Just done the Ilford tour

[Blighty]

Great day out and very interesting. A massive thank you to Simon and all the lads 'n lasses at Ilford for a fascinating day and more importantly, for their continuing enthusiasm and support for our analogue obsession! And those goody bags! Fantastic. Regards, Blighty.

 

[Kilgallb]

OK

What was in the goody bag, curious people need to know.

 

[Nigel]

OK

What was in the goody bag, curious people need to know.

And post some pictures. Did they allow flash in the dark areas

 

[Aurum]

And post some pictures. Did they allow flash in the dark areas

If they did, thats next years LF run buggered!

 

[GeoffHill]

And post some pictures. Did they allow flash in the dark areas

No need for flash. The lights were turned on in all the areas we visited, bar paper finishing and packing.

 

[pentaxuser]

Great tour. The time, effort and resources Ilford/ Harman devote to an APUG tour is tremendous. Not many tours where the senoir management take a real hand in making it a success.Pity the modern world has past them all by.

Well it must have, as the only thing that "spins" there is the paddle mixing the melted emulsions.

The rest of the company from top to bottom just gives honest answers to honest questions. I'd almost forgotten what that was like as it's getting to be a rare experience these days in almost all aspects of life.

pentaxuser

 

[snallan]

It was an excellent tour, very enjoyable, and very informative. If Ilford run another one, go if you get the chance.

 

[steven_e007]

Excellent tour. Thanks to Simon and everyone at Ilford.

They really do pull out all the stops for their customers and have an excellent atitude towards actively supporting analogue photography, rather than just looking for the opportunities where they can sell as many other companies do.

I fully recommend anyone who can to take the tour next time. This was my second visit, being greedy, but I noticed a lot of familiar faces. This is good for us, but I'm sure better for Ilford would be some fresh faces next time, no sense preaching to the converted ;-)

 

[Alex Bishop-Thorpe]

I'd like to get to there for the tour eventually, my sister lives in the uk so I'm sure she won't mind her little brother sleeping on the floor clutching a camera for a few days.
Some part of me imagines it like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory...does Simon wear a purple outfit for the event?

 

[Ian Grant]

It was a pity people didn't have badges with their APUG names, it was difficult identifying who was there.

Excellent tour, and a great insight into Ilford's commitment to B&W photography.

Ian

 

[keffs]

Yes, great tour. Very informative, but what impressed me the most was the commitement that they show to us, their customers. Not just the usual and obvious sales/marketing ploy of pretending to be your best budy until you shell out, and then not even knowing your name the next day. And this attitude was repeated all the way through the factory.

Obviously they have an ulterior motive, but anybody who knocks Ilford must be out of their minds. Not only do they produce excellent products and show an avid devotion to quality and consistency, they are our best allies for the future.

Well done Simon and the team.

Steve

 

[AutumnJazz]

Where are the pictures?

I wish I could see any photo plant...

 

[Ian Grant]

Where are the pictures?

I wish I could see any photo plant...

Inappropriately I think they'll be digital as a young photographer was prancing about with a high end DSLR.

Ian

 

[23mjm]

Inappropriately I think they'll be digital as a young photographer was prancing about with a high end DSLR.

Ian

Now ain't digital OK for informative purposes? Not as any art, but to explain a point.

Digital is to fine art as McDonald's is to fine dining. While they both serve a purpose one would rather not eat at McDonald's too often (Super Size Me)


If it wasn't for the $1300 plane ticket I would go in a heartbeat. I have used Ilford since the mid 80's

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

OK. What was in the goodie bags?

- Thomas

 

[keffs]

OK. What was in the goodie bags?...

OK, a vist to Ilford, and the goody bags contained, erm ... film and erm ... paper - both photo and inkjet. A surprise to some I suppose. No chemistry though.

Steve

 

[pentaxuser]

I am sure all the bags had the same things but more specifically mine had the full range of Delta film plus XP2 as well as what I think is samples of the full or nearly full range of the new Ilford Inkjet paper plus FB Warmtone. In addition there was a short but interesting history of Ilford including film dates etc; a "whet the appetite" leaflet on Ilford Selenium toner which has me seriously thinking about it. A leaflet on the new high quality film and print processing service which we had a chance to see; the new Ilford Multigrade Printing Book which I have read today and have to say that excellent as the previous version was, this one is even better. Plus a high quality antistatic cloth for cleaning in its own carry pouch.

