Spring Side Mills (Bolton)

I worked at the Springside Mills of Charles Turner & C0 Ltd at Belmont, Bolton for a short period in the early 1980s when it had 4 paper machines, 3 of which were producing tissue and wadding with the large conventional Fourdrinier machine producing a range of speciality products from printings and writings to the base paper for silicone release liner. There was an extensive range of converting facilities on site for producing toilet and towelling rolls, incontinence sheets and pads. Jumbo reels of toilet tissue were also sold to a few local independent converters. In the past, under the ownership of Courtaulds Ltd, the site was involved with the attempted development of a smoking tobacco substitute known as New Smoking Material (NSW). After I left in August 1984, the Fourdrinier paper machine was scheduled for closure due to it’s unprofitability – this put the manufacturers of the silicone release liners in a panic about future supplies and therefore they put in extra orders and offered to pay more !!

The person I most remember was Mr Ron Haigh, the mill manager – a pipe smoking papermaker of the old school who seemed to know everything.