People

The people who made a steel community

Here are images of some of the people who made both Consett steel and a thriving, vibrant steel town community.

This section of the website acts as a resource for community memory and is always being updated. If you or your family have stories to tell or images to share we’d love to hear from you.

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Ron Crocker (First Hand) taking a small steel sample from one of the 120 ton capacity Kaldo converters in the oxygen steel making plant at Consett Iron Company.( Photograph taken by Arthur Philipson Gibson Street Consett- has photograph No 2643 attached. Thanks to Brian Hodgson for the image
Waggon wright William Bunney, centre front row, with colleagues in 1953. Thanks to Susan Scafton for the image.
William Bunney in 2020
Ron Crocker,Bob Wilson and shift manager Bob Purvis being congratulated by Mr E Amos, Steel Plant Superintendent, for their achievement on Saturday May 6th 1961. This was a record breaking day on the’L” furnace.Five casts were made. First Hand Bob Wilson broke the shop record by 20 minutes on day shift. Ron Crocker best this on night shift by tapping a cast in 3 hours and 10 minutes. Thanks to Brian Hodgson for the image
News of the Last Day, 12 September 1980
David Thompson’s intake 1978, most of whom moved down to Teesside to complete their apprenticeships after the closure of Consett.
Allison Braban’s Aunt Marjorie (AKA Edith. M. Caswell) was a draughtsperson at Consett Iron Works. This is a photo of the draughting office. Marjorie worked there from 1956-62 so the photo was taken sometime around then. She is the first lady from the right.
Steelwork apprentices 1964 – are you in this image? Thanks to Alan Brooks for the photo.
William Jenkins, General Manager of the works during a period of growth for the plant and the people between 1869 – 1894.
Consett Plaza Cinema staff, Dave Horseman with Joyce and Mrs Barry. Hilda Burton remembers Glenny Stewart who was an usher in the Plaza in the 1950s.Thanks to Joseph Campbell for the images
Katharine Mutch sent us this image of her Great Grandparents, Charlotte and John Ross and their sons Percy and Arnold. Arnold (the younger boy) is Katharine’s Grandfather,. He was sadly killed in the disaster at the Steelworks in July 1950. This photo was likely taken in 1898. The family lived in St Ives Road, and John was a journalist.
Twins Mrs Joyce Graham and Miss Mary Nimmins. Thanks to Peter Horsman for sending thsi image from the CIC magazine for 1957. Fondly rememberd by all who commented, Susan Stephenson went on to add from cic magazine 1957; Peter Horsman’ Susan Stephenson says ‘They often chose the same birthday card for each other and one Christmas they bought each other identical slippers.’
Steelworks Football Team Winners, sent to us by Samantha Longstaff from the works newsletter. Susan’s Dad is Barry Cooke, 2nd from the right on the back row.
No 1 blast around 1978; Keith Hawxby, Paul Hunter, George Alexander and Ronnie Nixon. Thanks to Paul Hunter for the image.
Hass Hunter (right) and his brother in Law Jimmy Penrose, at Consett Works. Thanks to Paul Hunter for this image.
Hass Hunter, who worked in the Stores. Thanks to Paul Hunter for this image.
466 years combined service: Paula Bleanch kindly shared this newspaper cutting of her grandad Harry Bleanch and colleagues when they retired from the works in 1979.
Champion leek grower Ronnie White winning the cup in the Top Club Leek Show – a victory for the Slabbing Mill! Thanks to Susan Hughes for the image.
From the South Pelaw Junction website, this image shows a torpedo train discharging the moletn metal into the ladle Thomas East describes. David Thompson adds ‘The torpedo had a refractory lining which was preheated to keep the molten iron liquid. In the case of the Consett trains the lining was a bit thicker because of the journey time. There were two main concerns, as this had never been done over this distance before. Firstly, that the metal solidified before it got there, and 2 they had a break out or de-railment on a major rail network.’