Comments on: At Caird & Rayner

By: Graham Pinkney

Graham Pinkney — Wed, 14 Jan 2026 18:27:38 +0000

My father Renny Pinkney was MD from WW2 until his retirement and in 1935? (I think) married the widow of Matthew (Hew) Nimo Caird, former Director and member of the founding Caird family. I remember coming to 777 when I was about 14 and meeting some of the team. Mrs Edgerton was his secretary. I remember there was still blackout blue paint on the glass roof skylights.

By: John Rudd

John Rudd — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 07:38:28 +0000

Hi TJ Rayner was my great grandad’s brother. Been researching Caird &Rayber history as my mum told me bits but never the whole story. In my second book entitled “50 years in engineering – a lifetime of work, worry and wonder” I examine how engineering interest ran in the family. Have used pictures and stated by Paul Talling and Spitafields life and stated included by their kind permission. Would be glad of any interest in book as my Great grandfather worked there as a coppersmith and brass maker. My family then went to owning pubs in the area – dick Turpin at Walthamstow, Cobourn Arms Leystone high street and Old Hai nails Oak Chigwell. Mobile is 07890334375 and email address is John.rudd12@btinternet.com

By: Mr J P Lincoln

Mr J P Lincoln — Sat, 12 Oct 2024 14:38:46 +0000

In 2018 i gained access to this building in Commercial street thanks to the friendly caretaker and took many images inside. If you would like to see some please let me know. I am a pro b/w photographer but some of the images are in colour
Regards
Jeffrey Lincoln

By: Clement Rowalnd

Clement Rowalnd — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:07:43 +0000

I to worked for Caird & Rayner from the summer of 1965 until 1968, I started as an apprentice, I worked in the factory on the 1st floor working on the capstan lathes, some of which were very old, the big machinery was on the ground floor, I moved on into the the drawing office where we worked on new plastic drawing sheets as well as paper with very hard pencils to get very fine lines, i remember also working on very old cloth & ink drawings kept in the archives in roles, where we had to up date these by scratching the ink of and then with a pen and ink draw and write the changes required on them. I recall that these drawings had to be kept an long as the ships were in use. I recall the pattern makers, the castings coming in and being machined, there was the welding and copper works shop next door. Sadly i had to move away and never completed the apprenticeship.
I had an interest in steam locomotives, and was surprised that the heating in the workshop was steam with it clicking and banging through the building, there was a coal fired boiler and an oscillating pump pumping water around too.
The front housed the stores and security at the front with the offices on the 1st floor above.
There were a lot of nice people that I met whilst working there, unfortunately I forget a lot of the names of most people.

By: Bryan Vincent

Bryan Vincent — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 19:38:42 +0000

So great to read the history, but sad to see it today. I was an apprentice draughtsman from 1962 to 1969 also spending a year on the factory floor. I recognise several of the names that have left posts on the site. John Ford in the factory, Jim King and Alan Hawkes in Drawing Office. Contact guys it would be good to talk. I enjoyed my apprenticeship at Caird & Rayner, after leaving I went back in 1976 and rented the the complete site under the name of Waterskils until 1990. It was then purchased from the freeholders by the VIP Garage. I think they found the site with heavy traffic increasing difficult to operate from. No stopping outside and heavy traffic to stop every time they needed to get a car in and out. Not sure who they sold it to but it is a state now. Could it be demolished ? I understood the façade of was listed, so probably No.

By: Nilu

Nilu — Tue, 16 Feb 2021 02:44:18 +0000

Hi all! I am an university student studying Interior Architecture and Design

I have a project where I have to redesign this building and somehow bring it back to life.

After doing some research and reading the comments of many people who previously worked here or whose parents and grandparents knew the building well during the 40’s and 50’s, I decided I would like to turn it into a Cultural Centre (as it should in real life!) this building should be brought back to life and should not be touched for anything else, it does not only hold historical significance but I can see it’s a place close to many people’s hearts, after all, it has been standing for 152 years.

So I would like to kindly ask for help to anyone who has relevant information or little stories about their experiences in this building (like Mr. Colin above, who shared the accident he had in 1956), the sort of things that might not be found on books or online! Anything that would help and feed my proposal.

Thank you!

By: Alfred Chalk

Alfred Chalk — Thu, 28 Jan 2021 13:43:48 +0000

I was an apprentice Fitter and Turner from 1962 to 1967. I do recognize some of the names above and remember many more. Working life was much easier in those days which is probably why I got away with so much and enjoyed the work and people so much. Very sad to see it gone.

By: Derek Verlander

Derek Verlander — Sun, 06 Dec 2020 16:50:06 +0000

Very sad to see the state of the place.
I was also an apprentice coppersmith working with good friends John Alexander and Peter Lock.

By: John Alexander

John Alexander — Sun, 19 Jul 2020 22:14:29 +0000

I was an apprentice coppersmith from 1950/56 under Bill Derbyshite senior and then again after doing my nation service for a few months Looking at the photographs brought back lots of memory’s of old and good frends it like being in the workshops building evaporates and condensers plus what ever came in

By: Linda Clark

Linda Clark — Wed, 11 Apr 2018 14:48:45 +0000

I was a shorthand typist at Caird & Rayner from 1964 – 1966. I had a good time working there, sad to see it now.