My WIP book about Red Robbo, and Longbridge stuff.

[lesapandre]

The problem is that these '2nd industrial revolution' buildings are so process specific and at such a large scale they are mighty tricky to find an alternative use for. Old mills and the like from the original industrial revolution convert quite nicely into something else - but huge car factories and their ancillary building are not that attractive and are mighty tricky to reuse and generally get demolished. 

Very few survive. Which is a great pity. Even iconic Browns Lane Jaguar has gone.

Tends to be the smaller more attractive buildings that sometimes survive.

Original Morris factory in Oxford - surviving now as student accommodation.

[sierraman]

12 hours ago, lesapandre said:

Fair summary of the history here:

https://classicsworld.co.uk/news/historic-ldv-drews-lane-complex-disappears/

The issue is that it dwindled because they were selling a pretty crap product in the end. The factory there is going to be next to no demand for because as a manufacturing entity in the U.K. compared to other countries it is finished. At least if it’s levelled there is the possibility of something else being there that will employ people.

[lesapandre]

Something to do with HS2 I understand. So from one white elephant to another 🤣

[sierraman]

7 minutes ago, lesapandre said:

Something to do with HS2 I understand. So from one white elephant to another 🤣

From one empty factory to another when it hopefully gets scrapped. 

[warren t claim]

[New POD]

On 20/05/2025 at 20:35, lesapandre said:

Fair summary of the history here:

https://classicsworld.co.uk/news/historic-ldv-drews-lane-complex-disappears/

One of the blokes that left Leyland Trucks the other week after 46 years, told how he was  sent to Drews Lane ( with a few others ) to help out on the production lines of the sherpa van for 12 weeks.  Said the overtime paid for the deposit on his first house. 

[LoftyvRS]

OP - apologies if this has been asked already, but can you share a link to your other books that are on Amazon please?

I'm keen to do a buy based on the enthusiasm I'm seeing here

 

[N Dentressangle]

1 hour ago, LoftyvRS said:

OP - apologies if this has been asked already, but can you share a link to your other books that are on Amazon please?

I'm keen to do a buy based on the enthusiasm I'm seeing here

 

Here you go:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Mr-Rich-Duisberg/author/B01LXKRY6K?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

 

[motorpunk]

10 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

Here you go:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Mr-Rich-Duisberg/author/B01LXKRY6K?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

 

Thanks Norbert!

Looking for the real Red Robbo is at c.40% written now. Today’s writings include Ozzie Osbourne’s mum, many Allegros, and Lucas. The peripheral characters are easily as interesting as our militant protagonist. 

[Stroller133]

On 20/05/2025 at 20:13, motorpunk said:

A message from beyond the grave…

Poor old Drew’s Lane site today. Heartbreaking to see.

My Mom grew up just off Drew's lane and my Nan was there until I was about 15.
Google Streetview goes back to 2008, it looks like this gate 4? 
Bromford House looked like an interesting building, but was demolished along with the rest of the site. 

[High Jetter]

1 hour ago, motorpunk said:

Ozzie Osbourne’s mum,

That's a tough wank, I'd guess? 🤣

[warren t claim]

11 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

That's a tough wank, I'd guess? 🤣

No more challenging than Kelly Osbourne.

[High Jetter]

1 minute ago, warren t claim said:

No more challenging than Kelly Osbourne.

I wouldn't touch her with yours.

[warren t claim]

3 minutes ago, High Jetter said:

I wouldn't touch her with yours.

Are you getting choosy in your old age? I bet she swallows.

[High Jetter]

8 minutes ago, warren t claim said:

Are you getting choosy in your old age? I bet she swallows.

Have always been selective 😄 Hope her teeth are tight...

[Wibble]

I’ve visited the Osbourne residence several times, in a professional capacity. Only saw Ozzie and he wasn’t happy🤣

[Lord Sterling]

4 hours ago, Stroller133 said:

My Mom grew up just off Drew's lane and my Nan was there until I was about 15.
Google Streetview goes back to 2008, it looks like this gate 4? 
Bromford House looked like an interesting building, but was demolished along with the rest of the site. 

Yes, it was an absolutely beautiful building, yet demolished for what? Probably for some copy and paste town houses or a forgettable industrial units as per often is the case. We do seem to have an appetite for demolishing buildings of interest. 

