Another in the continuing saga of “The Oldbury smell” – you just can’t keep that kitty down!
I have previously outlined how this had all started in The Albright and Wilson Oil additives plant.
This ongoing social menace of the smell of cat piss had endured not just locally but much further afield across Birmingham. The indefatigable Councillor Gunn had led the fight against the brutal Albright puss against their apologists within her council.
Sticking to her Gunns, Madame Edith appears to have been one to not let the matter rest. I have to say I’m starting to grow rather fond of Mrs Gunn as she had more balls than anyone else in this most rotten of borough council’s , standing her ground and up to the Trinity Street terrorists, who obviously considered themselves far too important and worldly to worry about “local” issues. Prior to waiving her withered bush demonstrating the destructive powers of the Albright chemical fallout, this article appeared on 5th May 1956 in The Birmingham Post.
“LOCAL PEOPLE ARE INCENSED”- (AND NOT WITH INCENSE)
This is quite an explosive piece, as it demonstrates a rare but clear purpose of not sucking up to local business. It also demonstrates that local people were not on the side of this company, whatever more recent history has had to claim about how important they were in the area. The post master who had endured the war years in his post claimed it was “a menace”.
It is this type of story that matters and that I want to hear more of. Unbiased, grassroots, candid and not more about people who worked for the company looking back with rose tinted glasses about how wonderful it all was.
PLAINLY IT WAS FUCKING SHOCKING TO LIVE IN LANGLEY AT THIS TIME AND ALBRIGHT AND WILSON WERE RUINING PEOPLE’S LIVES. THIS STORY NEEDS TO BE PUT MORE AND RECORDED IN LOCAL HISTORY. MAKING CHEMICALS IN OLDBURY WERE MAKING PEOPLE SICK.
Clearly Bottomley’s statement of AW is utter lies. He and this company were fully aware of this problem and had been for many years. Why else would they have previously claimed to have put a stop to it and that it “was on it’s way out”?
But a year later after this article and after the now infamous tree had been brandished in Oldbury, Albright and Wilson were at it again- this time causing havoc on Birmingham’s chocolate confectionary- in Peaky blinder’s territory in Small Heath in the centre of Birmingham! The Birmingham Post was on the case in this November 30th 1957 article.
Cat piss cremes anyone?
The claims in this article by the company that it had made “a slight emission of gas” from their factory anus is laughable. Obviously that this had travelled over seven miles and could be smelt means that the amount was obviously not “slight”.
We also have to be extremely dubious about no health concerns. Not only did this company lie to their own staff at this point in history, the fact that they had already been threatened with legal action and widespread public condemnation meant that they would never admit to anything injurious to public health. We also get the usual bullshit from the Oldbury official with a PR statement for the company- Doctor paid well no doubt.
The other statement concerning employees of the company “bursting with health” is also laughable. Not only were they still getting phossy jaw at this point in history, as will be revealed in subsequent posts, they were also contending with multiple leaks, fires and fatalities- all caused by chemicals that they were handling.
No doubt if the agent chocolate orange fumes had tainted their fellow Quaker freaks chocolate at Cadburys in Bourneville , Albright and Wilson would have shut the process down.
Choctopussy