Winnie here, you asked me for a wee paragraph, sorry, when I started I couldn’t stop, so here goes. I left Bangor Collegiate at the age of 14 years because I just wanted to work. Everyone I spoke to either worked or wanted to work in ‘The Nylon’ and I was no different. Mr Len Foyster was Director of Berkshire at that time, 1951,

I started, at the age of fifteen and a half and started to train as a seamer. We had to learn on what were called the ‘White machines’ and our Instructor was Muriel Lamont. Then, when we were ready, we joined the many rows of seamers on the ‘Black machines’.

I think my wages were around £2-£3 a week but with experience and speed we were able to boost that. I can remember my first ’fiver’. It was one of those very large white ones like parchment paper and had to be folted2-3 times to fit in to the wage packet. It encouraged us to work faster but also to take a pride in our work. If the stockings were not seamed perfectly they were returned for re-seaming at your own time and money loss…so it ‘Paid to be Perfect’

I made many good friends, as everyone else has said on the website, we were part of a very big family and there was such a happy atmosphere. I remember the singing. One section would start…eg the Seamers, then gradually the Linkers, Menders, Packers, etc would all join in and within minutes the whole factory would sing song after song.

Daisy Chambers was our Supervisor and we very often sang ‘Daisy Daisy’ much to her amusement.

I remember too that at the first sign of the summer sunshine on the glass roof they painted it blue…. to keep us cool…seemed a shame at the time.

My three sisters also worked at that time in the ‘Nylon’. Babs, Thelma and Doreen so it was family affair. Babs was an Examiner,and married Billy Gray a knitter. Thelma was a mender and Doreen and I were seamers.

On day in 1954 Sally McKee and I were called to the Boardroom to meet Mr Fetherston, who had replaced Mr Foyster, and the other board members. We were told that as we were the top seamers we had been chosen to represent Berkshire at the B.I.F. (British Industries Fair) in London for one week. Sally and I were a bit overwhelmed as neither of us had ever been to London before.

The fairytale had started; Mr John Hemingway, our boss, took us both to our homes to get the consent to fly from our parents.

The Royals that we met there were Princess Alexandria, Prince Philip but our greatest delight of course was in having the attention of our Queen Elizabeth II. Her Majesty was radiant in royal blue velvet with white for trim. This event was something that I have always treasured and the press here and in England carried the photograph.

I can well remember seeing escalators for the first time and I was terrified about using them. However, a gentleman called Alfred Arnold, from Belfast, took me by the hand and that was my first experience of an escalator. He told the story on Ulster Radio and I would love to know if he is still alive. This all happened at the BIF in 1955 in London.

Some of many names, in my memory, from the factory.
Luther Pawling. Married Carol Ambrose (Seamer)
Len Foyster. After leaving Berkshire Len opened a hosiery factory in Bangor called the Madrigal. Later he moved to the Isle of Man where he opened another factory. I kept in touch with him right up till his death in 2000.
Edgar McClenaghan, Ivan Reid, Hugh Burns, Sandy Kirk, Peter Cherry, Joan McPeake, Ray Clegg and the boss of the Packing Dept ‘Pop’ Hynds.
Maureen Agnew, married to Maurice Agnew the electrician, was a lovely girl who gave out the wages.
Maurice Dickson, Valerie Orr, Trevor Brownlie, John Hollinger, James Weir, and Margaret Alexander (Office) now Wilson.
Myrtle McIlorum, her sister Doreen brought us hand-cream every morning to prevent us from snagging the nylon stockings.
Jean Donaldson, an examiner, Frank Reid (Dyehouse), Bert Wilkinson (a Boss), and Harry Keenan a knitter,

Help . Does anyone know of Maureen McGrath who was a seamer and lived in Portaferry. She was a good friend of mine while I was in the factory. Maureen sat beside me and we had many a good laugh. I would love to know if she is still living and if so, how can I contact her.

Well Charlie, I hope this will be interesting information for your website. Keep up the good work of bringing us ex-workers close together again.
Yours faithfully
Wyn ( Winnie Thompson) nee Born

Thank you so much, Winnie, for taking the time to put your memories on paper.Winnie's contact details are available from the editor. Click here    Charlie