THE MILLERS TALE AS GARDNER'S WORK MATES HOLD REUNION PARTY

Hats off to Kevin Martin Coen, who somehow single - handedly managed to track down and invite some two dozen or more of his ex workmates from Gardner's Engineering, Peel Green, Eccles, men from the Milling Department for a reunion party at The Eccles Cross, pub in... obviously... Eccles.

For those of you too young too remember, Gardner's was one of the biggest employees in the Eccles area with some 2,200 men and women employed there making what many people consider to be the best diesel engines in the world, until it ceased production in the mid 1990s.

The first time I met Kevin was in the Winter of 1980 when along with Ray Lowry we visited the factory during a workers occupation, protesting at forced redundancies, a fight they won.

I asked Kevin why he had arranged this reunion and a few questions about his time at Gardner's.

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"I started work there in 1971 and left in 1983, it was an incredible place to work with so many characters and I made so many friends, many of whom I am still in touch with today.

I  felt that we were all getting, how shall we say, a bit older? and so I decided to track down former workmates and set up a WhatsApp messenger group and I was delighted with the response, everybody that I contacted has come here today, which shows the affection these men have not only for each other but the company.

They have travelled from Cambridge, Yorkshire, Blackpool, Wales, Westhoughton, Stalybridge and the local area to be here, and I am delighted to see so many old faces. perhaps name tags would have been a good idea, as facial recognition to be polite I struggled with!"

 

Many had brought with them scrapbooks full of newspaper cuttings about Gardner's, and other engineering companies, photos were handed around the tables, often to roars of laughter as the memories came flooding back to them, and tales were told of life in an engineering environment, many I can't relate, for obvious reasons.

Watching these men, who I had never met before it was obvious there was a special bond between them, men like Mick Brightman, Terry Dewitt, Dave Walton, Tom Farrelly, Pete Neill, Dave Bowcock, Stuart Ivers, Rob Vincent, Dominick Kelly, Rob Pollock and many more, it would be fair to say it was a joyous occasion and I felt privileged to be sat in their company for a few hours.

Will there be an another reunion? 

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"I am 100 per cent certain there will be, we had a great time and after 30 minutes chatting it was as if there had never been this 40 year gap, when I got home last night I was showered  with messages from those attended, asking when is the next one, so the answer is a resounding, yes!"