Title: The Modern Gentleman Post by: seamus on June 19, 2006, 08:00:40 PM There must be some grave turning in the Midlands after the news today showing the wholesale shifting of the MG plant to China. How long before we are being asked to put down our orders for the latest ‘Modern Gentleman’? Yuk! Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: ifm on June 20, 2006, 03:56:32 AM Well seeing as there have been none built in the midlands for a year and the plant has been empty with no employees for that time and nobody actually believed it would reopen, none.
Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: seamus on June 20, 2006, 11:18:48 AM Well seeing as there have been none built in the midlands for a year and the plant has been empty with no employees for that time and nobody actually believed it would reopen, none. What is it that makes you think that a plant in the Midlands is necessary for the MG to make a re-appearance? Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: ifm on June 20, 2006, 11:29:47 AM I was saying that nobody actually thought it would reopen so not too many hopes have been dashed here.
I live in Birmingham and had a few friends at Longbridge. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: tikay on June 20, 2006, 12:14:04 PM It is rather surreal that they removed every single piece of machinery, lock, stock & barrel, to China. If BBC News is to be believed, it took 2,000 Containers to ship the lot across to China - 2,000! What is happening to the Longbridge property now? I happen to own a good few shares in a Company by the name of St Modwen Properties - a superbly managed Company - and I believe they purchased all, or most, of the land on which the Plant sits at Longbridge from the Administrators. They specialise in "brown field" Housing - i.e., they regenerate old Industial Land & make it suitable for housing, or new Light Industry or Commercial Ofice space. Just curious, really - it must be an absolutely enormous plot of land. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: tikay on June 20, 2006, 12:15:24 PM I was saying that nobody actually thought it would reopen so not too many hopes have been dashed here. I live in Birmingham and had a few friends at Longbridge. So let's get this right - you have friends - plural - is that what you are saying? Extraordinary. Is Flushy one of them? Who is the other one? Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: ifm on June 20, 2006, 12:19:16 PM I've been there, in a former life i used to do subcontract metalwork on car bodies (dent removal on the line/flaws in the material etc.) and have been at every major car manufacturer in the country.
I was there with a mate and i had to go somewhere, i didn't drive at the time so had to walk to the gate to get a bus. It took me half an hour doh!! Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: ifm on June 20, 2006, 12:20:26 PM Can i just point out the "mate" in the last post was a workmate, anything else would be unbelievable.
Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: seamus on June 20, 2006, 12:36:19 PM I was saying that nobody actually thought it would reopen so not too many hopes have been dashed here. I live in Birmingham and had a few friends at Longbridge. Hello ifm I am sure your friends at Longbridge are pretty sick at the way thing turned out. Shafted springs to mind. My ‘grave turning’ reference was an attempt to illustrate yet another sad event in the UK’s engineering demise. My own family was heavily involved in 19thC manufacturing in Wolverhampton. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: Colchester Kev on June 20, 2006, 12:47:02 PM My own family was heavily involved in 19thC manufacturing in Wolverhampton. They must have worked with tikay then .... I think he was an apprentice around that time. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: RED-DOG on June 20, 2006, 01:00:39 PM I went to Coventry transport museum last week, they have exhibits from the 300+ bicycle manufacturers that were based in Coventry, and vehicles from the 1800s to the present day, arranged by decade.
I loved the 1960s section, so nostalgic. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: ifm on June 20, 2006, 01:03:26 PM Is that the National motorcycle museum Tom?
I've been there it's 10 mins from my house on the island of the A45 where the A452 joins, very good, if it's different i recommend you go there too. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: RED-DOG on June 20, 2006, 01:21:16 PM Is that the National motorcycle museum Tom? I've been there it's 10 mins from my house on the island of the A45 where the A452 joins, very good, if it's different i recommend you go there too. No it's different, you go to mine, and I'll go to yours. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: patman on June 20, 2006, 01:24:54 PM Moving factories is not really original.
during the dismantling of the uk steel industry the clydesdale tube mill was dismantled in its entirety by imported chinese workers and shipped bit by bit to china where it is in full operation....rumour has it the guy that slept on the nightshift was shipped too. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: RED-DOG on June 20, 2006, 01:25:52 PM When I say vehicles, mean cars and commercials
Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: seamus on June 20, 2006, 01:40:54 PM Moving factories is not really original. during the dismantling of the uk steel industry the clydesdale tube mill was dismantled in its entirety by imported chinese workers and shipped bit by bit to china where it is in full operation....rumour has it the guy that slept on the nightshift was shipped too. Allegedly we were a bit more clued up when this kind of ‘technology transfer’ began. In the 50’s a Japanese company ordered a ship from Tyneside and insisted on copies of the plans ‘for servicing requirements’. Apparently they immediately set about building one of their own using the same plans and on completion they proudly sent it down the slipway. When it hit the tideway it turned turtle and sank. Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: patman on June 20, 2006, 01:46:37 PM lol seamus, like it
strange how the circle turns though...british mills being used to produce tubes in china at a fraction of the cost we can here...and my company now has to go to poland to get tubes as there is a huge shortage of producers and steel to make them...with prices at all time higha bit like the "it" outsource cycle.. america - britain - czech republic - india - china...and then when their costs rise where do they go... world economics play some funny games Title: Re: The Modern Gentleman Post by: seamus on June 20, 2006, 02:11:04 PM world economics play some funny games And it will be fun fun fun all the way - while it lasts. I’m an amateur ‘China watcher’ and their long-term approach to their development is interesting. Shangai town planners are already anticipating a 5m rise in sea levels for new developments. |