May And Baker (Dagenham East)
A Memory of Dagenham.
The May and Baker factory, close to the railway station at Dagenham East was once one of the largest factories in the area. The company was best known for developing the drug quinine to combat malaria, often simply referred to as M&B tablets. It manufactured and distributed all sorts of chemicals, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals such as: anti-histamines for allergies, barbiturates for sedatives, opiates like morphine and cocaine for pain relief, antibiotics to combat infection plus other things such as photographic products and plastics.
The factory covered a vast area running beside the railway line all the way down to what is known as the “Chase” and the fringes of Elm Park. The sprawling complex comprised many different buildings; process plants, packaging buildings, effluent treatment plant, research buildings, and offices. The place was like a small town, having its own power station and boilers to produce steam and generate electricity, an old farmhouse used as a drawing office, two large restaurants, its own fire station and fire engine, an ambulance and sick-bay, insurance/travel office, a stage used for amateur productions, a pristine bowling green and large selection of sports pitches.
My father Stan Wilson joined May and Baker in about 1953 as a pipefitter welder in the engineering department. He fabricated much of the pipework in the anti-biotics plant which produced one of the most profitable pharmaceutical products of the time. Later he was part of the shift maintenance team ("shift fitters") responsible for keeping the factory running 24/7 which was important because it was essential to keep some processes running for several days without interruption, to achieve the right result. The fitters used a small fleet of trade bicycles to carry their tools and parts to where they were needed, such was the distance between different parts of the factory.
I joined M&B around 1973 as part of the shift maintenance team, often working with my father, and stayed until around 1986 when much of the engineering work was taken-over by contractors and I was made redundant.
Sadly, today May and Bakers is gone. Only the perimeter roads, the outlines of the buildings and a few trees around the demolished farmhouse remain.
I will always remember my time there and would love to hear from anyone that has memories of this smelly, dangerous but great place to work.
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Yes M&B did produce photographic chemicals. I am not certain whether or not they actually manufactured the solution themselves but I recall a small building where photographic chemicals by another company (perhaps another branch of Rhone Poulenc) would be decanted and put into M&B's own bottles. Perhaps an example of "re-branding".
Anthony (Tony) Lipman.
I was only a youngster (8) when you started at M&B. My dad joined around that time, probably about 1952 and he was in the engineering construction department. You were off to pastures new before I turned up.
The "Shift Fitters" were allocated work by a "Duty Chemist" on night shifts and I can remember a few names - Norman Fry, Joe Sutton, Mr.Courtney and Jack Gogay - all of whom enjoyed many a cuppa in our workshop!
Alan Wilson.
You had to ring a bell to be allowed into this building (No 4).
In No 3 Building, I knew Dave Domikin. Bill Westwick and Betty Cronk. Mr Whitehead was the Department Head.
Anthony (Tony) Lipman
Yes, we did quite a bit of work in No.4 Building (Opiates), changing valves, repairing pumps and clearing blockages in pipework. Jack Gogay signed our work permits and from memory I think Mr.Whitehead was still in overall charge.
In my early days at May & Baker, lorries would unload raw opium worth millions in tea chests lined with foil and plastic bags outside the building. Inside there was usually the pungent smell of opium poppies or the heady scent of cocaine. Stacks of trays contained crystals drying out and fine white powder covered everything. No wonder the workers in Opiates were always in "high" sprits!
Hope more ex M&B workers will recount their stories on here.
Alan Wilson
First day back, lunch in the cafeteria. Somebody came up to me and shook my hand. Welcome back Brian, you have done wonderfully well. David Domikin. His kind dignified act has stayed with me for all of my life. I was probably too shocked to make a gracious reply. Left in 1968 to start on a career in business. My R&D facility near Cambridge still pays my salary.
I believe it was in 1956 that there was a May and Baker Family Day in which all employees and their families and as I recall, everyone enjoyed themselves. Unfortunately, this event wasn't repeated as far as I can recall.
I am a Committee member of the Essex Section of the Royal Society of Chemistry and Mr Mike Parnell and a few other May and Baker retired members occasionally attend the events that we put on during the year.
Dr Anthony Lipman.
I just wondered if anyone have any memories of the bowling green, tennis courts, canteen and executive dining room in particular?
Thank you
Zoe
Just looked at Google Earth.
The two lakes you mention were beyond the perimeter fence of the M&B works if I remember correctly.
