In this section you will find a collection of memories gathered from the men and women who worked in Frome’s industries. These industries include firms such as Beswicks, Benchairs, Butler and Tanner, and Singer’s.
INDUSTRIAL MEMORIES
Working Memories location map of main industries
If you are interested in finding out where some of the main industries of Frome were located in the town, please see our map
Sylvia Austin looks back at her time at Wallington Weston
Sylvia Austin talks about her time at the Wallington Weston factory and describes working in the company's busy tile department
Trevor Biggs remembers his work at the Wallington Weston plant
Trevor Biggs talks about his time at Wallington Weston and how he became active in the social club and in the trade union
Russell Milne talks about working as a printer at Butler and Tanner
Russell Milne discusses working life and practices in the printing firm of Butler and Tanner, and remembers his boss, Joe Tanner
Stuart North remembers the sale of the Butler and Tanner printing works
Stuart North discusses the sale of the Frome-based printing firm, Butler and Tanner, and recalls how mass redundancies resulted in a march through Frome
Ron Stone talks about Butler and Tanner and the Tanner Family
Ron Stone discusses life at the Butler and Tanner print works in Frome. He talks about his work there, and the Tanner family
Ron and Pete Stone talk about their time at Butler and Tanner
Father and son, Ron and Pete Stone talk about their working time at Butler and Tanner, where it was common for several generations to work together
Stuart North remembers Butler and Tanner, and Butler, Tanner and Dennis
Stuart North talks about his work at the printing firm, Butler and Tanner, and how the company later became Butler, Tanner and Dennis
Muriel Chapman talks about her time at the Butler and Tanner Print Works
Muriel Chapman looks back at her time at Butler and Tanner where she started work in 1929 and was employed in the bindery departement
John Stocker discusses working life at Cockey's Iron Works
John Stocker looks back to his working time at Cockey's Iron Works and tells how his father drove the crane that poured red hot metal into the casts
Georgina Phillips talks about working for Cuprinol in Frome
Georgina Phillips started working for Roads Reconstruction but then had a family. When her son was ten she went to work for Cuprinol
Allan Fairhurst tells us about the years he spent working at Ellenbray Press
Allan Fairhurst tells us of his work at Bray's Press which later became Ellenbray Press and is now a well-known shop in the centre of Frome
Cliff Ellis talks about the early days of the printing firm D.R. Hillman and Co
Cliff Ellis describes his mother's work for Hillman's and tells how Donald Hillman expanded the business over time
Ian Spearing recalls his work with Hodder and Sons in Frome
Ian Spearing talks about his carpentry and joinery training with Hodder and Sons where he learnt skills which included coffin making and coach building
Daisy Bane talks about her employment at Houston's on Houston Way
Daisy Bane remembers how she enjoyed her work as a young employee at Houston's cloth mill, where her job was to set up the looms
Jim Wykes looks back at his working life with Nott's Industries
Jim Wykes remembers Nott's Industries at Merchants Barton in Frome, where he started as an toolmaker. Nott's manufactured Carley floats
Ray Trowbridge discusses his work in the local building trade
Ray Trowbridge tells us about his apprenticeship at Parsons in Trowbridge and working at Wallington Weston, before starting out on his own
Jim Garrett looks back over his working life at Singer's
Jim Garrett recalls his apprenticeship and career with Singer's in Frome and the improvements in pay and working conditions over that time
Richard Withey recalls his time at the Singer's foundry in Waterloo, Frome
Richard Withey worked at Singer's like the two generations of his family before him. He describes how he started as a toolroom apprentice
Rodney Clarke and Robert Latchem talk about Singer's in Frome
Both Rodney Clarke and Robert Latchem started at Singer's in the 1950's as trainee draughtsmen. Here, they tell us about their working lives
Simon Giles discusses his career with Singer's and Tyco
Simon Giles recalls how he started work at Singer's in Frome and then moved to the Marston Trading Estate with the successor company, Tyco
Steve Francis talks about his working life at Singer's in Frome
Steve Francis started work as an apprentice in the toolroom, then trained in the drawing office before becoming a senior design engineer
Rodney Clarke recalls driving lorries for Express Dairies
Rodney Clarke talks to us about his time driving lorries, firstly for Express Dairies and then later for English China Clays
Ron White talks about the taxi service he began in Frome
Ron White talks to us about how he set up and ran a taxi service from the Lamb and Fountain public house in Castle Street, Frome
Freda Henly remembers working for Wallington Weston
Freda Henly was born in Milk Street in Frome. In this video, she discusses her working life at Wallington Weston when the firm was at Adderwell
Bill Ellis discusses his time at Wessex Engineering in Frome
Bill Ellis talks about his working life at Wessex Engineering in Frome and tells how he later went on to run a hardware store
Gerald Franks talks about being an apprentice with Butler and Tanner
Gerald Franks talks about his work at the Butler and Tanner printing works and describes how he completed his apprenticeship
Gerald Franks explains the printing process at Butler and Tanner
Gerald Franks talks about his working life at the Butler and Tanner print works and recalls the stages involved in getting a book to print
Gerald Franks discusses the unions at Butler and Tanner
Gerald Franks talks about unions and describes some of the working practices at Butler and Tanner during his time with the firm
Dorothy Hawker remembers her time at Butler and Tanner
Dorothy Hawker left school at 15 and went to work at the Butler and Tanner print works. She worked there until she was 20, when she left to bring up her son
Val Humphries remembers her career at Benchairs
Val Humphries talks about Benchairs, the sites it used in Frome, and the jobs she did over the 29 years she worked for the firm
Robert Hawker looks back at his working life as a Frome carpenter
Robert Hawker tells us about his varied career, from being an apprentice carpenter at Hodder's, to his national service and later jobs
Paul Truscott talks about his working life in the carpentry business
Paul Truscott remembers learning the carpentry trade while working for his uncle and recalls his later employment with DJ Kelly Ltd
John Stocker discusses his working life at Benchairs
John Stocker describes how he used to load and unload chairs at the various Benchairs depots around Frome, including the Cheese and Grain
Joan Smith looks back at her work with Beswick's Fuses
Joan Smith remembers being part of the mostly female workforce at Beswick's Fuses and describes how she soldered, wired and capped the fuses
Ian Spearing remembers his time working at Beswick's Fuses
Ian Spearing discusses the relationship between management and workers at Beswick's Fuses and talks about the layout of the factory and security
Gloria Wingrove discusses her experience of working for Beswick's
Gloria Wingrove talks about Beswick's Fuses and the changes that took place when the U.S. firm, Bussmann, took the company over
Dawn Chapman talks about her working life at Beswick's
Dawn Chapman talks about her long career at Beswick's and recalls how she started on the shop floor and progressed to a supervisory role
