The sporting life of GKN employees

It’s not often that I drive around with a car full of silverware, but that’s exactly what happened last September following a visit to a former Guest, Keen & Nettlefolds (GKN) site in Darlaston.

I had been contacted by the director of a company on the site of the GKN Atlas works.  He had discovered a collection of interesting photo albums, some of which showed the damage done to the site by enemy air raids in the 1940s. Once we had pored over these fascinating albums, he opened a cupboard to reveal a plethora of silver and silver-plated trophies. They were tarnished and very dusty, but I could see straight away that they had a story to tell.

A trophy for every sport

We talk a lot these days about ‘work-life balance’, and the need to prevent work from taking over your life. However, a man or woman working for GKN in its heyday would expect their employer to provide a social life alongside their job. GKN boasted recreation grounds and social clubs, choirs and gardening groups, and organised tournaments in pretty much every sport you can think of.

The most impressive of the trophies we discovered that day is the E. A. Probyn Challenge Bowl ‘Angling Section’. This magnificent rose bowl was made in 1926 and remained in use until the 1970s. Hallmarks can provide a wealth of information, and this bowl bears the mark of William Hutton & Sons, silversmiths based in Birmingham, Sheffield and London. You can see the bowl in the GKN exhibition on the first floor.

Fishing and then some

Fishing was clearly a popular pastime for GKN employees. The GKN (Midlands) Sports Club Angling Trophy was made in Birmingham in 1925 by William Neale & Sons and later engraved in 1960. It’s now on display above the merchandise in the Gift Shop.

Darts and snooker provided entertainment in the pub after work, but trophies were on offer here too. The GKN Sports and Social Club Darts Shield (1972-3) carries an enamelled image of a dart board. An enamelled triangle of red snooker balls adorns the L. H. Newton & Co. Snooker Shield. Newtons was a subsidiary of GKN, and this shield cements the link between the pub and the snooker table. It was presented by Mitchells & Butlers brewery! It was also locally made by Birmingham Medal and Badge Co. Ltd – both these shields are also on display in the Gift Shop.

Competition in the workplace 

Competition extended into the workplace too, and apprentices were rewarded for outstanding work. This grand award, the E. W. Sharp Memorial Shield, was presented to the Apprentice of the Year. The escutcheons around the edge show that it was first presented in 1955. Classical figures are depicted on the shield with laurel wreaths to symbolise victory, and the olive branches of peace. 

It’s been exciting to get some of these trophies cleaned up and put on public display. Not only do they celebrate the vibrant social life of GKN employees, but they also provide a link to the silversmiths and badge-makers of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

Henrietta Lockhart
Curator