The undocumented Palitoy warehouse, “My Granddad's factory”. Palitoy called it, The Finished Goods Warehouse

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
Andyclarke said:
Fabulous read Laurence and great work. You must be very proud of your grandad and his fantastic legacy. Well done matey and thanks for sharing.

Thank you Andy and yes I am extremely proud of my Granddad.
 

cantinos

Padawan
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Messages
69
Fascinating read. great story.
the upper level doors are probably to future proof the building. Additional floor levels at a later date as said in an earlier post and in my opinion the installing of high level machinery or industrial shelving. easier to bring material in from the outside at the level its needed.
 

racdye

New member
Joined
Oct 17, 2015
Messages
1
I tried to post earlier - a wonderful piece of writing Loz. Thoroughly interesting and a very detailed piece of research. I didn't know this about Grandad W either. No recollection of hearing about it at all - although I must admit, I do have a terrible memory. Looking forward to reading about any further developments. Well done bro - I am your Sister! :D :D :D :D
 

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
racdye said:
I tried to post earlier - a wonderful piece of writing Loz. Thoroughly interesting and a very detailed piece of research. I didn't know this about Grandad W either. No recollection of hearing about it at all - although I must admit, I do have a terrible memory. Looking forward to reading about any further developments. Well done bro - I am your Sister! :D :D :D :D

How did you find your way on here?
The penny has only just dropped but coincidentally the warehouse opened on your birthday.
 

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
cantinos said:
Fascinating read. great story.
the upper level doors are probably to future proof the building. Additional floor levels at a later date as said in an earlier post and in my opinion the installing of high level machinery or industrial shelving. easier to bring material in from the outside at the level its needed.

Apologies for any confusion, the fire door in mid-air was a fire door. It has been clad over now on the outside but the concrete bases still exist on the floor outside for the stairs leading down as attached below.
The newspaper editorial also has the M.E, Engineering Company listed as a supplier who specialised in mezzanine floors so I have deduced that the fire door was for an upper level mezzanine floor.
I have only just noticed that M.E. Engineering also constructed the canopy extension early the following year and had an input into the original build with what I suspect to have been a mezzanine floor.
 

Attachments

  • 20151014_125916.jpg
    20151014_125916.jpg
    230.9 KB · Views: 842
  • 20150729_151912.jpg
    20150729_151912.jpg
    328.8 KB · Views: 839

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
I have a fresh document in with regards to the warehouse. Not much of this is new information although the most interesting item is the statistics after the warehouse being open for 3 and a half years. and a couple of named former employees :wink: .

"In an average year some three quarter of a million cartons will pass through the warehouse and of these some sixty thousand will be export business".

This was before the ESB film and toy range was launched so I would assume before the peak of the Star Wars line. Maybe export increased dramatically in the 80's so maybe these figures topped 1,000,000 cartons at the height of the boom.

http://www.starwarsforum.co.uk/download/file.php?mode=view&id=15108
 

Attachments

  • 20151104_115325.jpg
    20151104_115325.jpg
    149.4 KB · Views: 1,137

Stuart Skinner

Sith Lord
Joined
Apr 29, 2013
Messages
3,165
Just giving this a much deserved bump up the threads as some people may be unaware of the updates Laurence has added to this research.

I had the privilege of speaking with Laurence yesterday evening for the November podcast regarding his collecting habits and this research and its fascinating stuff by someone who has so much passion for the topic, Laurence is truly one of the nicest blokes I've spoken with and his work documenting this has taken him on an awesome journey so be sure to check in with Novembers podcast to hear all about it.

Great research and a great thread. Fingers crossed you can uncover more Mr Dyer.
 

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
One more item I have been meaning to add.
This article was from the Coalville and Ashby Times on 7th February 1986 on page 3. It shows that whilst the production at the Coalville site was being split up. The Sales and Finance office was to remain at Coalville and all other operations including Play-Doh and the quality control where being transferred to Ashby.

I wonder if Ashby was responsible for the Woolworths eight packs?
 

Attachments

  • 20151028_141739.jpg
    20151028_141739.jpg
    167.6 KB · Views: 1,125
  • 20151028_160042.jpg
    20151028_160042.jpg
    148.1 KB · Views: 1,120

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
I received a few fresh images of the warehouse today. I actually stated incorrectly on the post that I had seen two water tanks on Google earth but after re-checking after receiving these photos there is only one :oops: .
These photos where taken when the new owners acquired the site.
The last picture shows a lot of the 10 miles of the pipework running inside the roof for the sprinkler system.
 

Attachments

  • Inner 32 & 21 1.JPG
    Inner 32 & 21 1.JPG
    170.8 KB · Views: 1,103
  • Inner 18 1 Amenity.JPG
    Inner 18 1 Amenity.JPG
    183.8 KB · Views: 1,101
  • 100_3385.JPG
    100_3385.JPG
    224.1 KB · Views: 1,104
  • 100_3388.JPG
    100_3388.JPG
    258.3 KB · Views: 1,106

mr_palitoy

Sith Lord
Joined
Jan 27, 2007
Messages
4,993
Location
London
Finally got round to reading this after listening to you your piece on the podcast. A great piece of investigation and documentation of how a large toy factory is designed and built. If only the dumpsters had still been full!

:)

Jason
 

laurencedyer

Jedi Knight
Joined
Aug 11, 2014
Messages
488
So I just recieved a random picture message from my brother. Nothing too out of the ordinary to receive a message from him and to my surprise when I tapped the image to enlarge it there was an original draft of my factory.
When we were kids growing up in our early teenage year's he aspired to be an architect as my Granddad and Uncle were. My Granddad gave him several set's of drawings that have been rolled up for year's in his possession of various warehouses and building's.
It's only an original draft of the Finished Goods Warehouse. Never thought to check he would have anything , in all fairness totally forgot he had any plan's and didn't have the foresight to check.
Totally made my day, just got to extract them from him now.

Denys Fisher Toy's LTD.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_1588.jpg
    IMG_1588.jpg
    30.1 KB · Views: 1,072
Old Thread: Hello . There have been no replies in this thread for 365 days.
Content in this thread may no longer be relevant.
Perhaps it would be better to start a new thread instead.

Latest posts

Top Bottom