Recorded Memories

Frank Dudley Interview. September 1998.

Mr Frank Dudley 49 years at Atkins Bros eventually became Managing Director ‘It was a general thing to do then, young fella’s that were starting work were on the train to Leicester Tech’

‘The underwear made for men and ladies now is very slight and very thin, of course everyone has central heating - we are all mollycoddled aren’t we?’

Mr Dudley started work at Atkins in 1923 at the age of 16, his first wage was 14s 2½d. Frank stayed at Atkins for 49 years and became a managing director retiring in 1972. He was mostly involved with the Highcross works on Regent Street where they employed about 300 people making men's underwear. Most of the the Highcross customers were based in Manchester and Frank would travel to Manchester every Monday at first by train from Hinckley but in later years by company car. He was born in Hinckley and went to Hinckley Grammar school (at time of interview Mount Grace). Frank’s father had a drapers shop with a millinery department which in those days was ‘quite the thing’. The manager of Atkins Brothers, as a personal friend, ‘fixed me up to start as an apprentice’ and he remembers Colonel Atkins saying at the interview ‘I promise you nothing it’s up to you, yourself.’ He started his working life as an apprentice in the office and after about a year was encouraged to attend night school. This was before there was a technical college in Hinckley. He was bought a season ticket by Atkins Bros and attended two evening classes a week for three years in Hosiery Manufacture at Leicester technical college. He would catch the 6.09 pm train into Leicester ‘It was a general thing to do then, young fella’s that were starting work were on the train to Leicester Tech.’

Frank comments on the fact that the Highcross building is still in Regent Street but ‘no longer a factory, unfortunately.’ Mr Dudley had the factory built, it’s a double story over the shops and the Highcross sign can still be seen (at time of interview). Highcross was the trademark for men’s underwear made by Atkins Bros – ‘Highcross being the centre of England where the Fosse Way passes the Watling on the A5. Atkins was taken over by Coats Vyella and Frank thinks that the ‘personal side of it is all gone.’ When he worked for Atkins he worked with Colonel Atkins and his son Mr Robert (Bob) Atkins, Tom Atkins was the next generation. ’During WW2 things were very different they had blackouts and employees of Atkins would take turns in fire watching, fire watching was carried out on a rota system and Frank remembers sleeping at the factory one night a week on a camp bed. Girls were also involved in fire watching and remarked ‘Not sure what we should do if there had been any bombs dropped, I’m sure!’ Similar to other factories during the war they had government contracts to make underwear for the forces and inspectors visited the factory every week to ensure correct specifications, and completed garments had to be delivered to Burton-on-Trent. Underwear for the general public also had to comply with government regulations. Underwear was made in wool, plaited which is a mixture of wool and cotton and rayon. Over the years fashion has gradually changed and the underwear made for men and ladies now is ‘very slight and very thin.’ ‘The type of underwear that was made when I was first at the factory was heavy stuff – of course everyone has central heating, we are all mollycoddled aren’t we?’

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