B O Morris (Morrisflex)

I'm talking 1970s, up to about 1980. I can picture the factory, but can't for the life of me remember the proper name or exactly what they made, but it was quite a big place. Could be the factory at the end of Chandos St, between Chandos St and Clay Lane - what is/was that? Or possibly where Clay Lane long stay car park is now. It's easily 30 years since I was in that area, and landmarks change in that time.

The factory in Clay Lane, facing Stoke ex-Servicemens club, was owned by BO Morris, an engineering company. As far as I can tell, unrelated to Morris cars.

Hi all Where was B&O Morris? I thought that was in Clay Lane.

Yes Philip B O Morris was in Clay Lane my husband worked there years ago. When they closed it down he moved with them to the new company Morrisflex. They also formed a company at Braunston and eventually Gary ended up working there, that was called Morris Tooling I think.

There's a photo of the factory in Clay Lane on the BBC site: LINK There are 85 more photos of Coventry in this link.

B O Morris manufactured surface finish equipment, rotary burrs, polishing machines and famously the Morrisflex flexible drive loved by garages and repair shops. Before B O Morris took over in 1946 it was the Triumph Factory, and previous to that the Dawson Motor Company. Have copied text from a page advert from Flight magazine June 27th 1946. We have acquired an extensive factory premises at Clay Lane, Stoke, Coventry, from the Triumph Motor Company. This factory, which is in full production, absorbs our Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 4 Works from Shirley, Birmingham and Rugby. A policy of decentralisation throughout the war years ensured a continuity of production, notwithstanding air attack. To-day, in our new factory at Coventry, and the recently opened factory at 73, St. Mary's, New South Wales, Australia, we are fully equipped to meet the heavy demands of world markets, in addition to those of British Industry at Home. All orders and correspondence should be addressed to Coventry. B. O. MORRIS LTD. Morrisflex Works CLAY LANE, STOKE, COVENTRY Telephone: Coventry 5081. 'Grams: Morrisflex, Coventry REGD. OFFICE - SHIRLEY - BIRMINGHAM REX - - MORRISFLEX - MORREX

B O Morris main gate was in Briton Road and it backed on to Clay Lane

Does anyone recall the independent training school for first year apprentices that was on the site - run by Midland Group Training Services (MGTS)?

If you can log on to face book there is a chat on "True Coventarian" about B O Morris, lots of names from people who worked there, interact with them and things could move on. https://www.facebook.com Mod note. That web address may only work for those signed into Facebook.

From a very dim and distant memory, Phil Keen was chief engineer at B.O. Morris. He left sometime during the early 70s to set up his own business. As a neighbour, he encouraged me to enter engineering as an apprentice. Something I'll always be grateful for.