https://www.threetowners.net/forum/

Way off topic but the beresford is probably my favourite building in Glasgow.

Thanks for the Nobel House info Exile.

I never worked at Ardeer but I do have an interest in large Industrial complexes, particularly one so close to home.

Mitchy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:52 pm I never worked at Ardeer but I do have an interest in large Industrial complexes, particularly one so close to home.

Mitchy, It certainly was a big & complicated site at 14 miles around the perimeter fence, and I knew people who had never met workmates they phoned daily - even after 20 years. If this 1980s film workforce was still there, they'd be taking home £60-70 million a year, so the sheer size of that loss to the 3Ts and NA economy is depressingly clear.

[/quote]
If this 1980s film workforce was still there, they'd be taking home £60-70 million a year, so the sheer size of that loss to the 3Ts and NA economy is depressingly clear.
[/quote]

Hi Exile,
if anything puts our current situation in NA in context, this is it.
JD.

Yep. That is what I said earlier on (I think?) ..what Stevenston could have been. Alas.....

exile wrote: ↑Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:17 am

Mitchy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:52 pm I never worked at Ardeer but I do have an interest in large Industrial complexes, particularly one so close to home.

Mitchy, It certainly was a big & complicated site at 14 miles around the perimeter fence, and I knew people who had never met workmates they phoned daily - even after 20 years. If this 1980s film workforce was still there, they'd be taking home £60-70 million a year, so the sheer size of that loss to the 3Ts and NA economy is depressingly clear.

Exile, I was brought up in Saltcoats and every 2nd person seemed to work at Ardeer. You are right about the effect on the local economy and all the other problems high unemployment brings to communities. ICI seemed able to offer employment to people of all levels of skills and abilities and the lack of such an industry means no hope for many in the community in terms of ever being able to gain decent employment. A similar comparison would be the demise of the shipyards in Greenock and Port Glasgow in the 1980's, and the effect that had. I'm guessing the demise of deep mining in the UK and elsewhere had a profound effect on Ardeer.

[quote=Mitchy post_id=154628 time=1499710996 user_id=218]
I hope the link works. These buildings, which still stand to this day, are fairly close to the Factory entrance. I always assumed they were offices, but I recall being told they were laboratories.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@55.62587 ... 312!8i6656
[/quote]

These buildings have all been demolished now

,,

Mitchy wrote: ↑Wed Jul 12, 2017 5:55 pm

exile wrote: ↑Wed Jul 12, 2017 11:17 am

Mitchy wrote: ↑Tue Jul 11, 2017 7:52 pm I never worked at Ardeer but I do have an interest in large Industrial complexes, particularly one so close to home.

Mitchy, It certainly was a big & complicated site at 14 miles around the perimeter fence, and I knew people who had never met workmates they phoned daily - even after 20 years. If this 1980s film workforce was still there, they'd be taking home £60-70 million a year, so the sheer size of that loss to the 3Ts and NA economy is depressingly clear.

Exile, I was brought up in Saltcoats and every 2nd person seemed to work at Ardeer. You are right about the effect on the local economy and all the other problems high unemployment brings to communities. ICI seemed able to offer employment to people of all levels of skills and abilities and the lack of such an industry means no hope for many in the community in terms of ever being able to gain decent employment. A similar comparison would be the demise of the shipyards in Greenock and Port Glasgow in the 1980's, and the effect that had. I'm guessing the demise of deep mining in the UK and elsewhere had a profound effect on Ardeer.

There were a good many who caused the demolition of the area, a good many who may or not profited out of it.
Margaret Thatcher was never going to suffer the indignity of Ted Heath in the early 70s, from unions.
But don't forget that Unions were the cause of trouble for the workforce ( and additional development)
ICI made a promise to the people of the area, and as many still alive know fine it was reneged on

If you look at the redevelopment of JP Coats Anchor Mill in Paisley,
https://www.princes-regeneration.org/pr ... ll-paisley

And imagine

If I remember 3 potential councillors spoke up for redevelopment, and they were not party members and were all doing it differently BUT the ideas worked well together

Just downloaded this documentary & several other related films about the place from You Tube - to be watched later. I had an Ultra Fast Fibre Broadband connection installed in April this year so these downloads didn't take long.

Mum would certainly have been very interested in these films as she worked at Ardeer from 1938 until she & Dad got married in 1947. After leaving school in 1928 she spent 10 years in domestic service as a cook for the Cowie family before moving onto Ardeer. I think Mr. Cowie had some management position at Ardeer. I don't know yet what period ths documentary covers & whether any of those seen in it were there in Mum's time.

At Ardeer Mum initially worked in the office & I've a certificate in the family archives confirming her promotion to Staff Grade. However she moved on eventually to take charge of one of the staff canteens where she remained until marriage in 1947 at which point she received a beautiful clock from her fellow workers. The clock's long gone though - broke down & couldn't be fixed. In the Canteen position, workers from other parts of the factory sometimes bypassed the Canteen in their own area & came to Mum's as they got bigger helpings - that being a tendency that carried over to life at home & possibly my "see food" diet.

Mum also mentioned that when German bombs struck during WW2 there was a terrific stench of leather or burning rubber. She passed away in 2001 & would have been 104 this year.