lees lemonade factory ardrossan 50-60s

[sandra xa]

if you returned the bottles you would get money back. when the ice cream van came around at night we used to get american cream soda or curries lemonade

[Meg]

Hi Sandra - have a look here to see the conversations about Lees factory in Ardrossan from a year or so back.

Meg

[geomacintyre]

Having worked Saturday mornings on the bottling line as casual labour, I was interested to see James Lee & Sons listed in the Ardrossan Burgh 1846 - 1946 Centenary brochure as follows:

"James Lee & Sons

"Fifty-three years ago ex- Bailie Thomas Haldane started manufacturing aerated waters in Princes Lane, Ardrossan. After a short time he removed to the Caledonian Aerated Works at Kilmahew Street, Ardrossan. James Lee, his son-in-law, was appointed his assistant in 1904 and gained a thorough knowledge of the. In 1919 the concern of A F Lawson, Largs, was purchased with James Lee in control, which he developed into a successful business, In the year 1925 James Lee returned to Ardrossan and took complete control of both businesses, trading under the name James Lee & sons, Ardrossan.

"Due to the expansion of the National Fire Service during the war the factory was removed to other premises in dalry Road, Ardrossan, provided by the Town Council, where it is now situated with a staff of fifteen employees trading under the control of the SoftDrinks Industry, the factory being known as S.D.I. Producing Unit S.S. 42.

"When the controls on the soft drinks industry are removed the firm will again trade as James Lee & Sons, and it is hoped as materials become more plentiful to have the continued patronage of the local people, which will allow the employment of more locals workers."

Also listed in the brochure is The Brilliant Toy Company which produced "a wooden dancing doll, known as 'Jiving Joe' (locally known in the rade as 'G.I. Joe') and has become so popular that is it hoped that local conditions will make it possible to create a really large and flourishing concern in Ardrossan."

Does anyone remember eith the company or the dancing doll?

[down south]

Interesting history of Lee's, George; here's a rather different version.

From an advertisement in the 1958 Ardrossan Academy school magazine.

And here's another rather more conventional advert from around that date, with their famous slogan " Lee's Please ".

Susan

[down south]

Here's an interesting article about the toy company that's just been added to the Ardrossan Ships site:

http://ardrossanships.com/articles/read?id=148" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's even a map showing where it was located.

Interesting too to see the founders of it; a famous actress and an " honourable ", neither of them people you would associate with Ardrossan. Wonder why it was chosen out of so many possible places as the site for this venture.

Susan

[danmac]

Hi
Lee's lemonade factory was my first place of work back in the fifties. I remember the old machines (what there were of them) , sticking the labels on by hand etc. and the general conditions we worked under. In the cold winter months we used to sit huddled around the fire and munched our jam butties. They were hard days but such was life all those years ago.
Danmac (Tony McGuire)