Employment with Wellworthy meant working on the volume production of specialised parts for the motor industry. Portlander Ted Pearce was one of the workers who chose to stay at Ferrybridge and he recalled many years later, that it was not difficult for the experienced V-A workers to pick up the new practices because they had already been involved on the manufacture of all sorts of differing engineering equipment, as well as torpedoes, over the years. Ted Pearce had worked at Ferrybridge since the early thirties and during the War years he became one of the youngest foreman, eventually completing some 35 years on the night shift.

The firm of Wellworthy Ltd. had its earliest roots before the first World War, in a small firm called South Coast Garages of Lymington, which in 1912 came under the ownership of an experienced and dynamic engineer called John Howlett. He diversified into the mass production of piston rings and in 1919 the name of the Company was changed to Wellworthy - the original factory standing on a well and a "worthy" being the Wessex name for a ring around a well.

The history of Wellworthy is comprehensiveiy covered by a 1969 publication called `Wellworthy - The first Fifty Years' (see Reference List). The Company went public in 1936 as Wellworthy Piston Rings Limited, but in the difficult period after the second World War it was decided to merge with the British Piston Ring Company and also with Hepworth and Grandage Ltd., to form Associated Engineering Holdings Ltd. In 1952 Wellworthy dropped the reference to piston rings and shortened their name to Wellworthy Limited. By 1966 they had become a major producer of components for the motor industry and were expanding rapidly.

They approached Vickers with a view to purchasing the Ferrybridge Works, which was ideally situated between Wellworthy's other factories at Lymington, Ringwood and Bridgwater. With many of the workers declining the move to Swindon, there was also trained engineering expertise available.

Unfortunately, over the past decades, the factory buildings had been allowed to deteriorate and Wellworthy recorded that the Works was "a multilevel complex of engineering shops which had been added to in seemingly random fashion since the days of the Whitehead Torpedo Works, established there before the first World War. The main machining hall presents an unusual appearance by present day standards, in that it has brick piers and arches reminiscent of Victorian structures. Supplementary shops have been added on through the years, some of which are in good condition and of useful size, others are of doubtful value"

A series of photographs taken around 1968 verify to the dilapitated state of some of the buildings. The footbridge over the redundant railway line to Portland, once used so often by the workers of earlier days, as they hurried to or from Wyke Halt, was still intact but it was soon to be demolished. The new owners immediately started structural alterations, demolishing some buildings and modifying others. For those fortunate enough to be employed at Ferrybridge, the scenery from the factory windows had always been a compensation for the sometimes monotonous production work. The view from across the factory rooftop towards Portland at the end of the nineteen sixties still showed the viaduct carrying the defunct Weymouth to Portland railway line. The view across the rooftop towards the Fleet and Chesil Beach was taken before Beachcliff House was demolished.

The main entrance to the Works was once more modernised to complement the new drawing office, conference room and senior managers offices that had been incorporated into an ugly red brick building in the early nineteen sixties. It replaced the original Portland stone stables and garages and old Beachcliff House.

In August 1968 the Whiteheads Pier, stretching a quarter of a mile out into Portland Harbour, was fmally pulled down. The upper woodwork was stripped and burnt on a barge alongside, leaving the bareheaded piles to point mindlessly towards the sky, until they too were cut down.

The engineering products that were quickly transferred to the Weymouth Works from Wellworth's other sites were cylinder liners from Ringwood, Wellworthy-Ricardo compressors from Ampress and valve seat inserts from Bridgewater. The Wellworthy-Ricardo Compressor, originally a swash plate supercharger for high powered diesel engines, was very popular for moving large volumes of powdered materials such as flour and cement. They were also used in sewage plants for aeration and to draw off methane gas. The photograph shows Jim Morris in the old Assembly Shop, where the compressor bodies were produced.

Because of the shortage of skilled people at other Wellworthy locations, a substantial Tool Room facility was developed at Weymouth, which not only provided for local tooling and maintenance needs, but also acted as a centre for the manufacture and overhaul of Wellworthy's special purpose machines and other conventional plant. New plant and equipment was purchased and installed and other second hand machines were purchased from Vickers. Up to 1970 the following machines had been installed in the Tool Room: Piston Dimond Turn Machines; BSA Skirt Bore Machines; Auto drills; Die Cast Machines; Auto Ring Groove machines; Auto-Chamfer Machines; Part-Off Machines; Through Feed Honers; Auto Drills; and an Auto Lathe. A welding facility was also set up.

Unfortunately, in 1970 a there was a change in Company policy and over half the skilled workforce were made redundant, with some of the machines being sold off and some being transferred.

