IN NOVEMBER 1944 the board of British Nylon Spinners decided to purchase a third site to build their next post-war factory.

The Mamhilad site (then in Monmouthshire) was picked after stiff competition from other sites all over Britain.

By June 1945, an engineering team had moved into temporary offices in Panteg House to design and draft the plans for the new factory. Also purchased was ‘Woodlands’ - a large house near the factory site at Mamhilad and this was used for guests during the construction period and a village of 400 ‘hostel’ huts was established in the house grounds for the construction workers.

Construction of the main factory building was started in late 1945 and parts of the building were used before others were finished. By February 1947 approximately a third of the factory area was in use as a training unit for the newly recruited staff.

When advertised, the positions of foremen and chargehands had well over 1,000 applications for the 35 posts. All the successful candidates were men and most were ex-military.

This quite glamorous photograph of the female machine operator was taken in the 1950s and used in the company’s marketing campaigns, including their own magazine, to encourage female applicants for the thousands of jobs at British Nylon Spinners factories around Britain.

Copies of the Nylon Spinners magazines and other records of the site at Mamhilad are deposited in the museum’s own reference library and archive and enquiries can be researched by the museum's volunteers. There is a ‘History of British Nylon Spinners nylon’ book by local author and former British Nylon Spinners employee Arthur Elliott to buy in the museum shop, priced £10.

Nostalgia is provided by Torfaen Museum.