February 25, 2009

Dagenham dreams

The story of Ford's Dagenham plant, once the biggest factory in Europe, and its subsequent demise told through the lives of people who worked there

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Harry Coleman (kneeling), who started work aged 13 as a teaboy for the contractors laying pipes for Ford's Dagenham plant before it was built 80 years ago Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Harry (second from right) with friends near to the site where Ford Dagenham was to be built Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Harry (in the chair) enjoys a day out with friends and his Ford Zephyr Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Anita Taylor, a female racing driver for the Ford team in the 1960s, prepares for a race Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Shop steward Dora Challingsworth (fifth from right), on strike with machinist colleagues in the late 1960s fighting for equal rights for women at the plant. Their cause was taken up by employment minister Barbara Castle and the Equal Pay Act followed in 1970 Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Dora at her desk, as a shop steward in Dagenham Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — The Ford Anglia, produced at the Dagenham factory Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Dennis O'Flynn, a foundry worker at the plant who fought for better conditions for his fellow workers, pictured with his daughters Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — An aerial photo of the plant in Dagenham taken in 1970 Photograph: PR

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Dave Harley, now the "resident Elvis" at Romford's Jailhouse Rock club, with his favourite Ford Capri in the 1970s - "rock'n'roll on wheels" Photograph: PR company handout

Dagenham Car Plant: Dagenham Car Plant — Keith Dover, pictured with Dagenham colleagues, followed his father into Ford in 1978, and took redundancy in 1992 to become a stand-up comedian. "I just wanted to leave it behind" Photograph: PR company handout

Leave a Comment Cancel comment