By 1975 the main production work in the Factory was on four components - pistons, liners, piston rings, and gudgeon pins. The different manufacturing techniques were quickly adopted by the experienced workforce, with the main machine shop utilising the Ward and 10/13 machines to produce all sizes of cylinder liner, including some for the British Army's Chieftain tank. The hard liners were made of a wear resistant sheath of high grade cast iron and new Gehering machines were installed to carry out the final honing process. Production Engineering and Work Study were now regarded as vital factors to maximise production volume, minimise costs and maintain competitiveness. This invariably led to lively discussion with representatives of the three Unions within the factory.

Harry Pitman, by 1990 a retired worker from the Factory and still a keen supporter of the Amalgamated Engineering Union, provided information that an AEU Weymouth 1 Branch had first opened in Weymouth in January 1880, long before the Whitehead Works was built. This branch eventually closed and a Weymouth 2 Branch 27WE was opened in January 1912, with a Mr. H. Stephenson as its Secretary. A Registration Book of the Amalgamated Society of Engineers, which dates back to 1915, is still held amongst the Union records at the Wyke Working Mens Club, where the current Union members hold their committee meetings. The book records many local names, their subsciptions, the payments they received - and often the cause of their deaths. A second Book continues from 1947 until 1966 and this also includes the names of those Union members employed by other firms in the Weymouth area.

Norman Byden, in helping to gather material for this history of the Ferrybridge Works, spent some of his spare time looking around the factory site, searching for the original foundation stone, and for old documents and photographs that might be of historical importance. One of his discoveries was a large, well worn book, that contained the names and wages of each of the workers employed at the factory during the 1920's and 1930's. The foundation stone, laid by Robert Whitehead's daughter, the Countess Hoyos in 1891, was reputed to be next to the Blower House which provided forced air to the Foundry and Forging Departments - but by 1991 the tall chimmney had been demolished and much of the surrounding building had been bricked up. The exact whereabouts of the foundation stone remains undiscovered.

Another document to survive is the imposing old Visitors Book of the Whitehead Torpedo Company Ltd., which Ted Pearce of Portland had saved from a waste bin in 1967, during the handover period from Vickers to Wellworthy. The very first entry dates back to the 3rd of December 1934 and the last entry was on the l6th of May 1967. During the first year of entries the factory entertained high ranking visitors from Brazil, Portugal, Finland, Holland Estonia, Poland, Spain and Greece.

A few interesting artifacts still survive from past days. Alan Greening discovered two small Whitehead tokens that may have been used by early workers to purchase goods from the Works canteen.

Mrs Colbrooke, who's father Jimmy Wakefield worked at Whiteheads, posesses a "halfpenny" cigarette lighter that he made during his rest periods and many other employees evidently amused themselves by making small models of aircraft and torpedoes.

A relationship between the Company and retired employees was maintained on a cordial basis by inviting them back to the factory on regular occasions. In 1973 the Wellworthy management invited eleven retired members of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers to tour the Works. The total time they had spent working at the factory was 240 years. They were welcomed by G. Bartlett the General Manager, and Terry Bramley the Personnel Manager.

Of course, the employees still working also knew how to enjoy themselves and during the late sixties and then the seventies, the Sports and Social Club witnessed several riotous evenings of dance and song. The Millwrights and Electricians even put on a drag act.

In 1972 the ownership of the Ferrybridge Works was transferred to a holding Group called Associated Engineering Limited, although Wellworthy continued to trade under its own name. By 1976 the Wellworthy management had decided to lease a small building on the Granby Industurial Estate, at Weymouth, that could be utilised for the production of piston liners. It was successful for several years, but in November 1983 it was closed down.

In 1981 discussions took place between the Works and the Strangways Estate, concerning the boating and swimming facilities leased to the Company, who had the right to reclaim and make up the Ferrybridge foreshore, to retain the gantry and slipway, along with the wooden stage, the diving platform and two moorings. Payment was £10 per annum. The aerial photograph of the Ferry Bridge Works was taken in 1968, before the foreshore between the two bridges was reclaimed by Wellworthy; it was also before the Whitehead pier was demolished. Other features of interest still intact were the chimney of the Boiler House, and the footbridge over the railway line.

In June 1981 Wellworthy Ltd. sold the small car park and garage situated opposite the Works main entrance on Portland Road, to Ladbroke Holidays Limited, the owners of the adjacent holiday caravan park, on the shores of the Fleet.

It was in September 1982 that the Dorset Evening Echo carried the disappointing news that the Wellworthy Sports Ground at Downclose, purchased by Whitehead's in 1931, was to be sold for housing development. The Echo reported that "many generations of local cricketers have enj oyed playing at the ground over the years, including prominent county players such as Albert Maynard, John Crabb, Colin Graham and Tony Hobson." A final cricket match was played on the ground on Sunday 26th September, between two representative teams that contained many well known local sportsmen:

In that same month of September 1982, the presentation of prizes to Apprentices took place in the Works Board Room, continuing the time honoured tradition of the Ferrybridge Works in producing a constant stream of trained and skilled young men. In 1983 came one of the rare times when the entire workforce of night and day workers decided to stage a strike over a wage dispute. Pickets were mounted at the factory gates, and Shop Steward George Honeybon of the TGWIT said that the men intended to stay out until their demands were met. The dispute was quickly resolved and the men returned to work.