The film samples were available in 35mm or 120 depending on what kind of shooter you are.

There were also Ilford T shirts and long sleeved " Rugby type shirts available at bargain basement prices.

I felt it was an attempt and a good one at that to give us examples of what the Ilford Harman company does in terms of old( film and FB paper) and new (Inkjet paper on a trad baryta base) which recognises that many are now "hybrid" photographers.

pentaxuser

 

[Photo Engineer]

I thought I might add that Kodak ran daily tours for anyone who wished to visit at about 1:00 every day of the week until about 15 years ago. They stopped due to lack of interest.

I can remember 20+ years ago when the lobby of B26 on Ridge Road was lined up with guests and there were 2 busses waiting at the side door, and when it stopped they barely filled a single bus. Much of the tour was through dark areas where emulsion melts were prepared and chemicals were assembled for making and coating.

Kodak also ran a limousine tour with guide for VIP visitors through the plant and then a tour through the research labs. These tours were carefully choreographed so that even blackboards were covered and a security sweep was made to remove all loose film samples. I remember these, as I was guide for more than one Japanese VIP from Fuji and Konishiroku, but I don't remember any from Ilford. I often used my own office and labs as part of the tour, as I could guarantee it was swept carefully at the right time.

Kodak had a sales store around the corner the sign in desk for the tour. They still have it there for people who wish to buy film, cameras, T-Shirts and other odds and ends. There were no goodie bags AFAIK. A few tourists still drop into the sales store AFAIK, but not anywhere near the number in bygone years.

PE

 

[John Shriver]

I took the Kodak tours of the Kodachrome processing line (not much to see, no surprise, but very popular), and the Hawkeye Lens Works (fascinating, but very lightly attended) in 1975.

We did get a goodie on the Hawkeye tour -- a molded glass condenser lens for the lighting system of a Carousel projector.

 

[Stoo Batchelor]

Some part of me imagines it like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory..

One of the girls working on the 120 film spooler fondly described it as just like that. Every person I spoke to in the factory spoke with commitment and passion in what ever part they played, however small, in making the finished product. That goes for the scientist who put the "+" in HP5, to the girls in the finishing plant lovingly boxing our paper in near total darkness. A real happy workplace.

Thank you all at Ilford for a great day and of course "The Goody Bag"

Best

Stoo

 

[Fintan]

Some part of me imagines it like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory...does Simon wear a purple outfit for the event?

I was humming oompa loompa doopity doo ive got another puzzle for you all day

I agree about the name tags, pity.

For what its worth, I was the lanky dude with the lab coat 4 sizes too small

 

[kram]

Thanks to all the people at Ilford for setting up the trip. No one mentioned the great grub that was provided at lunch. Were ruby shirts for sale? I though it was only T-shirts for sale (very generous sized I must say).
Fav bit of the visit, the 120 machine and, for some strange reason, the glass coating machine? Also encountering ladies in the dark

 

[Paul.]

Another vote of thanks from the 4 of us who traveled up from West Wales, well worth the trip.
Second time for me first time for my three freinds, they were all very impressed esspecialy by the commitment of all the staff. It was the topic of conversation on the drive home.

I recomend the tour to anyone who has an interest in silver photograpy you WILL be inspired.

Our thanks to Simon and all invoved.

Regards Paul.

 

[railwayman3]

Just back home after the Ilford visit, having added on a couple of days away over the weekend (mostly in torrential rain and wind, so negligible picture-taking. )

And to add our own sincere thanks to Simon and the staff for a fascinating day around the factories and facilities at Mobberley. We came away with the impression of a combination of skills and precision in the manufacturing operations, together with a real enthusiasm to support traditional b&w work, while also developing opportunities for research and new products.

We also appreciated the efforts put in by the managers and staff to allow us to see actual demonstrations in each of the sections.

All in all, a wonderful day and a real encouragement to our photography.

 

[thefizz]

My biggest impression from the day was the sort of family business feeling I got as Simon got on so well with all the staff he met during the day. I've never seen such a happy workforce before and so committed also.

I agree name tags (apug name) would have been great to identify those you communicate with regularly on Apug and also to keep a distance from anyone you had a falling out with

Well done Ilford.