Kayser Bondor

Pentrebach & Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil.

John Goodenday brought the company, initially known as the Dowlais Hosiery Mills, to Merthyr Tydfil in September 1939. The head office was in Baldock, Hertfordshire. Hosiery and underwear were manufactured in Dowlais until the opening of the Pentrebach factory in 1944-1945, where underwear was manufactured.

Nylon stockings were first manufactured in 1946.

Emily O'Shea

Kayser Bondor, Dowlais, Full Fashioned Hosiery machine.

The Male Operators Were Called Knitters.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Ladies at Kayser Bondor (Dowlais) from the Hosiery and X-Ray Department - 1951/52

Top Row L-R:             Phylis Jones, Eirwen Smith, Morwyn Rogers & Vera Jones.

Middle Row L-R:        Mary Davies, Brenda Hughes, Myra Jones, Winnie Sullivan & Jean Carpenter.

Front Row L-R:          Margaret Griffiths, Mair Jones, Nora Sullivan & June Powell.

(Photograph Courtesy of David Saunders)

Kayser Bondor Open Day - 1953.

(Picture from the Merthyr Express)

Coach Tour to Bilbao, Spain - Organised By Mr. Joe Arriaga (First Ever Coach Tour to Spain from Wales)

Pat Fearn tell us:

"Front Row: (Not going on trip Monica Marshall (kneeling) with Carmen Marshall (nee Arriaga) behind her. Pat Arriaga (kneeling)). with father Joe Arriaga (tour organiser) rest of front row and most of second and third rows were those travelling on the coach. First left , second row , Clem Barbara, M ?,?, Patro Arriaga (Joe's sister), Mayor of Merthyr with letter for Joe to give to Mayor of Bilbao, Mr. Mrs. Salva Vidal, ?, ?, Elisa Diaz at Carmen's shoulder (not going on trip).
The majority of the travellers were employees of Kayser Bondor and the trip was over 'factory fortnight' in July 1953. The remainder of the people in the photo had come to wave the intrepid travellers on their way!"
(Photograph Courtesy of Pat Fearn)

L-R:                 'Jock' McDougall, Tom Gibbon, Willy Moore, George Collins & Jim Southall

(Photograph Courtesy of Nigel Gibbon)

Kayser Bondor - Annual Dinner/Dance - 1956c at the Peter Pan Cafe

L-R:                 Mrs Norman Lewis, Mr Norman Lewis, Nurse Walters, Ivy Robinson, Mr Jim Southall, Mrs Jim Southall, Elvis & Tom Gibbon.

(Photograph Courtesy of Nigel Gibbon)

A Larger Group at the Annual Dinner/Dance - 1956c

(Photograph Courtesy of Nigel Gibbon)

Kayser Bondor - Christmas Party, 1950.

L-R:-  Glenys Winter, Billy Winter, Emily O'Shea, Tim O'Shea, Mattie Pearce, Norman Pearce.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor - Christmas Party, 1950s.

Back Row L-R:-  Arfon Owen, Gren Owen, Francis Lugue, Joe James,

Front Row L-R:- Doreen Protheroe, Emily O'Shea, Megan Bayliss, Ellen Caulfield, Raymond Mathews.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor - Christmas Party, 1950s.

Back Row L-R:-  ?, ?, Emily O'Shea, Beatrice Cook, Harriet Mayan, Trini Rodriguez

Front Row L-R:-  Ann McCormack, Avril Brown (Canteen Manageress), Mona Owen, Beryl Hughes, Lilian Havard (Cook).

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor - Girls 1950s.

Back Row L-R:-  Lilian Lloyd (Seamer), Nellie Howells (Runner on then Seamer), ?.

Front Row L-R:-  Elizabeth Williams (Runner On)(Always known by her maiden name Betty Harris), Olwen Jones, Maria Larrazabel, Christine Price (Seamer Mrs O'Donnell), Betty Price (Seamer MrsCooper)

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor - Dinner Dance, 1950s.

