My Dad gerry hughes worked at Tates for over 30 yrs and was a shop steward. For most of my teenage years he was fighting the closure and I remember him going to Brussels. My uncle Jack Barrow also worked there. I remember the great time we had a kids going to the panto at the empire, my dad ending up as the wellfare officer and organising day trips and how he lost his job at the closure. Mostly though I rememeber the irony when he got sa job as clerk of works for the company who demolished it on his 60th Birthday. His mates were Tommy Brown and Gerry Townley. Dad sadly passed away in 2001 with Asbestosis and Lung cancer,caused by working in the boiler house of Tates. I was unable to see the film as it wouldnt upload so if anyone could point me in the direction to get to see it I would be grateful.

in the 1950’s l worked at Tate & Lyles Southampton depot, delivering two loads of 6 tons of sugar products to shops, wholsalers etc daily.

later l progressed to the ten ton Bedford artIics, again delivering two ten ton loads daily, to shops, wjholesalers, bakeries, sweet manufacturers, and the ocean liners at Southampton docks.

We of course were dependant for our supplies from the two London Sugar refineries, three of our four Bedford Artics done the night trunk to London, leaving about 7.00 pm returning about 7.00 am, their engines barely rested. And three 8 ton rigid bedfords ran the opposite way, from London to Southampton twice a day.

Also somedays big Scamels, and Fodens used to arrive at our depot. In those days we were the kings of the road, with well maintained lorries and tankers.

Sadly, these days, the only Tate vehicles that can be seen on the roads are the occaisonal tanker, l wonder how the packet sugars gets ino the supermarkets and shops?

Last year l went to Liverpool for a few days to see the Liverpool 2008 Culture city of Europe.  I drove along the road running alongside the docks, Regent Road l think it was, saw the big old sugar silo, and the conveyer crossing the road.

I also saw a small Tate & Lyle depot on the right hand side of the road, with storage tanks and a couple of road tankers there. i even stopped and went into the small office where the young lady could not tell me where the old Sugar Refinery.

Like Love Lane, the Tate & Lyle depots have disappeared off the face of the earth.

I would be very grateful if any one has photos of old Tate & Lyle lorries.

In the 1950’s l worked at Tate & Lyles Southampton depot, delivering two loads of 6 tons of sugar products to shops, wholsalers etc daily.

later l progressed to the ten ton Bedford artics, again delivering two ten ton loads daily, to shops, wjholesalers, bakeries, sweet manufacturers, and the ocean liners at Southampton docks.

We of course were dependant for our supplies from the two London Sugar refineries, three of our four Bedford Artics done the night trunk to London, leaving about 7.00 pm returning about 7.00 am, their engines barely rested. And three 8 ton rigid bedfords ran the opposite way, from London to Southampton twice a day.

Also somedays big Scamels, and Fodens used to arrive at our depot. In those days we were the kings of the road, with well maintained lorries and tankers.

Sadly, these days, the only Tate vehicles that can be seen on the roads are the occaisonal tanker, l wonder how the packet sugars gets ino the supermarkets and shops?

Last year l went to Liverpool for a few days to see the Liverpool 2008 Culture city of Europe.  I drove along the road running alongside the docks, Regent Road l think it was, saw the big old sugar silo, and the conveyer crossing the road.

I also saw a small Tate & Lyle depot on the right hand side of the road, with storage tanks and a couple of road tankers there. i even stopped and went into the small office where the young lady could not tell me where the old Sugar Refinery.

Like Love Lane, the Tate & Lyle depots have disappeared off the face of the earth.

I would be very grateful if any one has photos of old Tate & Lyle lorries.

