ON December 17, 1981, BBC radio broadcast a short programme in which well known former Reyrolle character, raconteur and wit, 83- years-old Fred Nicod gave some insight of the formation of A Reyrolle and Company.
Fred’s father was sitting in a pub in Tottenham Court Road, London, one day in 1886 when a gentleman walked in and asked if he could join Mr. Nicod who agreed and asked the visitor to have a drink but all the gentleman, Alphonse Constante Reyrolle wanted was conversation.
He was thinking of starting a business and on finding out Mr. Nicod was an engineer, asked him to come and work for him at 1/2d. an hour more than Mr. Nicod was then earning.
Mr. Reyrolle, about 5'7' was a well dressed, handsome man with curly auburn hair, with pince-nez glasses and a personality that commanded respect everywhere.
The business was set up making plugs and sockets, switches and other electrical equipment. They remained in London until in 1901, then moved to Hebburn, occupying the site of a former dye-works adjacent to Hebburn Station. Fred's father was manager of the firm in London and when they moved to Hebburn, was manager for about 15 years. In 1903 there were ten employees and by 1918 three hundred and fifty then the firm started to expand rapidly
Fred and his seven brothers all worked for Reyrolle and as a young apprentice he once damaged Mr. Reyrolle's glasses with a snowball and on being sent for, was chased out of the office and told to come in properly. He knocked and entered. to be told "that's better" then was told to look at the damage to the glasses. Mr. Reyrolle ordered Fred to mend them so he sought advice from his father, then repaired the spectacles.
Mr Reyrolle was impressed and told Fred he would forgive him. From then on Mr. Reyrolle took an interest in him and was most upset when Fred lied about his age in 1916 and joined the army at 17 years of age. Fred wrote from France and to this day treasures the letter he received from Mr. Reyrolle. Fred reminisced about some of the personalities of the time who established the company; Messrs Arkless, Townes, Norbert Merz and the man who did most to make Reyrolle, the chief engineer, W. H. Clothier.
After war service, Fred spent some time in hospital and on returning home noticed the Reyrolle flag at half-mast as Mr Reyrolle had just died at the age of 47
Mr Reyrolle was a benevolent employer and cared for his employees, particularly when they were sick or in any kind of trouble and did much to establish the family spirit.
A married man with one son, Ferdinand, who until he grew up, had Fred's sister (Lottie) as a nanny. He lived in Beach Grove in Newcastle.
Courtesy of BBC Radio and the Science Museum, Newcastle.
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