Blast from the past as people remember more than 30 major employers who once traded from this town in Milton Keynes

The town of Bletchley was once home to a host of major companies that ensured the livelihoods of thousands of local families.

Today, in a blast from the past, older residents have compiled a list of more than 30 top employers that helped put the town on the map.

Sadly, the companies have all stopped trading over the years and though some of the old premises remain, many have since been redeveloped.

The trip down memory lane was prompted by the popular Milton Keynes Past and Present Facebook group.

Top of the list for many was Scot Meats, where more than 1000 people once worked and enjoyed benefits such as a thriving social club and Christmas parties for their children.

The business was founded by business partners Michael Katz and Herman Van Vlyman with 12 staff in January 1960 at a factory unit on Denbigh. Their aim was to manufacture high quality meat products.

Within five years, the staff had increased to more than 200 and the demand proceeded to double every year. By 1970 the small factory had expanded greatly, and its production techniques were among the most advanced in Europe.

By 1980, the business employed more than 1000 people. But, following mergers and takeovers, it sadly closed in the October of the following year.

This was a devastating blow for the workforce, unions and the community, who had campaigned in vain to save it.

Meanwhile, people were still reeling from the closure of another big Bletchley employer – the famous Tetley’s tea company.

They had produced Britain’s very first tea bag in their factory in Osborne Street on July 5, 1953. Business flourished and at its peajk, the company employed 450 people and produced 40 million tea bags a week for sale all over the world.

It was taken over by Lyons in 1972 but five years later, in early 1977, the factory closed down, putting hundreds of people out of work.

The reason was cited as the cost of replacing obsolete machinery plus the drop in demand for teabags.

Today, there is a special pillar dedicated to Britain's first tea bag at the MK Rose memorial in Campbell Park.

One of the latest major Bletchley companies to close was Broadway stampings and Dyson Diecastings, which had traded for 46 years and employed 319 people at their factory and warehouse on Denbigh Industrial estate.

In November last year they went into administration and put their massive premises on the market.

Here’s a list, courtesy of members of Milton Keynes Past and Present, of other old firms in Bletchley that flourished and then closed down over the year.

Associated Octel

Aquascutum

Cigarette Components

GW Every

Beacon Brushes

Cooks

Alt and Wiberg

Kembles Pianos

Kemco Fabrication

Co-op bakehouse

Kandy Foods

Barcleys Bank

Bletchley Gazette

Sandall Precision Engineers

Terrapin

KP plastics,

Westland Helicopters

Wincantons

London Brickworks

Turner and Langley

Austin Valencia

Cloran's Delicatessen

Eldred Jewellers

Neal's Toys and Prams

Pullman Printers

Nagles

London Brick

Dyson Dicasting

Zimmermann Hobbs

Westland Helicopters

Terrapins

British Telecom

Kemast Chemicals

Britsh Aviation

Do you have memories of any of thee firms? Perhaps you or members of your family worked there. Please share the memories.