Below is the second article written and published by Stephen Dunn in the local Mayfield Parish magazine:
Bowmer Bond, sitting on Mayfield’s doorstep and Mayfield’s largest employer, has always been a family firm and families have been at the heart of the company since it was started in 1795 by William Bond. When it came to Mayfield in 1865 and the existing mill was first built, families were an important part of the company.
In fact, families moved from the original site at Alrewas with the company to Mayfield and lived in cottages built for workers’ families on-site, as seen in the above picture (now demolished apart from two at the far right end – still lived in today).
One of those families that travelled to Mayfield to start a new life with the company was the Lownds family in 1866. Mabel Lownds, an original member of Mayfield Heritage Group and well known in our village, was born and for a time lived in one of the eight cottages on the side of the river next to the mill. The cottages were small by today’s standards with the living room and kitchen downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. Mabel recalled at one time there were seven of her family living in the house, her granddad, mum and dad, her sister, two brothers, and herself. After Mabel left the mill yard, she lived with her sister in the village but still worked at the mill.
In the year 2000, the company produced a book about their history and, just before she died in 1999, Mabel contributed a variety of stories and information including the time she fell into the bleaching pit, but very, fortunately, did not splash the liquid into her eyes or she would have lost her sight and in fact, said just leaning over the pit made your eyes sting from the fumes. She also remembered another woman falling into a dye bath and coming out both red with embarrassment and red all over her skin! Times, thank goodness, have changed for the better.
Another well-known Mayfield person, who spent 46 years working for the company, was Molly Flinton who has only recently died. One of Molly’s earliest recollections when she joined in 1940, was the company hiring coaches to take the employees to Mappleton church for the funeral of Captain Harvey Bond the son of G M Bond who had run the mill since 1889. Having served in the First World War, Captain Bond was the owner for only four years before he died at the start of World War Two.
Molly remembered the War well with many humorous stories, “During the War, we were issued with tin helmets. Starting on the ground floor, each department went in turn, and me, a weaver, being on the top floor, was one of the last to receive one. All the smaller helmets had gone and those left came over my ears which caused much laughter! In due course, a small helmet was found and I was back to my work on the looms after my hanging my helmet on a peg next to my gas mask at the end of my working alley.”
Molly also remembered the generosity of the Bond family on the occasion of the annual works outing. Most companies gave their employees a works outing, usually to the seaside. From Mayfield, the nearest seaside town was Skegness just over 100 miles due east of Mayfield. However, as Molly recalls, Skegness was not good enough for Bond’s employees:
‘In July 1948, we travelled all the way to Blackpool – the best seaside resort, in specially charted coaches, and we had a chicken lunch which was served at a restaurant on the South Shore. We were then all given some money to buy our tea!’. Luxury indeed.
Afternoon tea was a popular thing with Bonds and, in 1967, Molly remembers a number of workers being presented with long service clocks or watches by Mrs. Harvey Bond with a special tea afterward in the canteen.
The mill also provided perks for those people living on the estate, particularly the dye house facilities including the drying room. In the days before hot water boilers in houses, the drying room was a source of free hot water collected in buckets for every household and the drying room officially used for drying narrow fabrics and tapes was also popular for drying the family washing during wet weather, or at any time. This was taken for granted to such an extent that when there was so much fabric and tapes being dried it left no room for hanging up clothes, complaints were made to the dye house manager!
This emphasis on family still continues to date in a factory where many people have family members or relatives working alongside them and also there is an atmosphere of factory employees being like an extended family. The company is very proud of its ‘Roll of Honour’ plaque on the premises that records employees’ length of service. After 10 years service, you join the Bronze club then move up to the Silver club (15yrs), Gold club (20yrs), and finally the Diamond Club for 25 years’ service or more. It is surprising to see how many names of Mayfield residents are on the current board as well as lots of names you would recognise on previous role of honour boards.
In 1995 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of the company, the team at Bowmer Bond was photographed. There are 81 employees along with the, then, local MP Patrick Mcloughlin. Many of them were from Mayfield, many still here today (including a young Jacqui Forrest – now Messer, known to this writer) and some still working for Bowmer Bond 27 years on.
Now that’s a family company. S.D.
The OT Show 2024
Ashbourne Show 2024
Bowmer Bond is a proud sponsor of Ashbourne Show, supporting this local tradition which demonstrates what community spirit is all about. This weekend saw the 132nd Ashbourne Show take place on Osmaston Polo Ground, near Ashbourne in Derbyshire, just a couple of miles up the road from the home of Bowmer Bond. […]
Posted 8th August 2022 by Bowmer Bond
