BermondseyBoy

kiwi wrote:Rollins Street, Ebonestos Excelsior Works. X..jpgRollins Street, Ebonestos Excelsior Works c1951. X..jpgRollins Street,1955. 2 X..jpg

Hi Ray,

Several members of my family and a number of our old neighbours worked at Ebonestos Industries Ltd.
My nan and grandad (Anne & Walter Couzins) worked there for many years... Grandad was an engineering supervisor and nan worked in the canteen.
During the war, a lot of the plastic and bakelite production was turned over to the war effort... Some of it quite hush-hush apparently!
At some point, in the 1930's I think, part of the site became British Homophone, a vinyl record pressing plant.
It became very well known for producing early Reggae and Ska on it's Bluebeat label.

One of mum's evening jobs was office cleaning at British Homophone, I was enlisted to help out on the odd occasion.
In the late 70's, mum was informed that the business had been sold but her job carried over to the new owner.
She arrived one evening, to very loud music being played in the offices above the plant.
She had a key and let herself into the office... she walked in to find a group of guys, most with dreadlocks, listening to the music!
Mum was somewhat shocked, when one of the guys stepped forward to introduce himself.
"Oh, you must be Sylvia" he said.
"I'm the new owner - Eddie Grant!"
Mum knew him from the 60's band The Equals, but at that time, was probably better known for his songs I don't want to dance and Electric Avenue.
He didn't stay there for very long, he eventually moved the business to the Caribbean, but mum said he was a lovely bloke!