This fantastic photo from 1970 was shared by my friend, Alex Rochead, who told me, “When I left school I started an apprenticeship with the Belmos in the High Blantyre Industrial Estate. It lasted from 1966 to 1970 and it was a normal part of the training to spend time in all the departments in the factory. I have attached a photo of myself with fellow apprentices. I am on the second row left hand side.”
Alex continued, “The leaders of the training school are sitting on the front row. I think they all needed a seat after trying to train the company’s future workers. From left to right we have David Mercer, Nathanial McDowall, not sure of the lady’s name, then perhaps A W Dawson and Roger McCloy. I first attended the Burnbank Tech Collage for day release before it closed then attended Motherwell Tech.”
At this time it was known as Belmos Peebles, it’s name changed at various times and when it closed in 1986/87 it had become Reyrolle Belmos. It manufactured 440 volt electrical control equipment for industry and the coal board. The company had it’s first factory in the Bellshill and Mossend area and took it’s name from the two towns and became Belmos.
The company was known for employing families. It could be your father, brother, son, auntie, cousin all working in different areas of the factory. At one time it was part of the Northern Electrical Industries (NEI group). They provided 440 control equipment for four power stations. Inverkip (long gone), Peterhead, Kilroot in Northern Island and Torness.
I think Belmos was one of the first major companies to arrive in the Industrial Estate, perhaps there as early as the late 1940’s. In 1978, a large strike saw more than 500 people take part. By the end of August 1978, with the strike in its third week, no end seemed to be in sight. The strike also hit workers at factories of the same name in Bothwell and Glasgow. The strike had started due to disputes with managers over working conditions. 150 people from Blantyre were affected by that strike, which happened at the same time as Blantyre miners were striking at Cardowan Colliery. It was eventually settled in the first week in September 1978 after 3 weeks.
Did YOU or anybody you know work in Belmos? Thanks again to Alex for sharing.
My father Tom Marshall worked at the belmos in the 70 s
I served my time as an indentured apprentice from 1972. I started in John Street aged 14 due to an admin cock up. They thought I was 15, but was 14 during my first week. Davy Mercer had me sit in an office reading the QC manuals until my birthday. My father worked in the machine shop as a miller. His name was Tommy Caldwell, long passed now.
I worked through the “78” strike as apprentices were not allowed to strike. The GM at the time, I think his name was Willie Pendleton , wasn’t much use as he was too close to some of the old crew from John street in Bellshill. He used to drive one of the guys (he will remain anonymous) to work who was drunk as a skunk every Friday. He sat in the toilets with a carry out until the end of the day when Willie drove him home. It beggars belief. He was hopeless at dealing with the union reps led by a guy called Andy ????. They just didn’t want to work and sat in the union “room” doing sweet fanny Adam’s most of the time. I have had great respect for unions all of my life and still do, but those guys were not a good introduction. As it happened, after “The Belmont” closed, I worked with him and Jim Creechan in a place called Harper Electrical in Clydebank. Outside his union role he was a decent man and a good worker.
I attended Motherwell Tech and was on the electrical fitters course, plant utilisation and distribution. It was a five year apprenticeship for me and like others I have many stories about the time. I did six months at the Bothwell plant with the maintenance electrician (his second name was Green). It was a great apprenticeship that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. Davy Mercer, Jimmy Cassidy and Sandy Muirhead were the training team in the first year workshop. Other than stints in the copper shop, Bothwell and the second year apprentice training section doing control panels for Inverkip, I spent most of my time in the Flameproof department with Willie Stewart as our foreman. Other that Tom Arlott and Stewart Burns (via a shared love of motorbikes), I didn’t keep in touch with many of the lads in my year, but would be interested to hear how they got on. Philip (Crash) Wilson, Miller Armstrong, Willie McClelland, Richard Halford to name a few.
I went on to manage a company called FlameTec and become the Director and General Manager of a Turner Group company called originally Tilsley and Lovatt Ltd doing offshore oil and gas power generation and industrial genset servicing. I later took on the directorship of Turner Diesel in Aberdeen and Glasgow changing the name to Turner Engine Powered Systems (EPS). Good foundations in Blantyre took me a long way.
I recognise 3 faces in this pic but only one name I know….”Auld Nat” who ran the training school. Because of my age, I had to spend 9 months there. I am grateful for everything “Auld Nat” taught me.
I started in Belmos on July 30, 1962, a month after my 15th birthday
labeled a “pre-apprentice” until I was 16.
It was amazing how all of us apprentices were moved from department to department on the shop floor usually for 6 months stints working directly with tradesmen.
I got “lucky” and was sent to the wee factory in Bothwell for 6 months.
After that, I got a stint in the test bay followed by time in the service department back at Blantyre. I got to travel to far away places….England!
On a trip to Doncaster with 2 journeymen, our we van rolled over several times and was stopped by a large road sign on the motorway.
After a brief spell in a nearby hospital, we were all released. It could have been so much worse. The next day I was driven home by the service manager who had driven down overnight. I was attended by Dr. Cassidy for follow ups
After that I was sent to the Flameproof division in Bellshill drawing office where I stayed until 1972 gaining the grand title of “Electro-Mechanical Draughtsman”.
Like everyone, I have a mountain of stories and for me, about the 3 locations where “I served my time”, a phrase also used by ex prisoners!
After all, at Belmos we were INDENTURED apprentices.