Kathleen Kennedy's Memories of Working in Great Yarmouth

Memories of the different companies and businesses in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston

By Laura Matthews

I worked at Heatrod Elements in Gorleston in 1972 for 8 weeks. There was a factory next door called Swallow Prams that made prams and on the other side was a frozen food factory called Rosling Frozen Foods.

I moved to Bejoss, which was a lingerie factory in Gorleston High Street where we also made baby clothes. Ronald Piper was the manger I remember that the canteen window faced the river so we could see the boats come in at Christmas time they had Christmas trees on the masts. I was told Bejoss used to be the Birds Eye Club. It was a German firm we sewed for Tesco, Woolworth's and other places. When I lived there the Birds Eye Club was just over the Haven Bridge going towards Southtown.

Next door to Bejoss was Mattie's confectioner; there were a few of them in Great Yarmouth and Gorleston. There was a Woolworth's further down the High Street and a post office.  Somewhere in Gorleston was a Johnson's Sewing Factory they made overalls. They also had a factory on The Conge in Great Yarmouth and one on The South Denes.  There was a spaghetti factory over in Cobhome. The Horses that pulled the Landau's on the front were kept in Cobhome.

There was Corona Pop factory in Yarmouth and Smiths Crisps I think they were down in the Northgate street area. There was Erie Electronics on the South Denes also Birds Eye, a Slipper factory, a factory that made jumpers and Docra's had a rock factory there. There was Grouts Silk Mills that had once been called Jersey Knapwood. Over the Vauxhall Bridge was weaving mill that wove material for wedding dresses.

This page was added by Laura Matthews on 22/11/2007.
Comments about this page

The Johnsons factory was on Pier Plain and the Smiths crisp factory was on Caister Road, almost on the spot where a Shell fuel station now stands, before the heli-station, 1p. bags of broken crisps, what a delight.

By George Hunter
On 22/11/2008

Cobholm is how it's spelt, but not to worry, and if my memory serves me still, Pasta Foods do still operate in the ourtskirts of Cobholm, just on the right hand side of the A 12 bypass road.

By G. Hunter
On 28/09/2009

i remember only too well Smiths crisps this was the first place i worked when i left school there were always jobs there if some one was looking for work.  I also remember the pub next to Smiths it was called the Bure Hotel, I had many laughts with my friends, Lorraine Roper being one off them and I met my husband there too.  Yes those were the days .  One could smell the crisps cooking, Smiths was a picture at night all lit up.  It was happy memories for a lot of people, its a shame it gone.

By yana
On 28/07/2010

In the early 60's my mother, grandmother, grandfather,uncle & myself worked @ Smiths Crisps. It was one of my first jobs after leaving school.

By Trevor Nicholls
On 05/08/2011

In the early 60's my mother, grandmother, grandfather,uncle & myself worked @ Smiths Crisps. It was one of my first jobs after leaving school.

By Trevor Nicholls
On 05/08/2011

I remember seeing the Smiths Crisps factory from the river as we cruised past in our hire craft( late 1960's and early 70's ). On the factory was a large sign in blue and red lettering saying " Smiths Crisps - Take Us With You". The site is now a new development of up-market homes.

By craig
On 23/12/2011
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