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Welcome

Westwood Works 1903-2003

Site Index

100 years of life at Westwood Works.

How it Was - SITE DEVELOPMENT

History – Development of the site over nearly 100 years.

• Time Line – The Company from the beginning to the present day.
• Key dates.

Westwood Pre-1904 – Before Westwood Works came into being.

How it Started – From tiny acorns.

The Westwood Works Culture – The secret of the Company's success.

Outside Views – Photographs from the first buildings to demolition in 2003.

• 100 years of Westwood Works – How the site developed.
• Outside views
• Construction of the Multi-storey Office Blocks.
• Westwood Works Site Plans.

Life at Westwood Works – Life inside the Factory and Offices.

In the factory:

• 1900-1969
• 1970-1979
• 1980-1989
• 1990 onwards.

In the Offices:

• 1900-1969
• 1970-1979
• 1980-1989
• 1990 onwards.

An Artist in the Family – Drawings by Rudolph Ihlee of life inside the factory.

The Great Fire – The great Factory fire of 1922.

• The Great Fire.
• After the Great Fire.

Westwood Works in 1923 – The rebuilt Factory in 1923 following the 1922 fire.

Willesden to Peterborough – The background to the move

• The arguments for the move.
• A Culture Shock.

Westwood Works at War – The contribution made in two World Wars.

• Westwood Works in WW1.
• Westwood Works in WW2.
• Preparations for war.
• Air raid shelters.
• Working conditions in wartime.
• Women at war.
• World War2/Post War production.
• The Westwood WW1 and WW2 Rolls of Honour.

The Holdings Building – A tour of the Holdings Company building.

Departments at Westwood Works – The different sections of Westwood Works.

• What people did and how they interreacted.

Bretton – Developments in Coningsby Road.

• The Bakery and Printing operations move out of Westwood.

Training at Westwood Works – Developing people.

• Growing our own wood.
• The finest facilities in the country.
• Adding the academic dimension.
• Rewards for effort.
• Meeting Industry Standards.
• The Shortened Apprenticeship.
• Foremanship Training.
• Keeping up with the pace of progress.
• Programmed Instruction.
• Process Training.
• Management Training.
• Customer Training.
• Language Training

Producing Engineers of the Future – Training Facilities

• The Apprentice School.
• The Opening of the Apprentice School.
• Anniversaries.
• The Opening of the Apprentice Sports Ground.
• Trainee Accommodation – High Trees and the City Commercial Hotel.
• Trainees in Action – Apprentices at work in the Apprentice school and the Factory.
• Teaching Company Scheme
• Careers in Engineering
• Apprentice Intakes – Student and Craft Apprentice intakes for 1953-1990.
• The Honours Boards – The achievements of Baker Perkins Apprentices.
• Prizegivings – Marking the achievements of Apprentices and Commercial Trainees.
• Apprentice Trophies – Cups and trophies for outstanding achievement.

The Export Company – "Export or Die".

• Swallow Street
• Stanhope Gate
• Back to Westwood

The Drawing Office – A revolution in Design Management.

• The Industrial Designers.
• The Drawing Office and CAD/CAM.
• Manufacturing and CAD/CAM.

The Heating and Ventilating Department – A link with the past.

• The first redundancies at Westwood.

The Night Shift – Life at Westwood in the small hours.

The "Outdoor Men" – The men of the Field Engineering Department.

The Unions at Westwood Works – Co-operation between men and management.

The Profit Sharing Scheme – Sharing the rewards.

Documentation – Some of the paperwork used at Westwood.

• Up to 1919
• 1920-1959
• 1960-1979
• 1980 onwards.
• List of Baker Perkins Group Activities in 1987.
• Press Advertising
• Rates of pay in 1933
• Some pay slips from later years

Corporate Identity – How the Company presented itself.

• Company Logos.
• Machine Name Plates
• Other Company Identity artefacts.

Trade Exhibitions – Showing the Company Flag

• Some early exhibition activity
• Marketing activities in later years.

Group Newspapers – Keeping the employees informed.

Housing – Homes for employees.

• Willesden Avenue
• Brackley Close
• The Pre-fabs.
• Alma Road
• Homes for Dollar Earners.
• Atherstone Avenue Self-Build Project.
• Ihlee Close

Getting to Work – From cycles to cars.

• The journey to work from Willesden Avenue to Westwood Works.
• Clocking-on

The Merger with APV – Major changes between 1987 and 1992

• What's in a name

How it Was - SITE FACILITIES

Feeding the Three Thousand – Catering for change and catering for cats.

• The Canteen over the years.
• The Baker Perkins cat man

On Site Services for Employees – Meeting every need.

• Factory overall service.
• Dentist
• Sun-ray treatment.
• Cod liver oil capsules.
• Medical examinations.
• Emergencies and illness.
• Working shoe sales.
• Hairdresser.
• Medical Comforts
• Sports Club office.

Site Services and Maintenance – Keeping the Factory going.

• The factory hooter.
• Power supplies.
• Factory heating.
• The boiler house.
• Compressed air.
• Gas.
• Mains water.
• Cranes.
• Passenger lifts.
• The Maintenance department.
• Roof maintenance.
• The Glass House
• Factory access roads.
• Replacing the office a/c equipment.

Security – Keeping Westwood safe.

The Railway Connection – Westwood Work's link to the national railway network.

Transport Services – The overnight Bedewell to Peterborough lorry service.

• The development of the Bedewell factory

The Baker Perkins Fire Brigade – The on-site Firemen and Fire Engines.

• The Fire Brigade.
• Fire safety precautions.
• Fire wardens.
• Fire Brigade training.

First Aid & St. John Ambulance – Providing medical care and assistance on site.

Manor House Hospital – Care for serious health problems.

• Manor House.
• The League of Friends.

