JOHNSON,S DYE WORKS

[lily8]

Bob what a fascinating booklet and not knowing the date even, one can see that the Johnson Coy must have been in the forefront of workers welfare and conditions. Just imagine a coy nowadays offering some of the things Johnson's did interest on savings of 6%, dental, hospital and convelscent care and a guarantee of a fixed wage to piece workers in slack times!!!!!!!! A real piece of social welfare history thanks Bob.




Lily

PS after saying that I really don't know if Johnson's were good or bad payers!!. Just noticed the date Doh!!!!

[JULIA ARROWSMITH]

My first wage in Johnsons at 15 was 3pnds 7/6 that was in 1965 gave me mum 2 and had 1.76 for my self thought i was rich. But it lasted so long

[BOBHAMO]

hi donny and lily, they looked after the workers then 1927 . bought the book of ebay , have a 1939 the bootleian magizine of bootle secondary school for boys if anyone wants to view it i will scan it , cant believe JULIA started work in 1965 , more like 1975 , bobhamo

[daveowe]

Hi Bob

The welfare of workers was a direct result of some of the major employers also having a strong religious family up bringing, however there were also more than enough unscrupulous ones.
Other local firms with a similar workers welfare ethic or criterion some even providing housing, Walkers Tannery, Hartleys, Bibby's, BAT and Lever Bros. Tate, Lyle and Criddle (all three becoming Tate & Lyles) These firms always offered subsidised substansive meal menus.

Dave

[maureen howell]

Did you know that Johnson's when they placed advertisments in the Echo used to add"NO Catholics need apply"soooooooooo it wasn't all roses was it?.It was prior to 1952,

[Ged]

Some Johnsons archive photos here.

http://blogs.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/p ... n-goi.html


.

[aggie]

My nan worked in Johnsons as a garment finisher. She retired in Nov 1963 and her photo is in The JB Journal. Mrs.M.Thomas anyone remember her?

[Norma]

I had a friend who worked in Johnsons, I don't know what department, her name is Marion Davies and she lived in Croxteth Road, which is nearby.

Does anyone remember her?


Norma

[jean eaton]

Aggie thanks for finding the thread about Johnsons Dye Works.Aggie is my niece for anyone who doesn't know.Mum{Molly Thomas} started working there about 1943, the same time I started at Linacre Lane school, she used to pick me up on her way home from work.She worked as a passer making sure the garments were up to snuff before leaving the floor.Lovely to see all the old photos of the old dye works. Must add her pension was so small it wouldn't have fed a bird.

[patricia redmond]

I worked in Johnson's office in 1944/46. and have lots of happy memories, learning to dance in the pavilion accross the road, even trying to learn to play hockey with the team.
One very sad memory is when Pat O'Connor he'd worked in the packing room then he got (I suppose it was promotion) to I think Firing the Boilers, but, he had a dreadful accident and was killed, it may have been early 1946. He was one of us young ones.
I worked in the Marking off office, Miss Fleetwood was in charge, she was a very kind person. from Pat nee Collins

[elmajo]

My Aunt Rose Larkin worked at Johnsons up to 1956 she was an invisible darner. She also used to make lots of dolls clothes for my dolls. She left when she got married and moved out of the area.

[alex]

My mum Marjorie (FEARON) worked at Johnsons in the lae 1940's early 1950's.

Sadly she passed away earlier this year.

Alex

[Eddy Lloyd]

Sorry to hear Alex.

[jean eaton]

Sorry for your loss Alex. My mum worked there the early 1940's til she retired.

[angrydocker]

Anyone remember a Cissy Miles, or Eidy Shepheard from Jono;s or the swimming club in the small pool at Bootle baths

[IRENE H]

I remember ediy shepard, she lived in mary road, & worked in the hat & glove dept, lovelly woman very hard working who loved her job
irene xx

[jean eaton]

Do any of you remember Molly Thomas, she was a passer?

Jean

[angrydocker]

I remember ediy shepard, she lived in mary road, & worked in the hat & glove dept, lovelly woman very hard working who loved her job
irene xx

Yes she was a lovely lady, Ciss I think lived in the same road worked there all her life, I think she was a trainer of some kind and worked on Hoffman presses.

[bluephil54]

Hiya Folks,
I worked in Johnsons......but in terms of some of your memories.......mine are fairly recent. I was a Driver from about 1978 through until about 1981,and had some really great times there with all the lads that worked there at that time. The wages weren't fabulous but to be honest I would have worked there for nowt cos we had such a laugh,and not just with the Drivers. I had a ball with all the girls in the factory. My Aunty worked in Johnsons from the time she left school until everyone got made redundant not so many years back. Her bestest friend in the world even to this very day, Irene Summers got her the job and my Aunty loved the place and the people in there. My Auntys' name is Elsie Napier (nee Musker),my Mums' younger sister,and she still lives just across the road from the Factory......anyone remember Elsie ?
Cheers Folks,Take Care & Be Good
Phil ( O'Grady)

[nicola jackson]

Hi my mum worked in Johnsons when she left school. Her name was maureen smith and she lived in croxteth rd with her mum Kitty and her brothers Freddy, kenneth and colin. she worked with her cousins wife to be at the time Kathleen Doran, unfortunately my mum died in 2003 but kathleen is still ok and married to frank gill. my mum used to talk very fondly and have great memories of working there. I think she worked in the pressing dept. My aunty ada (smith) also worked there she was alot older though. Ada moved to the south of england to live with her nephew colin and his wife collette.