[lesapandre]

5 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Yes, it was an absolutely beautiful building, yet demolished for what? Probably for some copy and paste town houses or a forgettable industrial units as per often is the case. We do seem to have an appetite for demolishing buildings of interest. 

 Constructed 1914 apparently.

More photos: click on first photo

 

[New POD]

On 30/05/2025 at 02:18, warren t claim said:

So many ££££s of tax payers money paid for so many satellite factories to try to get the area out of poverty. 

The man to blame ? The guy that invented the shipping container.  So many dock workers around the world were redundant with the introduction of containerisation. 

[New POD]

5 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Yes, it was an absolutely beautiful building, yet demolished for what? Probably for some copy and paste town houses or a forgettable industrial units as per often is the case. We do seem to have an appetite for demolishing buildings of interest. 

A similar building in Derby has had the facade preserved by the developer of the site. 

I'm sure that RR plc negotiated the sale with that in mind, and put something into the small print, and that it has nothing to do with it being a listed property. 

 

[lesapandre]

15 minutes ago, New POD said:

So many ££££s of tax payers money paid for so many satellite factories to try to get the area out of poverty. 

The man to blame ? The guy that invented the shipping container.  So many dock workers around the world were redundant with the introduction of containerisation. 

Difficult to calculate the total spent in all it's forms subsidising the UK car industry by government since WW2 - it's ongoing with the transition to electric vehicles.

A rough calculation could be as high as £100 billion +. 

[lesapandre]

14 minutes ago, New POD said:

So many ££££s of tax payers money paid for so many satellite factories to try to get the area out of poverty. 

The man to blame ? The guy that invented the shipping container.  So many dock workers around the world were redundant with the introduction of containerisation. 

Interesting detailed study of the failed regionalisation policy:

https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/files/34487615/DX204748.pdf

It certainly doomed Rootes - the supply chain for construction of the Imp was insane.

[motorpunk]

6 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Yes, it was an absolutely beautiful building, yet demolished for what? Probably for some copy and paste town houses or a forgettable industrial units as per often is the case. We do seem to have an appetite for demolishing buildings of interest. 

There’s a short chapter in the book on it. There’s an ugly political twist to that site. It kills me.

[Lord Sterling]

9 hours ago, lesapandre said:

 Constructed 1914 apparently.

More photos: click on first photo

An old work colleague of mine lives in Washwood Heath.

Stuff like this is just saddening. Yes, we can all blame the political/financial stuff until the cows come home but it's still saddening to see a once large industrial landscape get turned into more copy & paste houses/industrial units. Same with Longbridge, Vauxhall in Luton, etc...

[Stroller133]

16 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Yes, it was an absolutely beautiful building, yet demolished for what? Probably for some copy and paste town houses or a forgettable industrial units as per often is the case. We do seem to have an appetite for demolishing buildings of interest. 

I think the site is some base for HS2 engineering works.  There is a sprawling block of "temporary" cabins located just behind where the building stood (June 24). 

in fairness I think the whole site was flattened before being repurposed, but surely the old building could have accommodated those offices. 

[motorpunk]

2 hours ago, Stroller133 said:

I think the site is some base for HS2 engineering works.  There is a sprawling block of "temporary" cabins located just behind where the building stood (June 24). 

in fairness I think the whole site was flattened before being repurposed, but surely the old building could have accommodated those offices. 

Horrible and dodgy story related to all that. 

[Snipes]

I suspect repurposeing an old building, rather than flattening it and replacing it with Site Temps, is a whole other process and not one the people who installed the Temps have any interest in. It'd be like expecting normies to buy a £500 VelSatis rather than rent a new Focus when they just need An Car.

That's only from a practical pov - can't even begin to imagine the kick-backs and golf course negotiations/politics involved, especially on such a big project as HS2

[comfortablynumb]

Theres probably less planning regulations for a temporary building too, used to be easier than a permanent structure, not sure if that's still the case?

[R Lutz]

I was out for a meal with a fairly senior MG-Rover engineer last Thursday evening. I told him about your book. He told me about going 'out to the park' under instructions from the unions to hear Red Robbo speak. His missus was aghast at this point. He never voted to strike (he was never a line monkey) but it didn't matter; it was the show of hands. He said the unions were greedy and the management weak. 

[motorpunk]

Just under 30k words done. Loads of day job stuff to deal with which is taking up my evenings lately. Working backwards I am now in 1974. There’s a dead cat and a QA inspector who loses his marbles and likes playing hide and seek all day.