It's a bit of a long story that I won't bore you with, but last month I ended up taking 7 Cowley built cars into Templars Square shopping centre, which is about a mile or so from MINI Plant Oxford and the old North and South Works. I was there for 6 days, Saturday through to Thursday.
The shopping centre is 50 years old this year and was built for the Cowley workers. Many past and some current employees still use the Centre, so I knew it would be a great opportunity to talk to former employees, hear their stories and a good opportunity for them to be able to reminisce. Sadly, Cowley doesn't have anything similar to the Pride of Longbridge and there a few opportunities for both local people and former workers to celebrate Cowley built cars and to be able to see them.
Former employees particularly enjoyed telling me about the bodges that went on, cars falling out of cradles etc. I had some pointing at the Marina and Maestro saying I slept on the back seats of those (in breaks or when the track had stopped)!
Some of the former employees were quite emotional about seeing the cars. I had all different ranges of working there, from half a day up to 48 years. Many of them had worked there for 30 years plus.
It was also a good opportunity to talk to younger people about Cowley built cars. Most of them knew the MINI factory, but not many knew that Cowley had been building cars for 101 years and the variety of different models that had been built there. The Centre is in an area of social deprivation and I knew that I would have unaccompanied kids to manage. They tended to be in groups of two to four, aged between 5 and 10 years old. They lived locally and were used to being out and about by themselves and were reasonably streetwise. Although they could be a handful they were all interested and wanted to know about the cars. I had a couple of boys about 7 and 8 years old who wanted to sit in the Bullnose. The Bullnose has a pipe rack with a pipe resting in it and the eldest boy picked up the pipe and asked me if it was for weed. It was a genuine question as cannabis is commonly used by a number of families in the area and I know lots of teenagers who openly talk about using it. I just told them it was for tobacco and left it at that!
I had all the windows on the cars open so that people could smell the interiors. I had a boy of about 10 years asking me why the windows were open. I explained why and with a puzzled expression on his face told me that it wouldn't be possible as the car alarms would go off!
Next year we're going to have a larger display and I already have some volunteers to help me man it which is great. I'll be able to do Bullnose though to MINI and hopeful to have around 12 to 15 cars.
Generally people were good with the cars, and it's just a question of engaging with them and when necessary, reminding them to be careful. Pushchairs weren't' too much of a problem, but I did worry a bit about mobility scooters, as some can be a little too quick for my liking!
Although I was shattered by the end, it was a real privilege to meet so many former workers, hear their stories and to be able to tell young people about Cowley's history.
Here's some pics of the cars:
Here's Beverley who worked at Cowley for 17 years. She was a CO2 welder, but also fitted trim on Maestro doors, hence she's pointing at the door.
Here's a very proud Alec with his old Morris Motors clock tag that he carries everywhere with him. The EM is for Electrical Maintenance and the when Cowley became computerised, 35 was added in front of the 289 to make his new clock number. 
Here's Well Well Well Walter, as I nicknamed him. He was so surprised to see the cars that he just stood there looking at them and saying 'well, well, well'. He had worked at Cowley for 30 years and two days. He came back a couple of days later to show me his old site pass.
Here's John, who calls himself Mr Montego as he was responsible for Montego's timing for the three years prior to in coming into production. He stayed with Montego until production ceased and had 13 of them as company cars. He's a compete Montego devotee!
I didn't get the name of this man as he was deaf mute. However, he pointed to all the cars that he had worked on and was very proud to show me his long service watch. I had a number of former workers showing me their long service watches.
Here's Juanita who worked at Cowley for 11 years. She was mainly in the trim shop.
Edited by Tanya, 05 October 2014 - 10:29 PM.
