David Hardill of Yate Heritage Centre looks at the history of workplace dances, clubs and Christmas parties.
THIS month Yate Heritage Centre presents Work and Play: The Factory Way – a new exhibition that celebrates the rich social lives of the Station Road factory workforce.
The Beko Europe site, which closes at the end of December, opened in 1917 as No 3 Western Aircraft Repair Depot, and has since been known as Parnall’s, Jackson’s, Creda, GDA, Indesit, Merloni and Whirlpool.
The exhibition is now open and runs until February 1 next year, featuring a range of photographs, artefacts and oral history recordings.
Together they tell the stories of the people who worked and socialised at the factory, alongside their families and friends, who fondly remember the sports clubs, dances, birthday parties, skittle tournaments and kids’ Christmas lunches!
Do you have a story to tell, photographs, or items that capture memories of the factory’s social scene? Contact our team at Yate Heritage Centre and help us celebrate the generations of people who worked at the factory during its 107-year lifetime.
You can email us at info@yateheritage.co.uk or call 01454 862200.
Factory parties
One theme of the exhibition is parties at the factory, a fitting subject for the time of year when work Christmas parties are getting underway.
In its guise as Parnall’s (1945-67) or Jackson’s (1967-1982), the factory employed far more people, which dictated how holidays were celebrated.
Parnall (Yate) employed up to 2,000 people during the late 1950s and 1960s. Each department of the factory organised their own entertainment.
The toolroom had its own parties and arranged an annual night out at the Top Rank in Bristol in the 1960s.
Pub trips interrupted
With the Railway pub close at hand, trips to the nearest hostelry were frequent. In the week running up to Christmas, the Railway was invariably packed at lunchtime, so it was avoided by many people.
Nevertheless, for those that did go, Joan Groves recalled that it was not unknown for senior staff to press-gang employees back to the factory if production targets were not being met.
A factory tradition in December was to enjoy food together on Christmas Eve. Food was often brought in on trolleys and shared out among staff at their workbenches. This often marked the end of work before the bank holidays began.
The post-war factory culture was arguably more paternalistic than in later years. There was a strong tradition of providing Christmas gifts for staff.
However, this did depend upon the firm’s profits. During the 1970s Joan Groves recalls Jackson’s providing a food hamper for employees in the motor winding shop. During a downturn this was reduced to free washing powder or mini gin bottles from Holland.
By the 1970s, Jackson’s had begun to provide more social and holiday activities for its staff and families. The Newman’s social club had paved the way for this in past decades.
Increasingly, Christmas activities at Jackson’s took place in the old canteen, and an annual party for Jackson’s children was the norm during the 1970s.
By 1976 the factory finally had its own social club, which took on the mantle of organising family events. In the early years, many children of staff could also enjoy a trip to Bristol to see one of the big pantomimes.
If you want to know more about these social celebrations or to see our extensive historic collections, pay a visit to Yate Heritage Centre.
Yate Heritage Centre is part of Yate Town Council.
It is open from 10am to 4pm on Tuesday–Thursday, and 10am to 3pm on Saturday
Top picture: A Parnall outing to Top Rank Bristol, Christmas 1964.
Diary dates
Until February 1: Work & Play – The Factory Way. Marking the end of the Station Road factory site in Yate.
December 7, 10.30am-12.30pm: YHC Friends Coffee Morning.
December 10, 6-7pm: Carols on the Green accompanied by St Mary’s School Choir and Church.