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Harrimonds 1962 - recognise anyone here?

I worked at Harrimonds for a happy couple of years and remember they were a very friendly crowd and several came to my 21st birthday bash in 1962, the same year I think that this photo was taken. Unfortunately I can only remember the names of Frank Read and Fred Lankstead.

I think the picture is of The Cutting. Room staff. Harrimonds was situated at The Hyde, Lower Bevendean, and it manufactured clothing for domestic and industrial wear.

Can you recognise yourself or anyone else here? If you can help identify anyone, please leave a comment below.

Click on the photograph to open a large version in a new window.

Harrimonds staff c1962
From the private collection of Fred Hards

Comments about this page

  • Hi Fred, I worked at Harrimonds in 1957, I was 15. I was only there about 9 months, then I went to work in a shirt factory in Western Road. I loved it in Harrimonds on the machine, but I can’t remember our supervisor’s name, she was rather bossy. I lived in Whitehawk at the bottom of the racehill. I used to walk all up the racehill to catch a bus to Bevendean. The boy in the front row, second from the left, looks very familiar, but I can’t think of a name. We moved to Somerset when I was 16, been here ever since, but I did love Brighton.

    By Pat Richards (nee Marshall) (06/05/2011)
  • I worked in the cutting room in the early eighties.The tall guy in the back row was there when I was. He is Ray Howell.

    By Steve Reeves (19/06/2011)
  • I worked at Harrimonds in the despatch department with Charlie Hunt, whose wife Janet also worked there. Some of the names I can remember are Dennis Frost, Peter Wycombe, Frank Read, Fred Langstead, Chalkie White, Ron Mason. There were several others but can only think of their christian names. I also remember several faces in the photo but cannot remember names to faces. I was later transferred to Lorrels at Portslade where I worked until the factory closed down.

    By Frank Parsons (20/06/2011)
  • Being an old Lower Bevendean girl, I recognise some of these faces. Frustrating not to recall names. The man behind the chap with glasses, the chap second back left, the chap second left front.

    By Jennifer Tonks (20/06/2011)
  • Can’t help wondering if the tall Ray in the back row had a girlfriend called Lynn. Trying to work out ages and timings. Greetings 

    By Sandra (23/06/2011)
  • Front row second from left  is Charlie Shipley.

    By Thomas Victor Fulker (11/11/2013)
  • Is Thomas Victor Fulker the same Vic Fulker that appeared in a childrens’ book called The Dustman, in 1984. If so, could you please contact me.

    By Greg Lucas (19/02/2014)
  • I worked there between January 1979 and June 1981. I know four people in this photo: Tony (bottom right), the guy wearing glasses, completely deaf, but I was able to communicate with him easily. A real nice guy. The guy between the two men wearing ties is Fred. I knew him when he had a full beard; Ray Howell, the guy in the back row, second to the right who never married but had most of the ladies of a certain age in the main factory swooning after him. He was my supervisor; and Frank, the guy pictured between the two ladies seen on the left of this picture. He was my manager and he was the one that interviewed me for a job at this cutting factory in January, 1979. I was the barrel boy during my time there responsible for transferring cut bundles of cloth to the main factory opposite the cutting factory. I also cut cloth. I remember one of the respondents, Steve Reeves. I hope you are well.

    By John (24/09/2014)
  • Have come across this site by accident. Anyway, my sister, Barbara Donaldson (nee Simmonds), worked as a machinist at Harrimond from late 1950s to 1970s and my mum, Florence Simmonds, was a presser from 1950s to 1980. Anyone remember them?

    By Peter Simmonds (27/10/2014)
  • To Greg Lucas. I am the Vic Fulker in the book.

    By Vic Fulker (12/07/2015)
  • I worked in the cutting room. The shorter chap, 2nd row on the right, is Pat Wittle. He worked on the ban saw cutting the lays, as did the lad with glasses in the front row. They were happy days. June 

    By June Hadaway (28/02/2016)
  • I worked as a machinist from 1959 to 1978 when I married. I remember Freddie Lankstead and several of the other faces, but can’t put names to them. My sister Susan also worked there until they closed. She still lives in Brighton, I live in Ringmer.
    I have printed the picture for my sister to see if she remembers anyone. We recognise the 2 young lads in the front row, possibly twins, can’t remember names.

    By Margaret Goldsmith (nee Knight) (11/07/2016)
  • I worked at Harrimond the Hyde in 1971 as a night security guard and also as a bus driver picking the women up for work in the morning and taking them home again after work. They also started a part-time stint for the girls in the evenings where I would also pick the girls up and take them home again to drop-off points.

    By Mick Peirson (12/07/2016)
  • I’m sure that Thomas Victor Fulker is right about Charlie (Michael) Shipley being second from the left in the front row.  Our families lived two doors away from each other in Whitehawk Avenue.  My surname was Sutton then.  And Mick Peirson, you haven’t answered my question asking if you have a sister called Pip.

    By Barbara Etherton (13/07/2016)
  • We believe the fair-haired lad, back row, second left, is George Hammond who later joined the Brighton Fire Brigade.

    By Margaret Goldsmith (Knight) (14/07/2016)
  • This is addressed to Barbara Etherton. So Barbara, where is the question posted where you are asking about my sister?

    By Mick Peirson (14/07/2016)
  • Hi Mick.  I posted it quite a while ago under one of the Whitehawk headings.  I only asked about your sister as I was a friend of Sue Cobbett and I met Pip through her.  Nothing sinister, I just wondered if you were part of her family and what she is doing now.  Regards

    By Barbara Etherton (15/07/2016)
  • Hello Barbara.  Sinister I am not worried about. I remember Sue from my street when we were kids. I am afraid that my sister and I have been incommunicado for some years now, the last I heard of her she was living in London somewhere.  Best wishes.

    By Mick Peirson (17/07/2016)
  • Hi Mick, Thanks for responding and very sorry to hear about the rift.  Hope all is well with you – I enjoy reading your comments about the ‘old’ days even if you are older than me! I think that if you used the Broadway Cafe (as it was then), you may have well known one or other of my brothers, Michael or Robin Sutton. 

    By Barbara Etherton (18/07/2016)
  • Hi, I worked at Harrimonds in the office upstairs back when I was a teenager, in about 1969. I used to get up about 6-15am to get ready and walk down to Preston circus to catch the work coach that picked us up there at about 7-15am. Clothes for Marks and Spencer were made there from what I can remember, nice place to work.

    By Gill (17/11/2019)
  • My late wife Norma Boniface as she was then, started at Harrimonds when she left school probably 1957.
    She was there until about 1964 when she moved to Croydon with her first husband. She said how she enjoyed her time there. I believe she was a machinist.

    By Jeff Simmons (14/11/2020)
  • Hi, my name is Peter Mond
    My parents were the owners.
    I would like to come and visit.

    Sorry but we are not allowed to publish emails; Comment editor

    By Peter (14/06/2021)

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