As a young boy I recall exploring the "Chase" which stretched from the back of M&B to the boundary with Upper Rainham Road, Elm Park. The area was private and I believe owned by the Garrett family who kept horses and had a riding stables. From memory there were some larger deeper lakes on the land (probably created by sand/gravel extraction) and a couple of smaller shallower "ponds" which were roughly circular. I never took much notice but from looking at the Google pics they may perhaps have been bomb craters .
Alan Wilson
Like many, I have very fond memories of my time there and the many people I worked with - it was a real pleasure to go to work. 'The Railway' pub across the road was our regular haunt every Friday lunchtime. My wife, Jill played for their netball team and I used to use the shooting range (.22 rifles).
Specialist plastics were used in many applications including riot shields and a similar product is probably being used currently to manufacture the barriers and screens used in preventing spread of Covid 19 infection.
Alan.
Maybe an unexpected contribution, as coming from the Netherlands, but I was wondering if anything is known about the manufacture of Uranium Nitrate chemical by "May and Baker Ltd" in the period of +/- 1905-1920? You undoubtedly wonder why I ask, but I am working for a secondary school in the Netherlands that has a history dating back to at least 1920. When I started working here, I did a full inventory of stock for the chemistry classes, and uncovered a tiny bottle of Uranium Nitrate ("Uranium Nitric. Puriss. cryst.") with its original seal still on it, and showing a decorative label of "May and Baker Ltd" with likely establishment dates of different world wide branches:
London 1831
London 1862?
London 1885
Paris 1866?
Paris 1887?
Adelaide 1887
Melbourne 1888
St. Louis 1904.
The label's design is almost, although not exactly, identical to the one you can see on this "May and Baker" page of the "Graces Guide to British Industrial History" (https://www.gracesguide.co.uk/May_and_Baker, see the "Chemical label" photo).
Since the most recent date of this label is "St. Louis 1904", this likely means the manufacture of this bottle predates the Dagenham site though.
It's date is also remarkable in the context of the history of use of such substances. Although the use of Uranium salts as colourant for ceramics seems to date back to Roman times according to the Wiki, and Uranium salts were used in a specific photographic process in the 19th century for creating Uranium prints, there appear to be few other uses at this early point in time (1905-1920), which slightly makes me wonder how it ended up in a school inventory of the time (although most likely related to the use as photo-chemical).
Of course, this find is slated for removal from our school inventory, but it would be nice to know a little bit more. I am currently in contact with a Dutch university that has a specialized lab for dealing with radioactive substances, and I actually think this little bottle is a kind of museum piece given its history and date, which they thought as well, so it may actually end up in a specific collection.
Marco
It's good to know the M&B name is still remembered, even in the Netherlands!
Hopefully one of the more knowledgeable contributors to this memory will be able to provide some information.
I do remember that most of the chemicals used in the labs in my secondary school in the 1960's had the M&B label.
Alan
I was just reading some of the posting, brought back a lot of memories. I joined M&B in1966 straight from school as an intern. I was granted a day a week to study at a local college for my accounting degree. I was posted to the payroll dept initially and once a week I had to go to the local Lloyds bank in securites car to pick up the cash for the weeks wages and help prepare it. Later on Accounts receivable, Audit dept and finally the Cashiers office. Does anyone remember the manager Bill Reader and also Patricia Watson and Mr Potter who sadly lost his wife during the time I was there. Can anyone recall the two young girls who also worked in the dept. I can't remember their last names but their first names where Lynne and Helen. I do remember the canteen, it appeared to be constructed of concrete pillars with an oval roof, quite large. The food I recall was very good especially the lamb. I also recall a strong chemical odour at times, quite sour.
Hope this helps those looking for extra information.
Regards
Les Layton
Good to hear your memories. From what you say you were probably involved in preparing my brown paper wage packet and putting some much welcomed cash inside! That was of course back in the days when wages were paid weekly in actual money. I remember queuing up outside the wages office at a small window and giving my name and work number. A bit different to these days of monthly Direct Debits and a string of secret numbers and passwords just to find out whether you have been paid.
I remember the canteen being pretty much as you describe, with full height glass windows and doors along each side which opened up in the summer. At the entrance / exit end was a stage where M&B Theatre Club held regular shows and Santa appeared with his sack of presents each Christmas for the kids party.
Alan Wilson