[jean eaton]

Welcome Nicola to the forum and Happy Easter.Ask your aunt if she remembers Molly Thomas{my Mum}She inspected the clothes that the pressing dept. girls did.
Jean

[Bonesy]

Just got back to work today after being of for 2 weeks been feeling really rough. Anyway I'm painting the exterior of a house that was built by Johnson Brothers as their main residence, its on Foxhouse Lane, Maghull.
Thought it may be of interest. I will find out the year it was built later.



Keith

[jean eaton]

Bonesy hope you are feeling better. Nice looking house.
Jean

[PeterR]

Hi Everyone, I have just come across this thread about "Johnnos" again -I left comments about working there on another thread, I worked there from april 1949 to June 1951, in the recieving dept -Dougie Hale was the foreman, ast Foreman Mr Pearson, Jack Keeling was doing "Heavywork" assisted by "Lottie" Larry Oates used to do the carpet cleaning,Miss Webb was in charge of the girls doing the sorting -Mr Mc ? used to sit at a desk at the end of the room -dont know what he was supposed to be doing, Joe Condren who had been there for 45 Years was at the end of the conveyer, Jack Rimmer Was the railway man who unloaded the Railway lorries of boxes from Branches (He used to spend lunchtime in the Pacific) and He was usually very Narcky in the afternoon,Larry and Ralph done the "Running in" The lads I recall working there were Peter Dee (Bowles st) Eric Richards, Billy Wilmoth (Later Liverpool Police) Danny McCreadie.
At Lunch time we used play foot ball out in the street with a ball made of rags ,Brown paper and string,---My Cousin Vera Riley worked on the 5th floor She married a fellow named KEN from the french house --Theres a couple of names to recall -can any one add to them ?
Peter

[Brenda M]

Hi Peter - You sound like you are from my "era" always enjoy your posts. Yes, I remember Johnsons very as does everyone who lived in Bootle. I never worked there but knew lots of friends and neighbors who did. You mentioned Bill Wilmoth, he was in my class at Linacre School in the early 40s. Also Danny McCreadie, his sister Mary was a close friend who also worked there. Mary and I came to the U.S. around the same time - early 50s and remained friends until her passing seven years ago.
She also had some fond and funny memories of Johnsons........

Brenda M

[jean eaton]

My mum worked there 'Molly Thomas' around 1943/44

[Brenda M]

Peter - I have sent you an e-mail. Let me know if you have received it, there may be a problem.
Brenda M

[Patricia]

I had an Aunt Lucy (McBlain) Prestwich who worked at Johnsons, believe she was a Furrier? Know she had the most beautiful full length mink coat w/matching hat and quite a few different kinds of stoles which, I understood she had made - have no idea what became of them, as they never had children of their own.

[nicola jackson]

Hi my mum worked in Johnson's, her name was Maureen Smith, her cousin worked there too his name was Frank Gill and he married Kathleen Doran. Not sure if my aumty worked there too, her name was Lizzy Waterson but may have been called Lil for short, if my nan worked there and this is a long shot her name was Kitty Smith. My mum and nan lived in Croxteth Rd .

[jean eaton]

Summer holidays from school I would go down to Johnsons to meet my mum. The girls who worked in her department would look out the windows and sometimes throw me six pences. Mum worked there 'til she retired around 1963

[PeterR]

Hi my mum worked in Johnson's, her name was Maureen Smith, her cousin worked there too his name was Frank Gill and he married Kathleen Doran. Not sure if my aumty worked there too, her name was Lizzy Waterson but may have been called Lil for short, if my nan worked there and this is a long shot her name was Kitty Smith. My mum and nan lived in Croxteth Rd .

Yes, I remember Frank Gill, While I was at Johnsons March 1949 to April 1951 I recall He worked in the French House then if my memory serves me correctly He went on the vans ( night Job delivering to the shops) to me he was just another lad there and not that I was friends with him, but I can picture him in my minds eye .
Regards
Peterr

[GillNY]

Frank Gill was my uncle. The family used to call him ‘Nanky’ My dad, Jimmy Gill also worked in Johnsons. They were both in the footie team. He spoke about those times a lot. My nan was Alice Gill (Walmsley - Roby St.) (Paul Gill).

[PeterR]

If My memory serves me right Frank Gill played in goal we played in the sport ground across the road from Johnsons I was in the team too and Jack Keeling was the coach and Manager-He worked in "Carpet Receiving dept" I played in that team until one afternoon I had scored a goal -the ref disallowed it and I called him lots of names and I was sent off ! Well I was 16 at the time ---one has to have opinions .
Peter
.

[GillNY]

My dad - Jimmy Gill,played inside left and said Nanky - Frank Gill - was right footed and played on the right wing mostly. At some time, everyone who played footie was ‘stuck’ in goal against their will for some reason. . My dad was in the Joc and was scouted by Everton for a fews years. He was slightly too old apprently???? (Guess there’s no chance for me now at 56) Frank Gill was a welder on the Docks for quite a few years stress testing the anchors/chains and repairing damaged ships while they were in Liverpool offloading - my dad worked in Johnsons, Dewhurst, drove delivery vans to/from The Smoke, he worked at the Royal Liver Assurance, the Bootle Corporation (carpenter) and then in his own carpentry business. My parents emigrated to the US/Virginia in 2000. He got a part time carpenters job at the Crown Plaza in Richmond. Nanky and Kathleen retiree and moved up to Thornton by the Nags Head. Crazy world.

[Dan]

Regards

Dan