6.  The Works

Soon after the war of 1939-45 it was a time to rebuild shattered cities.  Plymouth, Coventry, Bristol, Liverpool, many others too had received the attention of the Luftwaffe over the war years.  Everything that was not needed for the war effort was now in short supply.  Houses were scarce, with returning service men and women having to share an already crowded household.  Gibbons were now in a position to take the advantage of producing builder’s hardware.  So the fifties, sixties and early seventies saw the demolition of much of the old factory. 

The factory (decorated for the Coronation in 1953), looking up Church Lane to the Birmingham New Road.  On the right was a row of small cottages most of which had become small workshops.  At the top of Church Lane, just before some shops, some of these had been acquired by Gibbons and was turned into the Art Metal Department.

The old back to back cottages, that had been in use as workshops, and "Fox's warehouse" were built over.  The name Fox's warehouse was from the old chap who had been in charge for so many years.  Harry Fox lived on by name long after he passed away.  During the demolition long hand-forged nails, that had held the beams together, were found all over the place, some as long as nine inches with a forged twist in them for extra hold, coins and bits of long years of forgotten patterns were found, then thrown away as scrap. 

The large retail complex of St Johns Retail Park now stands on the site of this once proud business, whose products, with those of other long gone factories, made Wolverhampton famous. Just a small part still exists at the bottom of what was once Nelson Street.  This was the transport and despatch department, once the domain of one Harry Sharples, the manager, who worked all of his life for Gibbons.  This last part of the factory complex was known as Star Works as it was the birth place of the “Star” motor car, another product of class and pride from the area, and now pictured on a nearby wall.  

Soon an extra floor of offices was erected over the frontages of Church Lane, then a second floor, then the last of the development: a massive plating and anodizing shop on the corner of Church Lane and the Birmingham New Road.  The new ring road saw the facade of James Gibbons come into prominence as the old houses and small industrial units, including the Art Metal Department, were demolished.  

The plating and anodizing shop, on the corner of what had become the Ring Road and Birmingham New Road. St. John's Retail Park, now stands on this site.

All sorts of specialised equipment was needed for the wide range of Gibbons products.  This is a test rig which simulated gales of up to 90 mph, to test the effect of wind and rain on Gibbons' windows.

Fortunately a photograph, assembled from two parts, was taken of the factory from the top of St John’s Church.  A great part of the area around and beyond is revealed in this most important picture of what was once Britain’s oldest lock factory, which had had its tri-centenary celebrations many years before it eventually closed and the area was re-developed.   

There is an interesting story that showed the ineptitude of the local council.  Between the factory in Church Lane ran other factories and units.  In Nelson Street gates were erected at both ends during the war, though opened each day as a right of way.  Soon the street was incorporated into the factory complex as Gibbons purchased the small factories on the right of the road and developed service units across the street until it was all Gibbons, with no one noticing that Wolverhampton had lost a Street. All of this area is now the St John’s Retail Park bordering on the Ring Road.

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