Pickles

Minimax factory entrance, Faggs Road Feltham

July 22, 2008 By Pickles 10 Comments

Minimax Factory – Faggs Rd, Feltham – Architect unknown – date unknown.

Faggs Road factory doorway

I love this doorway, which is all that remains of a factory on the corner of Faggs Road and Staines Road in Feltham, very close to Heathrow Airport and Hatton Cross. I just don’t know anything about it. If anyone has any info I’d love to hear it. In the meantime I have to get on with some more research. (tbc…)

Thanks to P Casling (see comments) I now know its the Minimax factory!

Filed Under: architect unknown, Outer London Tagged With: 1920s, 1930s, architectural remains, art deco factory, Chubb, doorway, entrance, Faggs Road Feltham, faience, Feltham, fire extinguisher factory, Heathrow, industrial remains, London, Minimax, Pyrene, unknown architect

Curry’s factory – 991 Great West Road

July 22, 2008 By Pickles 2 Comments

The Curry’s factory / 991 Great West Road – 1936 – F E Simkins

main entrance to Curry's factory

Pickles at former Curry's factory

Restored by Foster and Partners between 1997 and 2000 for J C Decaux.

Filed Under: FE Simkins, Great West Road (A4), Norman Foster & Partners Tagged With: 1930s, 991 Great West Road, A4, architecture, art deco, Curry's, Curry's factory, dog, factory, Foster and Partners, Golden Mile, industrial growth, inter-war, JC Decaux, modernism, Norman Foster restoration

Great West Road – “The Golden Mile”

July 21, 2008 By Pickles 1 Comment

overlooking the (not quite so anymore) Golden Mile

Me on the foot bridge between the old Firestone Factory and the Pyrene factory.

Looking east along the ‘Golden Mile’ towards Chiswick, you can still see the former Curry’s factory, but many of the other art deco factories have gone now. You can just see the top of the new(ish) Glaxo Smith Kline HQ.

Filed Under: Great West Road (A4) Tagged With: 1920s, 1930s, A4, art deco factory, Brentford, bridge, Chiswick, Curry's factory, dog, dog on bridge looking, Firestone, Glaxo Smith Kline, Golden Mile, Great West Road, inter-war development, isleworth, JC Decaux, London roads, Pickles th Dog, Pyrene

Pyrene building, ‘Golden Mile’

July 14, 2008 By Pickles 2 Comments

Pyrene Building, Great West Road, Brentford – 1929-30 – Wallis, Gilbert and Partners

Former fire extinguisher factory, opposite the Firestone Factory.

Pyrene factory entrance

Pyrene factory

Filed Under: Great West Road (A4), Wallis, Gilbert and Partners Tagged With: 1920s, 1930s, A4 London, art deco, Carillion, dog, Golden Mile, Great West Road, inter-war, London, Pyrene factory, Wallis Gilbert & Partners

India of Inchinnan

July 8, 2008 By Pickles 1 Comment

India of Inchinnan, Renfrewshire – 1929 – Thomas Wallis of Wallis, Gilbert and Partners

India of Inchinnan

Built on the site of a former airship construction station, where they built the R34 airship, which made the first ever transatlantic air crossing in both directions in 1919. The new art deco factory site was opened in 1930 and India Tyre and Rubber company operations continued there until Christmas 1981. Most of the factory site buildings were demolished in 1982 and these categegory A listed offices are all that remain of the original. A very good looking extension was added to the rear in 2004 by Gibb Architects, and now as HQ of Graham Technology it makes me a very happy old mutt to see the site thriving again!

Filed Under: Glasgow & environs, Wallis, Gilbert and Partners Tagged With: 1920s, airships, architecture, art deco factory, dog, faience, Gibb Architects, Gilbert and Partners, Graham Technology, Inchinnan Renfrewshire, India of Inchinnan, India Tyre Company, listed buildings, photograph, rubber company, Scotland, Scotland places to see, Thomas Wallis, tyre factory

Luma light bulb factory

July 7, 2008 By Pickles 1 Comment

Luma Light Bulb Factory, Shieldhall, nr Glasgow – Cornelius Armour – 1938

Pickles at Luma Factory

Filed Under: Cornelius Armour, Glasgow & environs Tagged With: 1930s, architecture, Cornelius Armour, dog photo, light bulb factory, Luma, Modern movement architecture Scotland, modernism, photography, Shieldhall factory

Gillette Factory, Brentford

July 6, 2008 By Pickles 6 Comments

Gillette Factory, Gillette Corner, Brentford - Sir Banister Fletcher – 1936

Pickles at Gillette Corner

This is was the last factory on the Great West Road, “Golden Mile”, to be occupied by the original company it was built for. Built for Gillette, the razor manufacturer, the design of the building frontage is said to resemble a razor. Sadly, Gillette finally stopped production in 2006 and moved out in 2007.

