Former car/welly boot factory

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tumble112

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Greater Unthank
This factory was built in 1913 for the Arrol Johnston Motor Company. Designed by Albert Kahn, who also designed Ford's Highland Park factory, it was the first factory in Britain constructed of Ferro Concrete.
By the late 1920's the company was in financial difficulties and merged with Aster of Wembley to become Arrol-Aster.
Despite winning the contract to reconstruct Malcolm Campbell's Blue Bird III in 1929, financial difficulties soon forced the firm into administration and production ceased in 1931.
The building was used again by the Air Ministry in WWII. In 1946 the factory was taken over by the North British Rubber Company who specialised in compound rubber and fractioned fabric manufacture. Production of the famous Hunter boot began here in the 1950s.
In 1966 the firm was bought by Uniroyal. It received a Royal Warrant from The Duke of Edinburgh in 1976 and The Queen in 1986, the year in which ownership changed again to the Gates Rubber Company of Colorado.
In 1996 Tomkins Plc took over and in 1999 sold the factory to Interfloor, the country's largest underlay manufacturer.
2004 saw a management buy out but two years later the company went into administration. Underlay manufacture went to the firms plant in Lancashire and boot production went to China.
The tooling from the factory is used in Serbia by Tigar Footware.
The factory featured in the children's tv show Come Outside in the 1990s.

Hope you're still here! Now the pics, more here https://www.flickr.com/photos/107793356@N06/sets/72157648798949659/

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In the factory's heyday
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The main factory gate today.....


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And in 1929 with Blue Bird III sitting outside. Complete with its 24 litre Napier Lion aero engine on show...

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Thanks for looking :)
 
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Really enjoyed that..loved the buzby sticker.how many years since he was around..thank you for sharing.
 
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