Hi !
        I found your website by accident, and enjoyed the nostalgia.   As a BTH apprentice I was billeted at Coton House in 1952-53 before moving to digs in town.  Following my term with BTH I was called up for NS after which I did a stint in the Merchant navy. and eventually emigrated to BC Canada in 1967.  My main out of work activities in Rugby were long distance cycling and I was also a member of the Rugby town band. I have often wondered what became of my old room mates and other pals.  Following the usual stint in the apprentice school and various departments in the plant. I found myself seconded to building 122 ( I think it was ) which was run by the Royal Navy and was concerned with research into radar amongst other things, I spent the last three years of my time there before being called up for NS.
       I was dismayed to learn of the recent fire at the house and would appreciate any further info on this subject.
              Sincerely     Don Matthews  ( now retired from the workforce. ) 

 

Hello,

I've just found your website by accident.
I'm Ian Turner, I was a Production Control Apprentice and at Coton House from 1955 for about 18 months.
I was in "C" block - the one with the boiler room coal heap under its fire escape. The main building never welcomed us, but thinking of the dining room brings back memories of flat spoons and of marmalade sandwiches.

McWhirter briefed us on arrival about the women on street corners in Rugby waiting to take apprentices money on pay days, but I never found any.
I'm in Earls Barton if you want to add me to your list.

Regards
Ian
 

Hi

I was at Coton House from 1954 to 1957/8 Friends of mine at the time were Reg David who lives at West Haddon and Fred Sussenbach who I believe is deceased I still have old reports and a photograph of the BTH Rugby Team which I was a member of. These may be of interest if so let me know and I will forward copies. I don't know if I am the John Simmonds on Pete Slaters list People often spelt my name incorrectly so I may well be

 

Regards
John Simmons

-----------------------------------------------

Hello

Trawling through the Internet, I came across the Coton House site.  Don't know why I looked for this - part of an effort to trace the past.    I was a BTH student apprentice from September 1956, but never lived at Coton House.   The reason was that when I arrived Coton House was full, so together with several other new apprentices we were placed in digs in town.  A year later we moved to Tower House in Hillmorton, a private hostel that had about 40 BTH/AEI apprentices.  Then, in 1959 along with many other people I moved to Leicester, working at both Blackbird Road and New Parks, both of which are now of course gone.  I am still in touch with a few people who were students with me, but would really like to know what has happened to many others. 

For the record, after finishing my apprenticeship in 1961, I continued to work for AEI as a field engineer, initially in the UK and then in Switzerland.  I left at the end of 1968, by which time I was officially employed by Marconi Radar Systems. 

None of the above falls within the scope of Coton House.  However, many people did move from Coton House to Tower House and also later to Leicester.   Jock Currie, who is pictured on the website, was one who moved to Tower House.

Hoping to hear from you.

Best regards

Michael Brown

---------------------------------------------

Hi,
     I decided to get more insulation laid in my attic and finished up on your website! When clearing the attic I came across some BTH/AEI/Coton House paperwork and that prompted me to make some checks on the internet.
 
I was a Thick Sandwich apprentice living at Coton House from September 1959 to July 1960, and then from November 1963 to August 1964. 
 
Congratulations on setting up the website, the photos brought back some happy memories.
 
Regards,
              Roger Bushel

----------------------------------------------

Hi,
 
I stumbled across your website; you are obviously doing sterling work !
 
I, Alan Roome was at Coton House from summer 1961 to summer 1964 when I moved to AEI-GRS in Long Acre London to complete my apprenticeship.
It was a special course with ONC being completed on block release in one year, and the remaining 2 years on day release for the HNC course.
I remained with AEI-GRS until 1968, moving to Trinity House, Schweppes, the Milk Marketing Board, and latterly Air Products.
 
Last year, at 67 I set up my own company to continue providing electrical services to Air Products.
 
I am widowed with 2 sons and a daughter, and live in Surrey.
 
Colin Briggs moved to AEI-GRS shortly before me, and we have been close friends ever since.
Colin retired at 65 from Alstom Signalling, having spent his entire career in Railway Signalling.
 
Colin Hatton and Gary Baxter were friends back in Coton House days, but we have lost contact. 
 
The marked up photo of the Christmas Lunch may help to identify the characters.
 
kind regards
 
Alan Roome

----------------------------------------

I was an AE I / RCET student apprentice and “did time” at Coton between Sept 1961 and Dec 1962.

I have a couple of comments to add to those about the food on your news page:

  1. I can believe the 58/59 egg story (although the “new’’ dining hall was already open in my time), but have no recollection of the 62/63 ”horsemeat pie”
  2. What did upset the management was that, at breakfast, we used to make marmalade sandwiches in great quantity and smuggle them out for our lunch at the works or at the tech. (Our wages at that that time were about six pounds ten a week, Coton took three pounds seven and six or so!)  Eventually they cottoned (Cotoned?) on to what was going on and put a stop to it. 
  3. A lunch time treat was pie and chips floating (extra gravy), at the little pie shop near the Dirty Duck (White Swan) in town, at half a crown.

 Once we moved into college in Hillmorton Rd, the food improved no end!

 We are having another reunion at Coton House in September, hopefully one of us will manage to send in some iics for the web site,

 Best regards to all fellow Cotonians

 Malcolm Skipp

 Singapore