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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => London & Middlesex Lookup Requests => London and Middlesex => England => London & Middlesex Completed Lookup Requests => Topic started by: FredRogers on Thursday 05 March 09 13:16 GMT (UK)
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I have got my Dads apprenticeship paperwork He served his time with Simms Motor Units Limited in the 50s.He was based in Falconar??Street Newcastle but also spent time in East Finchley where it seems the company was based .Does anyone know much about this garage or the area it was.
Thank You
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Hi Fred
Try this link. They have a lot of info on Frederick Richard Simms the founder of the company and a mention of their Finchley garage.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Simms
This link shows some papers of Frederick R Simms.
http://www.royalautomobileclub.co.uk/archive/archive_navmain5.asp?groupid=13&t=subsub
Ben
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Thanks for the info.
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Hello Fred,
My name is Jerry Jameel. Currently I live in USA. In my younger days, I worked at Sim ms Motor Units in Oak Lane, East Finchley. I worked there from 1955 until 1964. I worked there as a Lab assistant and then as a designer of starter motors. Sim ms Motor Units was my first job in England after arriving from India in 1955.
Sim ms was not a garage. It was a sizeable company employing some 3 hundred people. We designed, developed and manufactured electrical and fuel injection equipment for cars and trucks. The electrical division was bought by US Ford in1962 or so and the fuel injection division was bought by Joey Lucas of Birmingham.
If your dad worked at the East Finchley plant, then I must have known him because I knew almost everyone who worked there in the labs or offices.
For many years I have been trying to contact my colleagues at Sim ms but did not have much luck. Will be delighted to know if you know any.
Jerry
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I was working at Simms Motor Units on the Diesel Fuel Injection side and retired in the USA
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Hi I worked for Simms Motor units fro 1960-1979 First in Glasgow which was the first branch outside london.I work in oak lane in 1963-1964,and my wife Nancy work in Accounts in the grange. We lived in Church Lane and frequented the Tally HO bar in North Finchley,our oldest sun was born in Barnet Hospital.
I returned to Glasgow for a short time and then manager at Simms in kempston Bedford.some seven years later I took over the Glasgow branch but left in 1979 to pursue other carreer.
There is a book " ACCELERATION" Simms development in this age of progress1891 to 1964 published by Newman Neame LTD Fritzroy Square London.
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Thank You Cascera and Tommy Lawton for the information.I have not been on rootschat for ages so I apologise for not responding earlier.
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Hi, I am a new member and only found this web page when searching for Sims Motor Units in the general Google search.
I also worked for Sims ( as it was in those days) starting in the Sheffield depot in 1960 as a diesel injector trainee repairer under Manager George Paget and worked my way upwards to the Diesel Chargehand and then overall chargehand, (*) Cowling took over when George Paget died and shortly afterward In 1965 I moved to a as yet new unopened depot at West Molesey as the Workshop Superintendent under (*) Hughes, and due it's close location to the HQ at Boreham Wood soon got to know (*) Duncombe Manager at Boreham Wood, (*) Broom Director and the redoubtable (*) Bell the branch controller. I am sure Tommy Lawton will have know all these men. Later I became the depot manger at West Molesey and then L.S.U.K took over, finally under 'rationalisation' as they called it with too many depots in the same area West Molesey was closed . I moved eventually to CAV as an area team member, and finally was made redundant as they 'rationised' CAV and got rid of all the teams in the late 1980's ! While at Sheffield I had (*) Fenton working with me in the diesel shop, he took over the Bedford depot when Tommy Lawton moved on. small world !
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Hi there,
I worked at Simms Motor Units Ltd from 1955 to 1960 as a plant layout apprentice in the engineering office in East Finchley.
I've always wondered what happened to a friend that I had there. His name was (*) Munsen and he was another apprentice. He stayed on after I left in 1960. He lived in Enfield. My boss was (*) Jacobs.
It would be great to know if anyone knows what happened to him and where he might be now.
I'm married and living in Herts.
Many thanks
Peter Diggins
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Hi Peter & Ken
Welcome to Rootschat ;D
As we have a 'no living people' policy here on Rootschat, I have had to edit some of the details you both posted.
However, if anyone who has already contributed to the topic reads your posts and recognises the surnames, I'm sure they will come back and let you know.
If you are looking to re-establish old acquaintances, the sites such as Friends Re-united would be a more appropriate place to post.
