Effectrode Investigates: Whatever happened to Mullard?

Over the coming weeks I’ll be posting pictures and some little stories about a nostalgic day out to visit the site of the Mullard tube manufacturing works in Blackburn, Lancashire. Mullard manufactured some the finest tubes by anyone at any time in history and I very much wanted to see the Blackburn site and find out what, if anything remained of this once prestigious and magnificent chapter of British Industry. The site was vast and mighty space covering an area of over 40 acres and was the largest tube manufacturing plant in Europe with chemical, wire drawing and glass manufacturing plants on site. At its zenith Mullard Blackburn employed well over 6000 people and manufactured over 6,000,000 vacuum tubes a year. Some of roads were even named after tube manufacturers as shown in the photo where I’m standing next to the very appropriately named ‘Philips Road’. Part Two – Ribble House, Mullard Still Stands Proud.

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19 COMMENTS

Beestonite March 26, 2019 at 06:20:05 Log in to Reply

Hi there I am new to the world of valve's, having just purchased my first valve headphone amplifier. During my research I heard great things about Mullard valve's a nd I have just received mullard 6080 valve . The first thing that strikes me as been a bit different about this is the fact that it is stamped British made, as opposed to made in Britain. There is a code on the side which reads Ajo R6j, could anyone tell me when and where it was manufactured. Because I am new to this I don't understand test results the seller stated that it has an La23/ GM 4 is this good, bad or average. I would really appreciate some help with this. Regards John

Phil Taylor March 29, 2019 at 08:39:13 Log in to Reply

Hi John, Yes, Mullard and Brimar tubes would be labelled 'Made in Britain' or 'British Made'. I don't recognise the date code though, if you send me a photo I might be able to help. Best, Phil

Beestonite March 30, 2019 at 06:00:15 Log in to Reply

Hi Phil, Thank you for your response , i have photos i can send you but I can't see a method of bee able to insert them in to this reply . Perhaps if you were to drop me a line to john.corney2@ntlword.com, I could send them in a reply. As for the test results could you shed any light on that. Regards John

Phil Taylor April 11, 2019 at 09:01:36 Log in to Reply

Hi John, I did send you an email. Did you receive it? Best, Phil

RoverT February 20, 2019 at 09:07:56 Log in to Reply

I worked at Mullard's from 1958 until 1966, serving a student apprenticeship in mechanical engineering before engaging in several assignments in some of the many departments. The factory at this time was thriving with 5,800 employees producing electronic valves. The site was laid out in a most efficient manner with each building allocated a letter. 'A' building was the valve grid manufacturing plant (a mezzanine floor housed the main offices). 'B' and 'C' buildings were the valve finishing plants. 'D' building was mainly research and development. 'E' building was mainly the glass envelope processing plant. 'F' building was the glass manufacturing plant. 'H' building was the press shop and metal forming plant. 'J' and 'L' buildings were the wire drawing/processing plants. 'M' building was built in 1960 as the new valve assembly factory. I worked for 6 months in the all the main manufacturing plants followed by periods in the Manufacturing Standards department, the Drawing Office, and the Plant Maintenance department .Happy memories of the start of my career. Thank you Mullard's.

Phil Taylor February 20, 2019 at 10:04:19 Log in to Reply

Hi Trevor, Thank you for sharing your memories and for the information on the purposes of the various building blocks. Wish I could have been there in those golden years, it must have been the place to be at that time. Cutting edge stuff! Best regards, Phil

Ian March 7, 2018 at 01:18:52 Log in to Reply

I was there from 73 to 75, then left for something better. My immediate boss had the initials JWW and was a total tosser, though I understand that he rose to great heights in Philips and other companies. He gave me the sniffiest possible reference, full of management bullspeak. It was supposedly confidential but my new employers were so intrigued by its fatuousness that they showed it to me, and used it subsequently on training courses as how not to do it.

Phil March 7, 2018 at 09:21:26 Log in to Reply

Yes, that's my experience of bosses too, which is why I work for myself. It seems to take a certain breed to become a boss and although I am technically a boss now the only person I upset is myself or my wife.

John Douglas March 28, 2017 at 10:42:05 Log in to Reply

Part of Chapter 4 from this book can be downloaded from https://od.lk/s/OV8xMjUyMDMzMjVf/EndgameTubes.PDF Note that a lot of companies outsourced to Japan. The Endgame in the Electronic Receiving Tubes Industry Chapter 4 Declining Demand, Divestiture, and Corporate Strategy By Kathryn Rudie Harrigan https://tinyurl.com/nyxemmt

Phil Taylor November 18, 2018 at 12:03:25 Log in to Reply

Thank you for sharing this John. Best regards, Phil

dave July 2, 2014 at 10:58:51 Log in to Reply

Started working at Mullard Blackburn in 1977 - after it's real heyday but still a large and significant employer with some 2500 employees. Trained as an industrial engineer - old fashioned "time and motion man" - with lots of initial training in valve assembly, an amazing production line process with some assembly cycle times measured in a few seconds. Great times with lovely dedicated people, largely female on the shop floor - good news for a young man straight from college! Look forward to next installments

Phil July 3, 2014 at 06:14:08 Log in to Reply

Dave, Thanks for your comment. It's great to actually hear from someone who worked there. Best, Phil

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