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INTAL, Watery Street circa 1958-60


Guest Old Canny Street Kid

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

I wonder whether anyone who worked at the Watery Street branch of the International Twist Drill Company is still around. I worked there for a time in the late 1950s when Tony Neill was the sales manager. Among my colleagues were Harry Levitt and Harry Truelove.

The telephonist at the Claywheels Lane site was Christine Kilner.

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I wonder whether anyone who worked at the Watery Street branch of the International Twist Drill Company is still around. I worked there for a time in the late 1950s when Tony Neill was the sales manager. Among my colleagues were Harry Levitt and Harry Truelove.

The telephonist at the Claywheels Lane site was Christine Kilner.

I remember tagging along with my friend when she went to ask for a job there in the early 60s.

She was told to report to the office first thing Monday morning then the foreman turned to me

and asked me if I wanted a job, I could start Monday morning. I had to tell him I was only 14 and

hadn't left school yet.

That's how easy it was to get a job then, none of this fiilling forms in,CVs and waiting weeks for

an answer.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

There's Twist Drill below the houses, Watery Street.

In the late 1950s the foreman in the warehouse was a little chap called Percy. I can't remember his surname, but he was a bit of a character. His sidekick was a great chap called lol Dyson, who often walked about with a cig in his mouth. I know lol lived on Parson Cross, and he died a few years ago.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

In the late 1950s the foreman in the warehouse was a little chap called Percy. I can't remember his surname, but he was a bit of a character. His sidekick was a great chap called lol Dyson, who often walked about with a cig in his mouth. I know lol lived on Parson Cross, and he died a few years ago.

The last time I checked, Harry Truelove was living in Bridlington. In fact, he moved to Bridlington many years ago. When Harry moved out of one of the offices at Intal, he was succeeded by a lad called George Vaughan. George came from Unstone, where his parents kept a pub, and he was a rare character. He used to sign himself "George Vaughan II" because he was the second George in his family! I vaguely recollect that after George left, a lad called Bryan Moss took his job.

I remember a Brenda Lowery in the main office, also a Duggie Gyte and a John Forrest. John Forrest emigrated to South Africa. The telephonist at W St was Madge Gill.

The main man at Watery Street was Tony Neill, the sales manager. His sidekick was a chap called Swallow. There was a director based at W St called Schindler, but the top man was a guy called Shuttleworth. However, I think Shuttleworth spent most of his time at the Claywheels Lane site, where Intal had a link of some kind with a firm called the Pickford Tool Company. Top man at the PTC was Bill Crookes.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

The last time I checked, Harry Truelove was living in Bridlington. In fact, he moved to Bridlington many years ago. When Harry moved out of one of the offices at Intal, he was succeeded by a lad called George Vaughan. George came from Unstone, where his parents kept a pub, and he was a rare character. He used to sign himself "George Vaughan II" because he was the second George in his family! I vaguely recollect that after George left, a lad called Bryan Moss took his job.

I remember a Brenda Lowery in the main office, also a Duggie Gyte and a John Forrest. John Forrest emigrated to South Africa. The telephonist at W St was Madge Gill.

The main man at Watery Street was Tony Neill, the sales manager. His sidekick was a chap called Swallow. There was a director based at W St called Schindler, but the top man was a guy called Shuttleworth. However, I think Shuttleworth spent most of his time at the Claywheels Lane site, where Intal had a link of some kind with a firm called the Pickford Tool Company. Top man at the PTC was Bill Crookes.

I thought someone might have known of what became of Tony Neill, for he was well known in the local tools industry --and he was a good guy. Popular in the trade. Thick-set with one of those old near-middle partings rather like the old pre-war footballers. He knew his stuff, and I heard one or two people from rival firms speak highly of Tony in later years. As I have said already, Tony's sidekick or assistant was a lad called Swallow. I would have thought that he stayed in the tools industry long after the Neill era, for he was quite young in the late 1950s.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

I thought someone might have known of what became of Tony Neill, for he was well known in the local tools industry --and he was a good guy. Popular in the trade. Thick-set with one of those old near-middle partings rather like the old pre-war footballers. He knew his stuff, and I heard one or two people from rival firms speak highly of Tony in later years. As I have said already, Tony's sidekick or assistant was a lad called Swallow. I would have thought that he stayed in the tools industry long after the Neill era, for he was quite young in the late 1950s.

The telephonist at Watery Street was a woman called Madge Gill, who, I believe, lived in the Wadsley Bridge area. Of course, we are talking about 50 years ago.

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The telephonist at Watery Street was a woman called Madge Gill, who, I believe, lived in the Wadsley Bridge area. Of course, we are talking about 50 years ago.

Madge was, of course, very friendly with the telephonist at the Claywheels Lane branch of Intal (Pickford Tool), a young woman called Christine Kilner, who also lived in the Wadsley Bridge area. And, by the way, I think the wife of Bobby Howitt, the Sheffield United footballer, had a spell as a typist at Watery Street.

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Guest Old Canny Street Kid

I wonder whether anyone who worked at the Watery Street branch of the International Twist Drill Company is still around. I worked there for a time in the late 1950s when Tony Neill was the sales manager. Among my colleagues were Harry Levitt and Harry Truelove.

Harry Truelove was living in Bridlington the last time I heard from him. Sadly, Harry Levett died some years ago.

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