I’ve just watched and really enjoyed the film. It brought back memories of my dad (Bob Bannister) and all of the Tate and Lyle crowd. I remember going in to Love Lane as a child and being overwhelmed by the size of the place but always being taken aback by the friendliness of the people. I never left without a pocket full of sweets and money! Looking back and remembering there was a real sense of community in Love Lane and years later if I was ever out with my dad wed more than likely bump in to former Tate’s people and I’d be treated (and it was) to some of the old stories.  My favourite was my dad finding great overnight digs in Leominster at Mrs Chambers (who by then was well in to her 70s!) and wanting to wind up the other drivers (Frank Callaghan,Tucker Price and Oweny Moran) keeping her name and address a secret from them. So they used to try and follow him to track it down. I’ve still got visions of Tate’s lorries on a Smokey and the bandit run through the Welsh hills!!
Thanks for keeping the memory of Love Lane and all those great old scousers alive.
Brian

Thanks to Ron Noon and Bobby Austin Hillside’s Sugar Week was a resounding success. The pupils learnt about the history of sugar in Liverpool and really got to grips with the effect of the factory closure on the local community; their letters to Margaret Thatcher are realistic and emotional and you can’t quite believe they have been written by 12 year olds in 2009, nearly 30 years after the closure. Every subject area in the school got involved in the week and the finished displays around school are amazing. Bobby went down a storm and has been back since to give talks to more pupils. they are amazed by his stories and his fabulous first hand knowledge. A big thanks to all involved.

Just introduced year 7 pupils at Hillside High to the Love Lane Lives project. They have started to produce some fantastic Podcasts about the project and the ‘White Gold’ - pupils are really interested in the experiences of the Boys and Girls from the White Stuff!

The staff in the ICT department have already taken note of several Podcasts which are coming along nicely, and may even be submitted for use on this website.

Further posts to follow…

I have just read the Poem,very good! I also remember the “‘Andy Gang”,also known as “The Untouchables”.....“We can’t touch that,that’s thingy’s job”......“we can’t touch that,that’s oozit’s job”...etc.

I don’t know who else might be reading these entries,but here are a few more people I remember from my time at Tates.
  Bob Daniells, Frank Till,Ted Mercer,(his son,Jeff was also a Process Apprentice).Tommy Roach,Tommy Hepworth,Denis O’Sullivan,Joe Woods.
  On the Pans were Johnny Swords,Dickie Hart,John Jackson,Peter Haylwood,Jimmy Quinn,Jack Robbie(Robinson),Gerry Greer,Bill Worthington,Bobby Austin, to name but a few!

Gerry Townsend? Don’t you mean Gerry Townley?

JUST WATCHED LOVE LANE LIVES AND IT REMINDED ME GREAT MEMORIES.
I WAS A PROCESS APPRENTICE, STARTING 1979, TO NEAR THE TATE & LYLE CLOSURE.
JOHN PEDLETON, GLEN KEARNS, LOL WAINRIGHT, PAUL SMITH, BOB ?? WERE THE SAME YEAR APPRENTCICES. GERRY TOWSNEND WAS OUR TRAINING MANAGER. Not only did we learn sugar technology , we learnt a lot about life during our apprenticeship.Great days

An enjoyable film.It was good to see some old faces,I worked at Tates from leaving school in 1965 until the closure.My father also worked at the factory as a Process Clerk for many years.
  I started as a Process Apprentice, working in most parts of the factory eventually becoming a Pansman in No1 Refinery, finishing up as one of the Yellows Pansmen.
  After a long absence I was recently in the area,the only thing I recognized was Burlington Street bridge and that only because it was named!
  Pity there isn’t a forum on the site,it would be interesting to read other people’s recollections/stories.

I really enjoyed the film it brought back so many memories for me even though i was a youngster/teenager my dad (nicked named Wiggy) worked at tate’s for 37 years as a driver on the tanker’s and he loved every minute of it, all the people i met from tate’s at the christmas party’s at bibbys playing fields and panto’s in the empire all put on by tate’s it was a crying shame what happened they took away tate’s but they will never take away the memories.thank’s to all for sharing this adventure Jimmy Wignall Jnr.