The Company Aeroplane – The Company Piper Aztec.

VIPs at Westwood Works – Dignitaries and Customers visit Westwood.

• The VIPs.
• Flying the Flag.

The Company Chauffeurs – Caring for visitors to Westwood Works.

Open Days – Friends and Family visit Westwood Works.

Queen's Awards for Industry – Awards for Export and Technological Achievement.

Baker Perkins in the Community - Employees involved in the broader community.

• Community activities.
• Mayors of Peterborough.
• Peterborough Magistrates.
• Special Constables.
• Honours.

OLD FACES – The people that made it happen.

Founding Fathers – The key people in the development of the Company.

The Pointons – Building the foundations of the Bakery machinery business.

• The development of the dough divider
• The growth of Lewis & Pointons Panification Ltd.

The Baker Perkins Gallery – Some of the many people who worked at Westwood.

Characters from WP&P in 1917 – Extracts from "Pickings from Perkins".

Humour at Work – Life at Westwood as seen by Bob Bains

GATHERINGS– Meetings, Presentations and Events.

Get-togethers – Social events, Outings and Dinners.

CPO Social Events – The varied social events organised by the CPO.

Outings – Days out organised by individual departments.

• Preparations for visiting the 1924 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley

Fireworks Night – A bit of excitement for the children – and for the Fire Brigade!

Long Service Presentations – The Company thanks its long service employees.

Retirement presentations – Presentations from colleagues on retirement.

Retired members' Dinners – A chance to meet old colleagues and swap memories.

Reunions – Reunions of employees following the closure.

• Rugby Club Reunions.
• 100-Year Celebrations.

SPORTS AND PASTIMES – Westwood Works at Play.

The Sports Club Facilities – The Alma Road Clubhouse and Sports Ground.

• The Clubhouse.
• New Extension – 1976.
• Refurbishment – 1985/87.

Sports Club Activities – The wide range of leisure activities open to employees.

• General activities and Sections of the Sports Club.
• Angling.
• Archery
• Art
• Badminton
• Bowls
• Camping/Caravanning
• Cricket
• Dancing
• Fencing
• Football
•       Married v Singles Matches
•       The Peterborough Sunday Morning Combination League
• Gliding
• Golf
• Hockey
• Horticulture
• Male Voice Choir
• Motor Club
• Netball
• Philately
• Photographic
• Retired Members
• Rifle & Pistol
• Rugby
• Snooker
• Swimming
• Table tennis
• Ten-Pin Bowling
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Sports Club Badges.

The Supporters Association – Raising funds for the Sports Club.

• The Weekly Draw.
• The Lucky Ticket.

Sports Club Open Days – Various sports events and a great day out.

• The Events and activities.
• The Self-propelled Car Races.

Sportsman's Corner – Commemorating exceptional service to the Sports Club.

Sports Club Cups and Trophies – To the winners the spoils.

Sports Club Anniversaries – Memories of the 21st, 50th and 75th Anniversaries.

• The 21st Anniversary of the Clubhouse.
• The 50th Anniversary of the Sports Club.
• The 75th Anniversary of the Sports Club.

Christmas Parties – Volunteers give disadvantaged children a Christmas treat.

The Sports Club Closes – 1991 sees the end of the Sports Clubhouse.

• The closure on 30th April 1991.
• Nature takes over.

Westwood Works Musical Society – 62 years of amateur dramatics.

• The Shows – 1936 to 1991.
• The History of the WWMS.

THE END – Production at Westwood comes to an end.

Leaving Westfield Road – The end of nearly 100 years of production.

• Leaving for Paston.
• The last machine produced at Westwood Works.

Awaiting the Developers – Twelve years of neglect take their toll.

• Outside views.
• Inside the Works.
• Inside the offices.

Demolition – The end of an era.

• Demolishing the Factory.
• Demolishing the offices.

HMP Peterborough – Another era starts.

• The Building of the Prison.

PUZZLE CORNER – Test your memory.

REMINISCENCES – Memories of life at Westwood Works.

• Stand by your beds.
• Questionable goings-on.
• It shouldn't happen to an Apprentice.
• Truth will out.
• Sporting memories.
• Pugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble and Grubb – the Fire Brigade.
• In the Works.
• In the Offices.
• Working for Baker Perkins.
• Life as an Apprentice.
• Family History.
• Mrs. Miriam Fletcher's Reminiscences.

THE WESTWOOD ROLL CALL – Members of the "Family".

• 100 years of service.

THE APPENDIX – A collection of miscellaneous memories.

The Complete Website Contents List.

• Details of the Sections and Sub-sections included in this website.

Where to find more information  – Locations of more BP Memorabilia and Artefacts

• Augustus Muir's "History of Baker Perkins".
• Peterborough Museum.
• Peterborough Central Library.
• Northamptonshire Record Office.
• APV Baker, Paston.
• University of East Anglia.
• The Science Museum, London.

Early Inventions – The Genius of the Perkins and Baker Families

• Banknotes to Postage Stamps
• From Nails to Naval Cannons
• Steam Engines – "SY.Anthracite" and "SS Express"
• Marine Propulsion
• Metallurgy
• Road Vehicles
• Refrigeration – "Arktos"
• The Flour Sifter
• Food Process Plant

Some Historic Correspondence – Important early letters.

• Discussions about the amalgamation between A.M. Perkins & Son Ltd and Werner & Pfleiderer, London in 1893.
• An early example of "Competitor Analysis" in 1897.
• More Milestones along the way to amalgamation.

Useful links - Other sites of interest.

NEWS – Information of interest to ex-employees.

CREDITS – Thanks to those who made the website happen.

GUESTBOOK – Letters from our readers.

FORUM – Discussions between contributors.

All content © the Website Authors unless stated otherwise.