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RNewman

Re: Aristoc
replied on: 12/13/2002 11:36:47 AM

My Dad worked in the despatch department at Aristoc for many years (I've got the gold watch he got for 44 years service)until being made redundant in about 1972. I believe he moved up from London when Aristoc took over Arbers, he was friends with a son one of the senior management (having "swept the floor together" when they were both lads and the Directors son was working his way up though the business and moved to Langley Mill when he did. I know he was quite upset when Courtaulds took over Aristoc.

We lived on Thompson Street so Aristoc was a constant background to our lives. Some of my earliest memories are of standing on the pedestrian railway bridge watching the new factory being built (I seem to remember that Chris Variavas dad was one of the architects?).

I also remember the big diesel generator sets in the basement under one of the buildings and my dads amusment when a couple of years after the generators had been removed Aristoc were put on a three day week during the miners strike.

Aristoc also used to have its own internal Fire Brigade with a couple of trailer pumps based in one of the garages that fronted on to North Street, I used to go and watch them practice as my dad was involved in it in some way.

Another early memory was of having yards of rubberised fabric in the house, left over from when Aristoc used to make Barrage Balloons and inflatable dingies during the war

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