Memories of Burtons

Over the years, the Bolton News has shared many memories of people who worked at “Burton Tailoring Halliwell Rd Clothing Works”, as the sign above the gate had it.

FOR the fashion-conscious man about town, this ordinary factory in Bolton had been providing wardrobe essentials for almost 40 years when this photograph was taken in 1978. At that point there were fears that Burton’s factory on Wapping Street, off Halliwell Road, would be closing down with hundreds of textile jobs being lost.

Burton’s had run a factory in Bolton since 1939 when the company acquired the Halliwell Road Mill. During the Second World War production concentrated on uniforms for all branches of the armed services and then switched to meet the demand for de-mob suits when the war ended.

As Burton’s began to open more and more shops on the high street, production demands at the Bolton factory grew throughout the Fifties and Sixties and it was one of the area’s biggest employers of skilled machinists. Foreign competition and the rise of ‘fast fashion’ finally saw the Halliwell Road base close in the early 1980s.

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WHEN Brenda Townson started work at a Bolton factory little did she know she would be making life-long friends. Brenda — whose maiden name was Priestley — left school in 1956 and, at the age of 15, took up employment with the Burton’s Halliwell clothing factory. Here she would make friendships that she still cherished and enjoyed being part of a “community” not just a work force.

The factory created employment for thousands of workers, recalls Brenda. It was hard work — “you had to clock in and clock off and if you were not well then you did not get paid, it was piece work” — but it was the camaraderie that made it so special for the young Brenda.

“Outings would be organised. We’d go on picnics or for days out in Blackpool. We would pay so much in each week and once we’d got enough money we’d hire a coach and we’d all be off to Blackpool for a day out,” explained Brenda.

Brenda worked in the cutting room where she had to check the pocket flaps on the jackets matched and the sleeves were just right. She would check the patterns matched and ensure the sizes were correct.

“Workers at the Burton’s factory cut out, stitched and completed garments for Burton’s menswear shops, and standards were high. They were sticklers for things being perfect,” she said of her bosses.

The girls in the cutting room would check everything matched — not an easy job particularly with, for instance, plaid prints — and then the garments would go onto the machine floor for stitching. There were sections for coats, another for jackets and another for trousers.

At the end of the process everything would be gathered together and it was the responsibility of further workers to ensure jackets matched the trousers of suits. This work took place in dispatch, explained Brenda. Suits, overcoats, sports’ jackets and trousers were all made at Burton’s Halliwell and quality was key.

Jobs were very much allocated to either men or women at that time. The men were in charge of the patterns — these were in standard sizes on racks — and the young lads who started their career by cutting the linings out for the jackets could then progress to cut jackets and trousers for suits.

“They were happy days even though we worked very hard,” said Brenda.

Many of the workers were long-standing members of staff. One worker, Mrs Lillian Allsebrook, left Burton’s Halliwell in the summer of 1974 after 35 years of service. But three weeks after leaving the firm she was asked to go back for the day to show visitors around the factory on an annual open day event.

Visitors learn from long-time employee Mrs Lillian Allsebrook

Mrs Allsebrook, who lived in Makinson Avenue, Horwich, at the time, can be seen in our photograph with a party of visitors at the machine of Anne Bowles, aged 21, who lived in Pixmore Avenue, Hall i’th’ Wood. It was not unusual in the 1960s and 1970s for people to have clocked up such a long service record for the same firm. Clearly employees enjoyed working at Burton’s Halliwell and were, no doubt, upset when the firm finally closed its doors.

In June 2015, Brenda and two of her former work pals Graham Wells and Alf Swailes organised a reunion of Burton’s Halliwell at Astley Bridge Royal British Legion in Belmont Road. More than 40 people turned up for the reunion and had the opportunity to chat and catch up on old times.

The oldest person to turn up is thought to have been 90-year-old Gertrude Bennett whose maiden name was Eccles.

“It was lovely to see so many people who had worked at Burton’s. Some of the people I remember working with but others were there before me or after me. It was funny because you would remember a face but then you couldn’t quite place them or remember their name. Once they told you it all came flooding back.,” said Brenda.

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A Burton’s machinist hard at work in 1969

In 2008, the Bolton Evening News shared a photograph from thirty years earlier.

“THESE workers were enjoying a five minute jog round the factory perimeter at Burton’s Tailoring in Halliwell Road, Halliwell, during their lunchbreak in 1978. And not a tracksuit, t-shirt or pair of running shoes in sight.”

The Bolton Evening News of the day quoted machinist Winnie Conroy: “About eight of the girls go out every day for five minutes – they only get a half-hour break so they have to dash back in and have their dinner. With all the publicity about jogging they thought it was a good idea. I’ve only been out once myself, when it was pouring with rain, and that put me off a bit – but I’m going to try again.”

Audrey Juliff remembered an outing to Blackpool. It involved a group of girls from the “trouser department” at Montague Burton where Audrey worked from the age of 14 in 1945 — for 30 years. She left after being “head hunted” by another clothing firm.

“I remember we waited for one of the girls to come back to the coach but she didn’t arrive so we had to go. I just wish I could remember who it was,” laughed Audrey. “I really enjoyed going on the trip. I can recall entertaining everyone singing Al Jolsen’s “mammy” while wearing white gloves.”

The trip was in the early 1970s Audrey believed and the photograph was taken outside the Albion Pub in Moor Lane where most coach journeys would begin at that time. Audrey is pictured third from the right on the next to the back row. (4)

In November 2001, the Bolton Evening News published some letters about a film made at Burton’s.

“I refer to the letter from Veronica Greenhalgh in Friday’s Evening News about the film made in the 1960s.

I, too, would be interested to know what happened to the film, because I and lots of my workmates are in it. The film was made in Burton’s factory, which was at the bottom of Wapping Street, off Halliwell Road, but it was later than 1960.

I think it was about 1965-66. I worked in Coats No.1 room from 1964-1970 then. I was a young 15-year-old when I started there. I have many happy memories of Montague Burton’s factory.

I hope you can throw some light on what happened to the film. I would love to see myself in it.

Lorraine Morris (nee Sharples)-(5)

“I refer to correspondence from readers of the Bolton Evening News, dated November 9 and 13, this year.

This concerns a film made at the Montague Burton’s factory, which was located in the Halliwell area of Bolton. It described the different stages of Coat making, and starred the actual workers.

I can confirm that the finished production was shown to those involved, one evening after the working day in 1965. While I played a part, I had made alternative arrangements, and missed the showing.

I had been approached by a supervisor named Hilda Hunter, while operating a plonking machine, with other girls. She suggested that I remove the rollers from my hair; I found the filming lights to be very hot, which aggravated my extreme shyness.

During another period, I played a part in a Burton’s Christmas pantomime, organised by Annie Brown. We entertained audiences throughout the Bolton area, and photos of this must be in existence.

I enjoyed those days, as Burton’s was an excellent employer.

Mrs Enid Brookes (nee Sandiford) (6)

All photographs and quotations by kind permission of the Bolton News.

References

(1) https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/19298145.burtons-bolton-factory-provided-fashion-masses/ 13th May 2021
(2) https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/12920679.burtons-halliwell-friends-set-for-astley-bridge-legion-date/ 29th April 2015
(3) https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/13336413.reunion-a-real-success-for-former-colleagues/ 17th June 2015
(4) Were you on the 1970s Burton’s trouser department trip to Blackpool? | The Bolton News 12th April 2016
(5) https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/6000478.happy-days-in-60s-at-burtons/ 13th November 2001
(6) https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/news/5999660.burtons-really-suited-us/ 17th November 2001