I was recently given this cartoon drawing. I thought you may be interested to see it, there is lots going on in it and if you recognise KB sets you will see what I mean.
It appears to be representing the formal closure of ITT-KB and introduction of ITT which in my estimation was somewhere around 1973 to 1974.
It is in the form of an overhead projector transparency, and came with a cutting from a local newspaper form the Hastings area.
Further research came up with this short article in the Hastings Chronicle 29/9/1979, on the closure of the St Leonards factory.
"The town’s biggest private employer, ITT Consumer Products, which was making radios and TVs on the Ponswood estate, announced it was to close by June 1980 with the loss of 650 jobs. It had come to Hastings in 1960 as Kolster Brandes. At the peak of its production, in the mid-1970s, nearly 1,200 people were employed at the factory."
A little while ago I had an enquiry through my KB Museum website.
"Dear sirs
I wonder why all sites regarding itt kb products put Foots Cray in Kent as itt base, this was a distribution point, as all televisions and music centres were manufactured at the main itt factory, formally Kolster Brandes, in theaklen drive, St Leonards on sea, (Hastings) where me and my family worked for many years until the closure in 1979.
As supervisor on the the UA5042 music Centre flow line, and my mother was the nursing sister in the factory, I remember many itt kb products being produced there.
This factory was the largest in the area, employing many hundreds of people. I'm upset there is no mention of the plant, or our involvement with the then top secret ceefax project. Kind regards,
Ian, Itt 1976 - 1979"
I replied with:
"Hi Ian
Thanks for your email, its always interesting to hear first hand accounts from those who worked for KB and later ITT.
I had heard that there was an ITT factory in Hastings, but I have to admit that I assumed most ITT-KB consumer items of this time were built in the Far East.
As you probably know KB and in its later trading name ITT-KB and were owned by STC from about 1938, later all the UK brands were to become known as just ITT. Prior to that they were controlled by the US company
AT&T.
The reason for the KB factory at Foots Cray in Kent being listed as the company address is probably historical and the lack of official documentation regarding the factory in Hastings.
If you have any documents that would confirm the address or photos of activities at Hastings, I would be pleased to include them on my private "KB Museum" website.
I can also update information on the ITT-KB manufacturers page in the Radio Museum."
I researched a little more and found there were at least 12 STC factories dotted around the UK.
I have included Hastings as if it was started in 1959 or 60 then it is more likely to have been known as KB or STC than ITT or ITT-KB.
STC East Kilbride, Glasgow
STC Monkstown, N. Ireland
STC Newport, S. Wales
STC Harlow, Essex
STC Basildon, Essex
STC Benfleet, Essex
STC Foots Cray, Kent
STC North Woolwich, London
STC New Southgate, N. London
STC Hastings, E. Sussex
STC Southhampton, Hampshire
STC Paignton, Devon
So it looks like a rather big job to to make a decent job of noting down the various STC factories, their dates in production and what they produced in the various factories.
Does anyone have memories of the KB / ITT factory at Hastings and any of the other factories elsewhere, what they made there, models etc. I believe they mainly just assembled staff there.
Mike
It appears to be representing the formal closure of ITT-KB and introduction of ITT which in my estimation was somewhere around 1973 to 1974.
It is in the form of an overhead projector transparency, and came with a cutting from a local newspaper form the Hastings area.
Further research came up with this short article in the Hastings Chronicle 29/9/1979, on the closure of the St Leonards factory.
"The town’s biggest private employer, ITT Consumer Products, which was making radios and TVs on the Ponswood estate, announced it was to close by June 1980 with the loss of 650 jobs. It had come to Hastings in 1960 as Kolster Brandes. At the peak of its production, in the mid-1970s, nearly 1,200 people were employed at the factory."
A little while ago I had an enquiry through my KB Museum website.
"Dear sirs
I wonder why all sites regarding itt kb products put Foots Cray in Kent as itt base, this was a distribution point, as all televisions and music centres were manufactured at the main itt factory, formally Kolster Brandes, in theaklen drive, St Leonards on sea, (Hastings) where me and my family worked for many years until the closure in 1979.
As supervisor on the the UA5042 music Centre flow line, and my mother was the nursing sister in the factory, I remember many itt kb products being produced there.
This factory was the largest in the area, employing many hundreds of people. I'm upset there is no mention of the plant, or our involvement with the then top secret ceefax project. Kind regards,
Ian, Itt 1976 - 1979"
I replied with:
"Hi Ian
Thanks for your email, its always interesting to hear first hand accounts from those who worked for KB and later ITT.
I had heard that there was an ITT factory in Hastings, but I have to admit that I assumed most ITT-KB consumer items of this time were built in the Far East.
As you probably know KB and in its later trading name ITT-KB and were owned by STC from about 1938, later all the UK brands were to become known as just ITT. Prior to that they were controlled by the US company
AT&T.
The reason for the KB factory at Foots Cray in Kent being listed as the company address is probably historical and the lack of official documentation regarding the factory in Hastings.
If you have any documents that would confirm the address or photos of activities at Hastings, I would be pleased to include them on my private "KB Museum" website.
I can also update information on the ITT-KB manufacturers page in the Radio Museum."
I researched a little more and found there were at least 12 STC factories dotted around the UK.
I have included Hastings as if it was started in 1959 or 60 then it is more likely to have been known as KB or STC than ITT or ITT-KB.
STC East Kilbride, Glasgow
STC Monkstown, N. Ireland
STC Newport, S. Wales
STC Harlow, Essex
STC Basildon, Essex
STC Benfleet, Essex
STC Foots Cray, Kent
STC North Woolwich, London
STC New Southgate, N. London
STC Hastings, E. Sussex
STC Southhampton, Hampshire
STC Paignton, Devon
So it looks like a rather big job to to make a decent job of noting down the various STC factories, their dates in production and what they produced in the various factories.
Does anyone have memories of the KB / ITT factory at Hastings and any of the other factories elsewhere, what they made there, models etc. I believe they mainly just assembled staff there.
Mike
