Fairfax House (General)

by mcowan @, Sunday, August 12, 2018, 17:42 (2304 days ago)

Does anyone know where Fairfax House was? It was a place of business where my Mother worked in the Accounts Department in 1949. It was a large brick building. She lived in Lydney but it could be anywhere in the Forest. Thanks.

Fairfax House

by probinson @, S. Oxon, Sunday, August 12, 2018, 18:18 (2304 days ago) @ mcowan

Sounds like you may have a picture of it? Any chance of posting it here? Someone might recognise it.

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Monday, August 13, 2018, 19:53 (2302 days ago) @ probinson

I've just sent a photo of the office staff outside the front door of Fairfax House, it doesn't show much of the building as it is mainly of the staff. Other photos I have that were taken at the same time show that part of the building was white painted brick and there was a single storey extension (the accounts department) which was used as a large balcony.
Thanks.

Photo now added to the posting.
Admin

[image]

Fairfax House

by alison2 @, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 11:56 (2302 days ago) @ mcowan

Could it have been the Old Coop Building in Newerne Street Lydney (same site as where the present coop building stands?

Fairfax House

by MPGriffiths @, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 14:27 (2302 days ago) @ alison2

?????

Googling: Fairfax House Co-operative Society - Lydney

under the website

Bristol & District Co-opertive Society The first Co-oper.../Flickr


'But the war marked a cross-roads. The department store in Castle Street was one of the few to survive the Blitz, and traded on, a lone bastion in the wasteland (as recently as 1960 it had a 'Mantles' department) until Broadmead was re-developed and plans to build Fairfax House was laid. etc etc' ..... Fairfax House was demolished in 1988 to make way for the Galleries Shopping Mall'


If you Google Fairfax House, Broadmead Bristol - there are some old pictures 'on the net'

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 14:50 (2302 days ago) @ MPGriffiths

The photo was taken by Dean Forest Newspapers so wouldn't be Bristol

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 15:25 (2302 days ago) @ alison2

I don't remember what the old co op looked like, it could be an good idea.

Fairfax House

by probinson @, S. Oxon, Tuesday, August 14, 2018, 21:11 (2301 days ago) @ mcowan

Not much to go on but the steps are something someone might remember. Also, it looks to me like the building/wall is curved. Unless it's an optical illusion. Putting my photographer's head on - a wide angle lens could cause it to look curved but, if this was taken by a news photographer in 1949, it's very unlikely he would be using a wide angle lens. Maybe the other photos you have could clarify this?

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 12:36 (2301 days ago) @ probinson

I agree the building does look curved. The other photos are on the roof of the Accounts department so don't really give any more clues.

Fairfax House

by probinson @, S. Oxon, Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 14:19 (2301 days ago) @ mcowan

A shot in the dark but I found this image on Alamy which is described as taken in Lydney Harbour Industrial Estate. It's white painted brick and looks to be of similar construction. From the angle I would say this was an upper floor so probably two floors.

[image]

Fairfax House

by probinson @, S. Oxon, Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 14:28 (2301 days ago) @ mcowan

Would be interesting to see if the type of brick and the way they are laid in the white painted walls in your other pictures match the one I've just posted as in your original picture they don't. But that could be just because it's a different part of the building.

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Wednesday, August 15, 2018, 15:58 (2301 days ago) @ probinson

I posted the photo on I grew up in Lydney Facebook page and if it had been Pine End (as in your pic) I would have thought someone would have recognized it as many people have worked there over the years. Thank you very much for all your investigating.

Fairfax House

by probinson @, S. Oxon, Thursday, August 16, 2018, 10:10 (2300 days ago) @ mcowan

In 40 or so working years of solving problems, I've learnt never to disregard any possibilities - no matter how unlikely they seem. I've also learnt that just because there is no evidence of something, doesn't mean to say it isn't so. It just means you haven't found the evidence yet. It's surprising how often these are true in family history research too.

I hope you find the answer somewhere.

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Thursday, August 16, 2018, 12:32 (2300 days ago) @ probinson

Very true,thanks

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Monday, August 20, 2018, 19:37 (2296 days ago) @ mcowan

People seem to be saying that it is Whitecroft Pin Factory

Fairfax House

by mcowan @, Monday, August 20, 2018, 20:05 (2295 days ago) @ mcowan

Alan Day has a website (the-pin-factory.com) that proves my photos are of Whitecroft Pin Factory.

Fairfax House

by Jefff @, West London, Middlesex, Tuesday, August 21, 2018, 00:58 (2295 days ago) @ mcowan

The shape plus the windows and prominent brickwork does certainly look like the semi-circular portion shown bang in the centre of this Sungreen photo, lots more Pin factory photos and newspaper clippings on there too.
Glad you found it !

https://www.sungreen.co.uk/Whitecroft-Glos/whitecroft_pin_factory.html

RSS Feed of thread

powered by my little forum