L-R:-  Elwyn Williams, Betty Williams, Doreen Protheroe, Jacki Protheroe, Gwladys Scott, Jack Alban, ?, Haydn Lewis, ? Lewis, ?, ?, Viv Alban.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor - Mechanics, Dinner Dance, at the Peter Pan Restaurant, 1950s.

Mechanics maintained and serviced the Hosiery machines.

Back Row L-R:-  Tom jones, Jimmy McAleer, Dominic Mahoney, Bryn Evans, Arfon Owen, Lionel Martin, Elwyn Williams, ?, Tudor Gittings, George Isaac, Cled Jones, Des miller, Dewi Lewis.

Middle Row L-R:-  Maldwyn Morgan, trevor Williams, Ray Mathews (Manager), ?, Ray Lewis.

Front Row L-R:-  John Sullivan, Jack Oldham, Jackie Aleman, Frank Scoot, Ray Price.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor -  Works Function, 1950s.

M denotes a Mechanic, Mechanics maintained and serviced the Hosiery machines.

Back Row L-R:-  .Dennis Allen (Works Engineer), ?, Arfon Owen (M), Elwyn Williams (M), Ray walker (Office), Penry Pratt, ?, Gren Owen (Co.Sec.), David Lozano,

                           James McAleer (M).

Front Row L-R:-  John Sullivan (M), Trevor Williams (M) Raymond Matthews (Works Manager, Hosiery Division), ?, Bernard Southall (Works manager, Underware Division),

                           David Kenvin (Supervisor Hosiery), ?, Frank Scoot (M)

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor Dowlais comes of age. Twenty one years at Dowlais 1960.

Mr & Mrs Goodenday are congratulated

.

Kayser Bondor - Girls at Weston Super Mare.

L-R:-  Betty Williams, Nellie Howells, May Bustamante, ?, ?, sisters - ? Sullivan, ? Sullivan.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor - Christmas Party helpers, 1958-59.

Back Row L-R:-  Beryl Hughes, Ray Walker, Megan Brown, Emily O'Shea, Mona Owen, ?, Lilian Howard, Maureen Oakes.

Front Row L-R:- Mona Owen, Margaret Ann Hughes.

Seated:- David Kenvin.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor Entrants to the 21 Club - 1960

Staff with 21 years service 1939 - 1960

Back Row L-R :- Tom Radcliffe, Haydn George Lewis, Arthur Jones, Stan Hughes, Ken Pearce, Denzil Davies, Edgar Jenkins, Noel Colwell, Harry Davies, Ieun Evans,

                          Ray Santos, Jack Robinson, Tom Hughes, Billy Caudell, Ron Williams, Stan Harding, Bill Morgan, Massie Barbara.

Front Row L-R :- Ben Lewis, Angel Garcia, Margaret Griffiths, Bill Edwards, Tom Cowhig, Ann Healy, Stan Lovis, Glyn Hobby, Nora Stephens, Jack Lewis, Trevor Lewis.

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

Kayser Bondor Entrants to the 21 Club - 1961

Staff with 21 years service 1940 - 1961

Back Row L-R :- Athur Wells, Hedley Leivers, Arthur James, John Sullivan, Frank Candlin, Danny Horrigan, John Thomas, Aiden McAleer, Cliff Steadman, Ieuan Evans, Ken Cooper, Georgie Parry, Tommy Hutton

Third Row L-R :- Jimmy McAleer, Ray Reegan, Billy Jenkins, George Abbot, Handel Evans, Terry Sullivan, Con Cornelius, Elwyn Jones, Ken Duke, Jackie Thomas

Second Row L-R :- Harold Stephens, Alf Hiscox, Tobie Griffiths, Wyndham Williams, David Kenvyn, Eric Chappel, Eddie Morgan, Randal Farr, Danny McCarthy, Arfon Owen, Ronnie Protheroe, Tim O'Shea

Front Row L-R :- Tom Thomas, Teresa O'Leary, Beryl Hughes, Phyllis Davies, David Goodenday (MD), Mrs Goodenday, Kitty Linehan, Ann O'Neill, Ann Davies, Dick Chappell

(Photograph courtesy of Emily O'Shea)

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