Dawn
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Hi Fred
I worked at Simms Mtrs in Falconer street which was next to the Forth Goods Yard in Newcastle I think the building is still there.
i started there in 1962 as a sales rep, the manager was a Mr John Fothergill he was a real terror.
it had a large Auto Electrical and Diesel depts plus stores and office staff in total about fifty staff
We had a great Xmas party every year when the m/d Mr Jimmy Bell and other branch managers got very merry
I left in 1971 to manage a branch in Sunderland for Chloride Gaedor
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would anyone remember Frank Zablocki? He worked at Simms , London. I am trying to find someone who knew him.
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Hi valyeates
Welcome back ;D
According to the GRO death index his death was registered in Eastbourne in 2006.
Dawn
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My grandfather Fred Mitchell worked at Simms in East Finchley from 1940 until his death at only age 60, in December 1963. He actually passed away on site at Oak Lane.
Does anyone remember him? Or does anytone have any old photographs of the Simms plant?
I'd be very happy to hear from you.
Regards,
Paul Mitchell
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Hi Paul
Welcome to Rootschat ;D
There have been several replies on this topic but once posted, those who have don't seem to return.
Each would have received an email notification of a reply but only for the 1st one after their post. There woud be no further notifications until they come back and read the topic.
If you stay with Rootschat and increase your post count you could try sending a personal message to people. They may not be able to reply if their post count isn't 2 or above.
Sorry not to be most positive for you.
Dawn
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Simms Motor Unit was a large factory in Oak Lane, East Finchley, not far from the North Circular Road when I started there in 1957 as an apprentice
Many hundreds of people worked there
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Thanks for all the lovely replies ...Sadly my Dad now has advanced stages of Alziemers so I can no longer share these stories with him .I am very grateful for the time you have spent to reply .I have been a rare visitor to Roots Chat of late due to other circumstances so apologies in the delay of a response .
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Hi, Hi thought I should add my short experience with the Simms Company. I joined Simms at Athol St Liverpool in 1969 as an apprentice in the fuel injection workshop. Ron Rawsthorn and George Downey were me mentors. In 1970 together with another apprentice Joe Burns we were sent to Oak Lane Finchley on apprentice training, we stayed with a family at Moss Hall Grove, Finchley.
On our first visit to The Oak Lane Factory I remember seeing a fountain in the shape of an injection nozzle, we were given a tour of the factory and saw the various departments of design and testing. Later we were taken to a separate site where the apprentices were trained, we were made very welcome by the lads and were invited for an evening drink at the local which I think was The Green Man! Whilst at Finchley we were conveyed to the various Simms/Lucas plants by a young woman who drove a Saab car. The whole experience was impressive and well planned.
I was at Athol St until we were amalgamated into LSUK and moved to the larger branch in Edge Lane ,Liverpool in 1974. I spent the next few years there until I moved to LSUK Birkenhead as workshop manager in 78. Lucas's stature as a major player in the motor industry began to diminish in the late 70s, LSUK also had a surplus of branches on Merseyside having also taken Globe and Simpson into the group and Birkenhead branch was closed in 1980 ,I along with the rest of the staff were made redundant.
I look back on my time with Simms/LSUK with fondness having met and shared time with some great people who I have now lost touch with. If anyone can relate to anything in this brief story it would be good if you could make your addition to this site. Mike Kenny
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Hello All
My nan (Phyllis Brock nee Caton) worked at SIMMS Motor Units in the 1940's. She was part of the work band that played in the canteen. There were 2 singers, my nan and another girl. There was a chap on the drums and two men on brass instruments. At weekends, they would go to the local parks (bandstands) to play.
She worked at one time as a Coil Winder for the airplane engine part. She then worked as an examiner to inspect items were correct. That's how she met the band leader, as he worked in one of the rooms nearby. He heard nan sing (as she was singing away while working) and asked if she would join in.
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My dad, Bert (Albert) Curtis, worked at Simms Motor Units, East Finchley as a Progress Chaser from about 1948 to 1968.
I remember the coach trips out that were organised to the bulb fields and other places in the summer. The Flower & Vegetable shows where he used to enter veg from his allotment and I think there were children's Christmas parties.
I remember the particular grease/oil smell on his brown overalls and being told to be careful as there were bits of metal in the pockets. Eventually I was even allowed to iron them!! We lived only a couple of hundred yards away from the factory.
I think my granddad, James Booth, also worked there as a night watchman but not sure of the dates.
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Hello.
I do not know if anyone can help me.. I have purchased a Simms Voltage Regulator and I am trying to work out how to wire it up as it has now numbers on and I cannot find a wiring diagram anywhere.. It is a EG-1273.
Any help would be highly appreciated.
Kind Regards
Gemma