Amazing stumbled on this video on the anniversary of my mothers death 5 years ago she worked in the factory for 27 years . GOD BLESS you etta morris . Your son JACK XXXXX
I moved back up to Coatbridge, from Yorkshire in 1957, and I started working in the department that packed powders , I can’t remember the name, next to it was the wets department, my name before I was married was Ospedale, I have been back in Yorkshire with my husband and children since 1976, although I’m a widow now, but Boots was a good company to work for, I’ve still got happy memories.
1:54 my ancestral home! Came here after researching my great grandmothers family, she would have grown up in that house, before emigrating in 1917. I never knew they had a street named after them or that they owned so much land or that they built a huge Boots factory built next door. My great-great grandmother according to record, died in the mid-1930s, which must have been the point where they decided to finally sell off the estate. It may sound like ancient history, but my great grandmother lived to a very old age, and I met her, sometime within the one month between my birth and her death. But this factory, it seems was also an important part of many other peoples family histories and clearly a great source of pride for them too.
If you don't mind me asking where did they emigrate to ? I'm from Airdrie myself and knew a good few folk who worked there, I can also remember that as far as factories go it was a good place to work with the majority working alternating early and back shifts with night-shift being a separate fixed shift.
Amazing footage that makes me nostalgic for this place despite never having worked there. I'm from Germany - we had a very similar local perfume production plant and I worked there in the late 90s/early 2000s. It looked so similar to this, lots and lots of these "working class" women in hair nets and these work coats milling about, chatting at the production line, it is just so similar. I used to do some resupply/forklift driving stuff but I often would casually chat with the girls, joking around, it was so, as kids nowadays would put it, "wholesome". No entitled snowflakes back then, just hard working people. The factory changed hands a few times, eventually it was owned by Procter&Gamble and a lot of things changed, very americanized, modernized but strict and a lot less fun. Then a while later another big fish in the pond bought it but I'd been gone by then. Fast forward to 2021 and they decided it wasn't profitable enough anymore (also due to people not buying enough perfume in the pandemic) and closed it down. End of an era, 300 jobs gone forever. It's almost inevitable that the whole thing will be torn down to be replaced by luxury apartments, that area has been hit hard by gentrification ... At least you have this footage to remember the place. There's zilch for my local one :(
I was born just across the A73 main road in Nicol Street, Airdrie, I recall the flood of workers at lunch time back in the mid 1950,s, wets and drys different uniforms! It was a a sad day when it shut! I took photos of the area after they demolished it, desolation!
I remember lifting anything i could get my hands on payed for a new car and a conservatory and many great holidays the supervisor's were in on it to a nod and a wink and out thr door with a van full of plunder great days great times
A wonderful video and, while I appriciate they are trying to celebrate the life and times of the factory, there is no real explaination of the reason for closure?
A very interesting video well produced! I worked for 45 years in cosmetic and Food supplements and pharmaceutical production. Thank you for subscribing to my youtube channel regards Fred
Amazing stumbled on this video on the anniversary of my mothers death 5 years ago she worked in the factory for 27 years . GOD BLESS you etta morris .
Your son JACK XXXXX
I moved back up to Coatbridge, from Yorkshire in 1957, and I started working in the department that packed powders , I can’t remember the name, next to it was the wets department, my name before I was married was Ospedale, I have been back in Yorkshire with my husband and children since 1976, although I’m a widow now, but Boots was a good company to work for, I’ve still got happy memories.
The Drys
1:54 my ancestral home! Came here after researching my great grandmothers family, she would have grown up in that house, before emigrating in 1917. I never knew they had a street named after them or that they owned so much land or that they built a huge Boots factory built next door. My great-great grandmother according to record, died in the mid-1930s, which must have been the point where they decided to finally sell off the estate. It may sound like ancient history, but my great grandmother lived to a very old age, and I met her, sometime within the one month between my birth and her death.
But this factory, it seems was also an important part of many other peoples family histories and clearly a great source of pride for them too.
If you don't mind me asking where did they emigrate to ? I'm from Airdrie myself and knew a good few folk who worked there, I can also remember that as far as factories go it was a good place to work with the majority working alternating early and back shifts with night-shift being a separate fixed shift.
Amazing footage that makes me nostalgic for this place despite never having worked there. I'm from Germany - we had a very similar local perfume production plant and I worked there in the late 90s/early 2000s. It looked so similar to this, lots and lots of these "working class" women in hair nets and these work coats milling about, chatting at the production line, it is just so similar. I used to do some resupply/forklift driving stuff but I often would casually chat with the girls, joking around, it was so, as kids nowadays would put it, "wholesome". No entitled snowflakes back then, just hard working people.
The factory changed hands a few times, eventually it was owned by Procter&Gamble and a lot of things changed, very americanized, modernized but strict and a lot less fun. Then a while later another big fish in the pond bought it but I'd been gone by then. Fast forward to 2021 and they decided it wasn't profitable enough anymore (also due to people not buying enough perfume in the pandemic) and closed it down. End of an era, 300 jobs gone forever. It's almost inevitable that the whole thing will be torn down to be replaced by luxury apartments, that area has been hit hard by gentrification ...
At least you have this footage to remember the place. There's zilch for my local one :(
I was born just across the A73 main road in Nicol Street, Airdrie, I recall the flood of workers at lunch time back in the mid 1950,s, wets and drys different uniforms!
It was a a sad day when it shut! I took photos of the area after they demolished it, desolation!
Thanks for letting me know that it was the Drys department , much appreciated.👍
I remember lifting anything i could get my hands on payed for a new car and a conservatory and many great holidays the supervisor's were in on it to a nod and a wink and out thr door with a van full of plunder great days great times
I remember going to Christmas parties there long time ago 🎉 dad was the chauffeur. Uncle Davy worked there and mum before I was born.
That and Airdrie Academy all gone 💔
A wonderful video and, while I appriciate they are trying to celebrate the life and times of the factory, there is no real explaination of the reason for closure?
Nice to see Dougie as I worked with him for a few years and it was a very interesting,but kind of sad film.
Omg ma mo an da used te work there
I still have all the photos used on this video. If the owners would like them returned please get in touch.
Such a shame .it must have been hard for every one.
A very interesting video well produced!
I worked for 45 years in cosmetic and Food supplements and pharmaceutical production.
Thank you for subscribing to my youtube channel
regards Fred
My granny n other folk I know worked there.
Reason to Vote Yes due to the amount of jobs and livelihood and talent that was lost.