On the 26th of April 1983 the Downclose Sports Ground was formally sold to Betterment Properties, a Weymouth based housing development company. Fortunately the sale did not include the bowling green and the old Club House and in June 1984 they were sold to three trustees acting on behalf of the members of the Wellworthy Sports and Social Club. The trustees were Terrance Harvey, Alan Gough and Kenneth Ovens.

The management and workforce were always conscious of the need for safety in the potentially dangerous workshop environment. In 1980 some employees gathered in the Conference Room for a Safety Award presentation, and a group photograph was taken. Perhaps some of those same employees were at the llth Annual Christmas Lunch for retired workers in 1984, which was held in the Works Canteen for 85 ex-employees. From the happy smiles it seems that a good time was appreciated by all involved.

The Sports and Social Club still continued to prosper, although the Club House, built as a bowling Pavillion in 1936, was starting to deteriorate. Several darts and skittles teams were running and in April 1985 the Bowls Section had three teams competing in the South Dorset Bowls League and one in the Dorset County League. They held a Dinner and Dance that year at the Crown Hotel, with eighty people attending.

However, the Club Committee were already making plans to fmance and build a splendid new Club House, complete with an indoor bowling rink, to complement the existing outdoor green. In July 1985 they submitted plans for a large new Club House to the Weymouth and Portland Borough Council, which were eventually approved.

By 1986 the Weymouth factory was concentrating production on cylinder liners and gudgeon pins, with other engine components being manufactured for the Group at Lymington and Bridgewater. The AE Group as a whole were thriving, with increased profits, aided by Wellworthy's strong increase in the international market share in diesel components. The Group were considered world leaders in the design and development of high technology engineering components that were supplied across the globe to engine and machinery manufacturers and users. Their success was aided by new products such as squeeze cast pistons, which were extending the frontiers of aluminium piston technology. The 350 workers at Ferrybridge were now part of a total of 14,500 in the AE Group. In February 1986 the Mayor and Mayoress of Weymouth and Portland, Mr and Mrs Peter Harvey, visited the Ferrybridge Factory, and they were shown round the workshops by General Manager Alan Turner, and Production Manager Peter Robinson.

Another subsidary of the AE Group was Hepworth and Grandage and in April 1986 they announced the acquisition of a site to build a new factory at South Bend, Indiana, in the mid-west of the USA. The new factory was to manufacture advance technology pistons for the US market. In July 1986 Wellworthy were forced to announce 40 job losses at the Ferrybridge Works due to a reduced order book, but by the end of the year new large orders were beginning to make the outlook more hopeful.

However, that did not prevent the factory falling silent on the 28th January 1987, when some 300 workers downed tools in a shop floor dispute, because of an incident between a shop floor worker and a supervisor. At a mass meeting the next day the workers voted to return to work. Of those involved, the Transport and General Workers Union had about 250 members and other Unions included the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers.

Meanwhile the construction of the new two story Sports and Social Club was underway and soon the building was begining to take shape. It first opened its doors to members in the summer of 1987 - a tribute to the conviction and hard work of the Committee of the Club, along with the support of the workers at the factory. The first events to be organised after the new Club House was opened was a bowls Open Triples Competition sponsored by Bass and Wellworthy. The winners were Tony Sargent, Dave Dodds and Norman Byden.

During the late nineteen eighties, when business acquisitions, takeovers and mergers were the order of the day, the AE Group was acquired by the much larger UK Engineering conclomerate Turner and Newell, although the merger had little immediate impact upon the workforce at Ferrybridge. T& N had automotive component interests in the UK, USA, France, Italy, South Korea, India, Australia, South Africa, and South America.

In January 1989 came the news that Wellworthy Ltd. and Hepworth and Grandage were to merge, to form a new company called AE Piston Products Ltd., with a combined turnover of £125 million a year. The original site of the Wellworthy Factory, in Lymington, was closed and the time honoured name of Wellworthy, like the proud name of Whitehead, vanished into the mists of time. The merging of Hepworth and Grandage with Wellworthy coupled with product rationalisation brought cast iron piston manufacture from both Bradford and Ringwood into Weymouth.

On the lst of January 1990, The FerryBridge Works once more changed its name, to become known as AE Piston Products (Weymouth Facility) with sister facilities at Bradford (the Company Headquarters), Birmingham, Bridgewater, Ringwood, Salisbury, Sunderland and South Bend, Indiana, USA.

Of course the local Wykeites, depending on their age, continued to call it Wellworthy - or Vickers - or Vickers-Armstrong - or even Whiteheads!