Pickles at Gillette Clock Tower

You can view the Bonnington redevelopment plans for the Gillette Factory site at: http://www.gillettecorner.com (let me know what you think!)

Filed Under: Great West Road (A4), Sir Banister Fletcher Tagged With: 1930s, A4, Brentford, clock tower, Gillette Corner, Gillette Factory, Gillette Factory London, Gillette Tower, Golden Mile, Great West Road (old), isleworth, listed buildings, London landmarks, Sir Banister Fletcher, Suburbia, West London

Natwest bank, Gillette Corner

July 3, 2008 By Pickles 3 Comments

Just a quickie today…

Natwest Bank, Gillette Corner, Brentford – architect tbc (possibly Sir Banister Fletcher ?) – date tbc (possibly 1936?) – I’ll keep you posted once I’ve done some rrrresearch.

**Update: For now have a read of the 2nd comment below…**

Filed Under: architect unknown, Great West Road (A4) Tagged With: 1930s, art deco, Brentford buildings, dog photo, Gillette Corner, Golden Mile, Great West Road (old), industrial buildings, inter-war development, isleworth, london suburbs, modernism, natwest bank branch, photography, Pickles, Sir Banister Fletcher, Syon Lane Brentford

Firestone Factory, Great West Road, Brentford

June 25, 2008 By Pickles

The Firestone tyre factory – Great West Road – London – 1928 - Wallis Gilbert & Partners

Demolished in 1980, I believe on the day before a preservation order was due to come into effect (although this could be a local myth?), all that’s left are the boundary wall and entrances. THe rest of the site is now home to Sky Broadcasting and a delightful PC World.

And here is the main entrance in it former glory. - Heartbreaking!

If you want to break your heart a little more, this site has a few extra photos of the factory before and as it was knocked down: http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~garycr/2001/firestone_factory/

Filed Under: Great West Road (A4), Wallis, Gilbert and Partners Tagged With: 1920s, art deco factory, Brentford, Firestone factory, Great West Road (old), History Channel office, listed buildings demolished, Sky TV, twentieth century society, Wallis Gilbert & Partners

My last Botanic’s photo and rant

June 24, 2008 By Pickles Leave a Comment

Vinicombe Lane – side/rear elevation of Botanic Gardens Garage.

The current plans, about to be submitted to Glasgow City Council by Keppie Design, include the demolition of this rear part of this early 20th century Garage, which makes me very sad as it is an integral part of this important historic building. Now I’m all for progress and innovative design, but it does make me wonder, what is the point of category A listing a building if you can still knock half of it down. By applying this standard part of Edinburgh Castle (you know, just a part that you can’t really see unless you’re actually in the grounds) could be knocked down in order to create some modern duplex apartments. Or maybe I could knock down the back of my home in Park Circus and create a modern glass conservatory and luxury dog kennel…. Grrrrr.

Filed Under: David Valentine Wyllie, Glasgow & environs Tagged With: 1900s, Arnold Clark, Botanic Gardens Garage, category A listing, demolition, early garages, photos, Pickles, Vinicombe Lane Glasgow

More Botanic Gardens Garage photos

June 23, 2008 By Pickles Leave a Comment

Just a few more piccies for you whilst I decide what I really think about the plans for the redevelopment of the garage into flats… (see my last post for more info)

Am I howling in despair or pensive contemplation of the plans?

This one is my favourite. I think this should qualify my membership of the Handlebar Club.

Filed Under: David Valentine Wyllie, Glasgow & environs Tagged With: 1900s, Botanic Gardens Garage, David Valentine Wyllie, dog, early garages, Glasgow (old), handlebar moustache example, Pickles the Dog, Vinicombe Lane Glasgow

Botanic Gardens Garage, Glasgow

June 18, 2008 By Pickles 1 Comment

Our first wordpress entry, and a bit of a test…

Hello,

This is our first time using WordPress, so we are going to be a bit experimental with our first posting. This blog will generally document our favourite pastime, which is taking pictures of me (Pickles) outside Art Deco and Modernist industrial buildings. Having said that, today’s (being our experimental day) will break the rule from the start.

We went to see the new proposals for the Botanic Gardens Garage in Glasgow this evening, so we thought we’d start off with a piccy of me posing outside there. The Botanics Garage was built in 1912 and is the oldest surviving purpose-built garage in the UK. It was in use as a garage until last year, by Arnold Clark, but they are now planning to develop it into a block of flats despite its recent Grade A listing.