Cooper Tire factory closure – family memories from three generations

THE closure of Cooper Tires has brought back many memories of local people who worked in the factory during its time as Avon Rubber.

One woman, Janet Rendell, has been reminiscing about three generations of her family who all worked at Avon. Janet was born and lived in Scotland Road, just a few feet away from the factory, and remembers the fire of 1966, her mum’s time as an Avon ‘outworker’ and her dad and grandfather, who were members of the Avon Fire Brigade. Here is her story.

“I worked in the central accounts office of Avon Rubber from 1972 to 1975 before leaving to start a family,” she said. “The office manager of Central Accounts was responsible for preparing the monthly board reports to submit to the company’s Board of Directors and some of the work undertaken by myself would be included in these reports.

“I am sure that most of my generation growing up in Melksham in the 1950s/1960s had a family member who worked at ‘the Avon’ – as we called it – or knew of someone else who did. Many of my own relatives were employed at ‘the Avon’ so I have my own recollections of the time spent by my immediate family in the factory.

“I was born in Scotland Road, to the rear of the factory, and, as a child growing up there in the 1950s/1960s, I can remember the lorries coming daily to the loading bays immediately opposite my house to collect tyres for distribution to the company’s customers.

“From memory, I think there were three or four of these bays. The metal shutters would be opened early each morning and closed early evening. I used to watch some of the lorry drivers throwing tarpaulins over their lorries and then throwing ropes over the tarpaulins to secure them. As a child I used to think this was very difficult to do and required a certain level of skill.

Factory fire

“These tyre storage and loading bays were unfortunately destroyed in the major Avon factory fire of August 1966. As you can imagine, the residents of Scotland Road found the whole experience very frightening.

“A couple of houses near the source of the fire were unfortunately destroyed, but luckily nobody was seriously hurt, including the factory employees who rushed to the scene to help.

“The damage to the tyre storage area of the factory was quite devastating and it took several months to clear all the debris from the factory’s infrastructure. The surface of Scotland Road itself had to be cleared of the solidified molten rubber which had flowed down the middle of the street during the fire. In all, an experience for both residents and workers which would not be forgotten.

Mother and father

“My mother left school at 14 – the legal age to do so in the late 1920s – and joined the Avon in the cycle tyre department. She worked there until her marriage in the mid-1930s but was then expected to leave her employment as was the ‘norm’ for women at that time.

“After raising her family, my mother became an Avon outworker as this fitted in with family life. She was issued with a pair of curved scissors to trim small rubber items manufactured in the factory. Most of her work involved trimming milk liners used in milking machines, although she was occasionally asked to trim the grips used on golf clubs.

“As you can imagine, the Avon was very fussy about the standard of work achieved after trimming and if the work was not up to the required standard, employees could lose pay. The boxes of items were delivered to the house and the completed work collected by a certain day of the week, so my mother had to work and keep to a time schedule.

“My father, and his father, also worked at the Avon. On the 1939 register, taken before the outbreak of WWII, my father was listed as a Giant Tyre Moulder, rubber factory. However, he did leave his employment to join the war effort, but returned to work in the factory until his death in 1957.

“Both him and my grandfather were members of the part-time Avon Fire Brigade which, I understand, became a full-time unit after the fire of 1966.

“On their wedding day my parents were given a ‘guard of honour’ by other members of the Brigade and were collected from church by the company fire engine. I am lucky to have photos of these events on their special day.

“I now live in Staffordshire, having moved here for my husband’s work commitments in 1999. However, I lived in Melksham from my birth in 1950 until leaving in 1999.”