Just listening to sounds of the sixties from this morning and the Swinging Blue Jeans version of Good Golly Miss Molly came on. This brought back memories of when I was 7 and my Dad working at Mullards. In the early 1960s they used to have a brilliant Christmas Party for kids. I always remember Christmas 1963 when there was a joint party for the Simonstone and Southport factories. Can’t remember where exactly but Mullards put a special train on. The Swinging Blue Jeans played a set at the party and I remember them playing Good Golly Miss Molly. I was absolutely knocked out when Hippy Hippy Shake hit the charts in early 1964 and my Dad told me that was the same group from the Mullards party. Did anybody else have relatives working at Mullards in 1963 and go to that same party?

My dad worked at Mullards from 1957 to 1980 and I remember going to 2 Christmas parties in the 60s. Think 1 was at Blackburn Town Hall & there were special buses on. The other was at the old Lucas(?) Sports Club near Burnley Bus Station and I recall the entertainment was a marching pipe band which got pelted with fruit & bread as it proceeded around the venue!

The venue changed - I remember one taking place at Burnley Municipal College, in the Refectory

My mum worked there from the 70s pretty much through to it closing. My grandad worked there for a bit too and I did a few summer stints there in the late 90s as a student.

I think the kids parties were a thing of the past by my childhood, but I do remember going on pantomime trips organised by Mullards/Philips.

We used to have our primary school discos there in the 90s, you can’t imagine that would every be allowed now. Parents all having a beer and a good time whilst kids ran riot. If memory serves me right, it was stopped because some lads from year 4 decided to peel all the wall paper off the wall in the toilets

My dad worked there and I seem to remember a trip to Stockport? to see a pantomime “ starring” Vince Hill.

And maybe some Christmas parties at The Cats Whiskers? Or am I imagining that?

Claretitus wrote: ↑

Sat Feb 10, 2024 5:24 pm

And maybe some Christmas parties at The Cats Whiskers? Or am I imagining that?

I went to one in the early 70s which I thought was at the cat's whiskers the only thing I can remember is a show on stage which was a diddy men themed with lots of singing and custard pies.With both my parents no longer here I have nobody to ask I also vaguely remember a pantomime trip

I remember the Prestige Christmas party at the Locarno Ballroom (later Cat's Whiskers) around mid sixties. Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders were on , the rotating stage was amazing at the time.

Was that the Mullards that made valves? They're all pretty much made in Eastern Europe now.

I think the ones I buy for my amps come from Poland.

I went to some great kid’s Christmas parties at the Masonic Lodge at Nelson Square off Manchester Road.
These days I take groups of disadvantaged kids to the London Taxi Driver’s Mad Hatter’s Tea Party, funded by the Taxi Driver’s Charity for Children, which is brilliant but exhausting!

mullards at simonstone made cathode ray tubes and colour guns. i'm not sure if they made valves.

my mum was a shop steward there for many a year and i used to love those parties. you used to get a gift and i remember one year getting a tool box!

when i went they were held in padiham but i can't quite remember where. was it the white horse?

They did some of the valve assembly at Simonstone, which was one of a number of Feeder Factories for the Blackburn site. I worked at both.

yTib wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 11, 2024 4:24 pm

mullards at simonstone made cathode ray tubes and colour guns. i'm not sure if they made valves.

my mum was a shop steward there for many a year and i used to love those parties. you used to get a gift and i remember one year getting a tool box!

when i went they were held in padiham but i can't quite remember where. was it the white horse?

I knew most of the Shop Stewards there - what was her name?

back then she went by jackie steele.

I knew her very well and also her then in-laws, Ronnie and Doreen - she also worked there.

dougcollins wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 11, 2024 1:07 pm

Was that the Mullards that made valves? They're all pretty much made in Eastern Europe now.

I think the ones I buy for my amps come from Poland.

Yes, I’ve seen valves with Mullards name on. And like you I get my valves from east Europe now.

jos wrote: ↑

Sun Feb 11, 2024 6:09 pm

Yes, I’ve seen valves with Mullards name on. And like you I get my valves from east Europe now.

The Mullards' EL34 valves were something else, brilliant sound. Having just looked around the net they are collectors' items now, with a cost to match.

If any old employees have any at home I'd definitely be interested!