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A Coventry Engineer who retired four years ago because of ill-health
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A Coventry Engineer who retired four years ago because of ill-health
A Coventry Engineer who retired four years ago because of ill-health, is now using his former skills in a totally different field. Mr. Ken Gutteridge has gone from lathes to chandeliers and is currently equipping Walton Hall Hotel, Wellesbourne, with 14 of them, including the three biggest he has ever made. He started as an apprentice at the Alfred Herbert Machine tool company in Foleshill Road, Coventry, and at the time of his retirement in 1969 was production engineering manager at Massey Ferguson. He moved to Hastings with his wife Joyce, and youngest son Ronald, to run a hotel. Although it was a success, Mr. Gutteridge could not settle down. " I am a professional engineer and catering is not my line of business, " he said. So he went into partnership with another man in the chandelier business. The partner has since retired and Mr. Gutteridge is now sole owner of GB Crystals. It is a family concern with his wife doing the accounting, and another son Paul and his wife Beverley also working with him. Both Mr. Gutteridge and his wife have long connections with Coventry. Their other four children live here and Mrs. Gutteridges great uncle, Alderman W. H. Grant, was a former Mayor.
31st May 1973
Coventry Telegraph Archive
Mirrorpix
Coventry
West Midlands
England
Media ID 21618605
© Mirrorpix
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This print captures the incredible journey of Mr. Ken Gutteridge, a Coventry engineer who defied all odds and reinvented himself in a completely different field. Forced to retire four years ago due to ill-health, Mr. Gutteridge refused to let his skills go to waste. Transitioning from lathes to chandeliers, he embarked on an extraordinary venture that has brought him immense fulfillment. Equipping Walton Hall Hotel in Wellesbourne with 14 exquisite chandeliers, including the three largest he has ever crafted, Mr. Gutteridge's craftsmanship shines through every intricate detail. His engineering prowess was honed during his apprenticeship at the renowned Alfred Herbert Machine tool company in Foleshill Road, Coventry. Climbing up the ladder of success, he eventually became the production engineering manager at Massey Ferguson before retiring. However, retirement did not suit this passionate engineer's spirit as he yearned for more challenges aligned with his expertise. Relocating to Hastings with his wife Joyce and youngest son Ronald to run a hotel proved successful but unfulfilling for Mr. Gutteridge. Driven by his true calling, he ventured into partnership within the chandelier business which ultimately led him to establish GB Crystals as its sole owner today. With his wife handling accounting duties and their son Paul and daughter-in-law Beverley working alongside them, GB Crystals has become a thriving family concern. Despite their new endeavors taking them away from Coventry physically, both Mr. and Mrs. Gutteridge maintain strong connections with their hometown where their other four children reside and where Mrs. Gutteridges' great uncle served as Mayor. This remarkable story is testament to one man's determination and passion for utilizing his talents even when faced with adversity - truly inspiring!
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