Karen Coates, who works as Materials Controller (Raw Materials, Maintenance and Ceramics) at the Armitage plant, retires today after an incredible 51 years with the company. We spoke to her about her career, how things have changed and what she has liked best about working here.
Tell us how you first started working at Armitage Shanks.
I started on August 3 1970 as a junior in the buying office. A friend’s dad got me the interview. We both had the interview. It was like, “Can you spell, can you count and how many relatives do you have in the company?” I had seven – two brothers, and aunties and uncles – and she had six. That was it really. It was very much a family company.
I was actually 14 because I worked for a week before I turned 15. I stayed in the buying office for 29 years and I moved through the ranks, first as a junior, then as a typist. I went to college from 1971 for five years on a day release, doing the Certificate in Office Studies. I did a shorthand and typing course, and I absolutely loved the typing. Instead of doing three years, I did everything in two years. Then I became a progress clerk, an invoice clerk, assistant buyer, buyer and then senior buyer.
I then became a progress clerk in a sales job but it wasn’t for me. They had a job going in maintenance to log the jobs of the maintenance guys. I got the job and it just grew and grew from there, working with the guys in a maintenance environment but in a little side office. They were all my lads. When they wanted anything, they came to me and I logged the orders for all types of things. I became one of the lads and for about seven years I was the only woman looking after 19 guys. I also did all the ordering for the engineers from the plant. They came through me to order stuff when they had a breakdown or they needed to repair or replace something.
When we were setting up the tank cell, I was working with Keith Jackson and Dave Freeman, who were overseeing the project, and I loved watching it grow, seeing it develop from nothing into the tank cell. I loved working on it because it was very interesting and it was nice to see the foundations and the things I was ordering like conveyors being installed from start to finish. The other areas were already there but I helped this grow from nothing.
Is there anything that used to happen back then that you wouldn’t see today?
When I first started you never called anyone by their first name. It was run by the Stott brothers at the time and we called them Mr Kenneth and Mr Charles. At Christmas time they would buy everybody a turkey and that was your gift from the company. At the time, the ladies started at 8.45am and the men at 8.30am. That was the ladies’ allotted time to take the kids to school.
The tea trolley came round twice a day and you could buy tea and cakes. There was also a tea station where you could buy bacon and toast. There was a bit of an uproar when they stopped that. I used to sell cigarettes out of the cupboard. Every day at 9am and 2pm anybody who wanted cigarettes would come.
Do you have any plans for retirement?
Cruising, cruising, cruising. My husband Eddie worked here for 17 years and he retired a couple of years ago. I didn’t really want to retire but when I saw he was nice and relaxed I knew the time had come for me. We are hoping our first cruise will be over to Canada and America, a long one from Southampton for something like 21 or 28 days.
We also like to do coach trips. I reached 50 years’ service last year but it was obviously during COVID so we couldn’t have a big presentation. I was asked if I wanted a watch but I already had one from 25 years so I received travel vouchers for Parrys travel company. We go on a lot of Parrys trips. We go to London to see the shows.
What have you liked best about working here?
One of the highlights was meeting Princess Alexandra who visited and talked to me but really it’s the people. I know it sounds corny but it’s true. I’ve also made friends with a lot of the suppliers. One who came this morning I’ve worked with for 35 years.
The people you work with are important people in your life. I’m working with people I’ve been working with for 30 or 40 years and they’re the biggest thing I’ll miss.
Karen is pictured above, second row, far right, with some of the engineers she worked with.