ford factory was & & what we've lost - although I'm sure it's simply been replicated in the Pacific Rim areas, of the world, with Hyundai & Kia in giant letters outside their factories!!.
I just hope things are a lot safer as far as working practices go.
It does just show that sticking 2 fingers up at your employer doesn't work, in the long run!!
VB
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Indeed they did make engines there, they showed footage of the engine casting department and later on there was footage where workers appeared to be fitting the valves and rockers.
They still do make engines there, apparantly all of Ford Europes diesels are built there.
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They still do make engines there, apparantly all of Ford Europes diesels are built there.
Indeed they do make diesels engines there.
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I've just watched it on iPlayer. Brilliant programme.
Brought back memories for me as I grew up in Romford, a couple of miles from Dagenham and home to quite a few of the workforce. We had one neighbour, Fred, who worked in the foundry. His cars (fords obviously) got covered in the fall out from the chimneys and I recall him using acid of some sort to remove it. Another neighbour suffered industrial deafness and another was off sick so much he hardly had time to build an extension for another neighbour!
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Just watched it, first class. My favourite is the couple a few minutes in who recount their 1950s Ford Prefect-based romance. "It was like a biggest Cadillac in the world" she said, so impressed was she at this modern motoring marvel. Only when she looked back at a photo some years later she was struck by the fact that her beau literally dwarfed the rather small, cramped car and her memories of a big American inpspired road beast were smashed!
Also enjoyed reading others' experiences on this thread. Interesting topic.
Edited by FocusDriver on 06/03/2009 at 22:43
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Programs like this remind me why I think the TV licence is good value.
I never really thought about how cars were made before and this programme has made me think about it a lot.
Does anybody know where the Ford factory in Urmston was? I know there was one in Trafford Park when did that close? And where was the Urmston factory? I've been told the Urmston factory made Merlin engines for Rolls Royce in WW2 but the factory was owned and run by Ford.
Edited by Rattle on 06/03/2009 at 22:45
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I think a lot of car and other companies made equipment for the war effort in WW2. The list would be quite long.
I would think the Ford factory in Urmston/Trafford is one and the same. But nobody can give a post code as they weren't invented. If it was Trafford Park then it has been redeveloped I guess. They relocated from Trafford Park to Dagenham... and back for WW2.
And don't forget ford is always in Trafford and always will be.
Edited by rtj70 on 06/03/2009 at 23:01
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www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/67/a4628667.sh...l
A bit of insight Rattle.
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What remains of Ford in trafford park now? The only link I can see is the Quickco parts company (and a very nice reminder of Quicks, I am still annoyed that the name has been changed as Quicks as been the Ford dealer in the trafford area for generations).
I really should go to Trafford Park some time, I live just 1.5 miles away from it yet I have never really explored the place that much it is just all offices and warehouses from what I can tell now.
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>>What remains of Ford in trafford park now?
Nothing. They have nothing there. Yes there may be a Ford dealership. We're talking about a plant that built the model T and moved to Dagenham in 1931 and then during World War 2 opened another facility (albeit big) to build Rolls Royce Merlin engines under licence for use in Lancaster bombers etc.
They are not there anymore. And not much in Dagengham compared to what was there either. You saw the programme :-)
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Don't know who owns Quicks now but picked up a Mondeo company car from what was a Ford dealership which may be traced back to Quicks (Bramhall who became part of Pendragon) from Trafford Park. Did me and them a favour going to the compound.
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Just read the link, this is where i miss my Grandad as he knew a lot about the place.
From my understanding though the area where the Trafford centre now stands was green belt land which Peel developments bought in the mid 80's and planned to turn into a shopping centre.
I suppose the land could have been built on then pulled down turned back into greenland and then redeveloped. It would have most likely to known as Dumplington though and there is no references to this.
If the sources are correct that it employed 17,000 people then it must have been massive and its history seems to be largely forgotton about.
It sees the Redclyffe road explanation is the most likely. Its near the TC but not actually on the same bit of land.
Edited by Rattle on 06/03/2009 at 23:49
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Find some contemporary mapping - Ordnance Survey archives is a good place to start.
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I went all the way to Dagenham to look at a car once. Bought it too.
It was a Renault.
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I went all the way to Dagenham to look at a car once. Bought it too. It was a Renault.
And the cars for the London Olympics might be too.
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I honestly cannot remember what was on the land where the Trafford Centre is now before it was built! But do not think it was greenbelt. Drove past it on the M63 from 1995 onwards.*
* and for those about to say I am wrong it was the M63 until they completed the ring road and renamed the M63 and part of the M62 to become the M60.
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I understood it was some sort of urban farmland I too remember when it was being constructed, used to go passed it a lot on the 22 bus.
According to the TC's website it was farmland of some kind
"But, one 300 acre parcel of land remained agricultural into the 1980?s ? The Trafford Centre site. By 1987, Trafford Park?s general industrial fortunes were in such decline that the whole park was designated an Urban Development Area by the Government. This action acknowledged by statute that the Park?s regeneration should be secured as a matter of national priority."
Although it was probably more of a plant operation rather than rural farmland.
Sorry if this has gone slightly off topic but for those that don't know the area the Trafford Park area does directly link to Dagenham for reasons explained before.
Edit I am pretty sure it was the M63 until it reached M62 junction.
Edited by Rattle on 07/03/2009 at 00:07
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Edit I am pretty sure it was the M63 until it reached M62 junction.
M63 went from the M67 to the M62. It could be quicker many years ago to go around the M63 orbital than to use A roads where I live to get to say Leeds.
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