Memories of Stoke-on-Trent people - Ken
Green
Ken Green
A
Life in the Ceramic Tile Industry
section 11
previous: a
visit to Italy 1958
next: pressures to manufacture abroad
We commissioned AG3 during the summer of 1959. It comprised a sliphouse using the same body formulation as for the single fire operation in the adjacent factory unit, Collingham and Owen presses and a state of the art dryer and open flame tunnel kiln. Commissioning went like a dream and Brabazon Ellis was like a dog with two tails. The savings in materials, labour and fuel compared to the coal fired bottle ovens being replaced were enormous.
We kept the bottle ovens at Pinnox in reserve, just in case. They were never needed. However we decided on a last firing to coincide with a visit by staff of the Mosaic Tile Company of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. We took them to see “something they would never see again” only to be told that they were still using some coal fired bottle kilns back in Pittsburg. However, for Richards it was the end of an era.
Aerial view of Pinnox factory
(around 1953)
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visit to Italy 1958
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