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Historic foundry closing its gates
Friday 3rd July 2009, 11:30AM BST.
Almost 200 years of manufacturing was coming to an end at an historic foundry in the Black Country today.
The gates were closing at steel pressers Ductile Wesson, at the former Victoria Ironworks in Bull Lane, Moxley, for the last time.
It marks the end of an era at the spot, which has been home to metal working since around 1827.
The workforce at the 13- acre site has been whittled down to just 12 from 150 since February as the firm, which supplies steel to the automotive industry, faced cutbacks.
The factory, known locally as Wessons, was one of a group of manufacturing premises built in the area in the early 1800s.
Victoria Ironworks was acquired by William Henry Wesson in 1898.
More recently it has become part of Niagara LaSalle (UK) Ltd.
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A very sad day.
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Another dark day in the Black Country
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I blame thatcher,the london media who run the brittish cars down or any thing do do with midlands and the people who would rather buy german.Proud to always had brittish and midland cars.
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3. Agreed, however, I don’t think the british car industry ever recoverd after the strikes of the 70′s or was allowed to. Its very sad that so little is now made in this country which has always been one of the most industrious in the world.
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I think you will find that this is not a foundry.
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3. Makes me laugh how anyone can blame Thatcher for something happening over 20 years after she left and 12 years after Labour came to power. Anything she did or caused could have been reversed long ago if anyone in power thought it was wrong. Many years ago Darlaston and the surrounding area were decimated by job losses and factory closures, was this caused by Thatcher? No it was caused by the same mentality that blames her still today, short sightedness militancy you name it. Ruberys closed despite having just won the contract to supply Mercedes with their chassis and wheels the reason?? The union wouldnt work with management to sort out a dispute, the union guy asked to sort it out or risk the company closing replied ‘I can get a job with my brother delivering milk’ … just the sort of attitude that means we are no longer a manufacturing nation. Unions killed this country and its manufacturing base, they should have stuck to looking after the workers and not think they were bigger than the people they served.
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No 3……………How the heck can you blame Thatcher????????.
The car industry was killed off by the unions in the 70s ….WHO was in charge Labour …….WHO is in charge NOW………..LABOUR!!
Just put your brain in gear!……Just like Labour………. Head in the sand.
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Baggie 9. What the hell has Maggie Thatcher got to do with it. Its the Blair/Brown syndrome we are suffering from. DAF gone, Rover gone, Jaguar/LandRover on the brink. ALL sine 1997.
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Nobody ever seems to blame Labour for anything, it does my head in. If it hadn’t been for Thatcher we’d still be being held to ransom by the unions. It was Red Robbo and the unions which ultimately killed Rover. You look at the histories of VW, BMW, Honda or even Peugeot. THAT was how car companies run successfully.
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thatcher.I even hate to spell her name I wont give her a capital.Is responsable for all the greed in the country she created the yuppie culture,sold all the assets, closed the steel works the coal mines,was responsable for the mps exspences.I can imagine you are one of the bmw drivers who blame the unions and working class for loosing our great car industry.
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I can remember watching the bars of red hot steel being rolled and pulled around by the workers,I was fascinated by the way the workers dragged the red hot bars of metal through the rollers then they came out with a different shape. Such a shame a that this method of steel shaping has been lost
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not enough done to keep the site open no pay cuts offered nothing done at all just feels like they couldnt be bothered once they told us was due to be shut after xmas that was it sad state wen the bosses carnt even take time to shake blokes hands who have done over 40 years service for the company. it will be greatly missed.
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No 6 i whole heartedly agree the unions have killed this country.
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Next comment, from these tory bmw drivers, you lot will tell me its the girl on the bank counter who has caused the finacial crash.
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just a thought but i have noticed when ever a company changes its name within a couple of years or so they have gone what was wrong with wessons niagra la salle who are they asset strippers its time to stop
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