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Editors Introduction.
It is probably difficult for the youngsters of today to appreciate the vast world of industry that once awaited them when they left the school gates for the final time. Fifty or sixty years ago, school leavers were literally spoilt for choice and few had to travel further than Jarrow, Hebburn or Felling. Reyrolle’s provided jobs for a large percentage of former JCS pupils as did the shipbuilding and repair yards of Hawthorn Leslie, Mercantile Dry Dock and Palmers.
Baker Perkins, Bushing Company and a lot of smaller manufacturers made Mid-Tyneside an area of very low unemployment.
George Watt spent some of his formative years in ‘The Real World’ working for another former household name, Noble and Lund.
Here he writes about those years and includes photos and extracts from a local magazine that was published in 1949.
"The Felling" and Noble & Lund
It has often been remarked that when the townsfolk of Felling are asked where they live, the reply is not "Felling" but "THE Felling," indicating a pride and esteem for their native town. This surprises the stranger, who can perceive neither historic monuments nor scenic beauty to justify this superior attitude. However, within this seemingly insignificant small town, a manufacturing company was established which would carry the name of The Felling to many parts of the world.
These notes tell something of the work of Noble & Lund, a local firm which employed local craftsmen and known to many as "Nobles." This article offers the reader a brief account of the origins of this company, its activities, its importance, expressing the skill and craftsmanship of those who were trained and worked there.
At one time or another, most of us who worked for this company came into contact with various members of the then current Noble family who were running the company. However, having worked at this factory from 1953 to 1968, I knew of no one who had ever met or seen a Mr or Mrs Lund. Recently, I discovered a booklet at an antique’s fair which clarified this puzzle for me. Perhaps this and other items make interesting historical reading for some of our former Jarrow Central School readers.
In the years before its demise, Noble & Lund produced some gigantic machine tools. World-beaters of their time. Enormous lathes which turned the propeller shafts of Atlantic passenger liners such as the "Queen Mary." Planing machines that dwarfed ‘busses placed upon them to demonstrate their size. Huge milling machines designed to manufacture the engine bedplates of ocean going ships. Huge turbine borers that populated the machine shops of Parsons and a dozen other places across the world.
Unfortunately, the company no longer exists in the form of which I write but those of us who worked there understood the meaning of hard work and good craftsmanship. One area of the booklet with which I disagree is the claim that each item of manufacture was subject to "stringent inspection." In fact, parts were either exactly right - or exactly wrong. During the time I worked there, 1953 - 1968, none
of the blue prints had any tolerances. "British Standards" did not apply - Harry Noble's did. Not always the easiest of places to work – but possibly one of the best.
Later I worked for Royal Ordnance and ended my career as a Senior Quality Engineer for British Aerospace but I have always felt indebted to Noble & Lund of "The Felling" - Machine Tool Manufacturers extraordinaire.
The following notes are taken from THE
STORY OF NOBLE & LUND, written in 1949 by Frank Hardesty, A.R.I.C, and A.I.M
George Watt
February 2006
Noble & Lund
World Famous Felling Engineers
120 years ago, Tyneside, whilst possessing a great many engineering concerns, lacked any significant company manufacturing Machine Tools. The main centres for this type of work being in Coventry, Manchester, Halifax and Keighley. From the latter town in 1886, a young machine tool designer, Mr H. Noble came to Forth Banks, Newcastle, and in partnership with his brother-in-law, Mr Pearson Lund, set up the firm of Noble & Lund to manufacture machine tools. The venture commenced in a very modest way with about 12 workers but soon began to flourish. In 1893, it was decided the original premises were too small and the company relocated to Felling. The number of employees at this stage had increased to about 30.
With the passing years, the business expanded and larger and larger machines were manufactured. In 1913, it was again necessary to increase the size of the works and acquisition of land doubled the workshop floor. It was here that the company were to build some of the largest machine tools the world had ever seen. These were incredible when one considers how small the factory was. The world's largest lathe, the world's largest plane, the world’s largest milling machine. Unbelievable? - absolutely true.
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