The 'Quiet' Revolution
The birth of thermoplastic housewares at Halex

Tony Merriam

Apart from a few rather horrid urea formaldehyde and phenolic items, there were hardy any plastics housewares prior to 1939 and, during the war, materials and machines were applied to oter things. My arrival at Halex in July 1948 coincided with the delivery of a 40 oz. HPM injection moulding machine, bought for the manufacture of cellulose acetate toilet seats. Weighing 40 tons, the machine was the largest in Britain and represented an enormous step towards heavier mouldings. But the tools for the seat were not ready and, without them, we could make no trials.
As an alternative, a pre-war experimental tool for compression moulding washing-up bowls was unearthed and modified with a sprue hoe. But what to use for material? Acetate and polystyrene were unsuitable, and any polythene (it was never 'polyethylene' in those days - Ed.) was reserved for government orders. However, we did have a roll of war-surplus cable with heavy PE insulation. With the core stripped out, it was ground and fed into our machine. The first bowls, very heavy by today's standard, looked as if they were made of dirty candle-wax. As soon as they had cooled, they were reground and moulded again. The machine had passed its test and no-one noticed Jack Brooke had 'stolen' a complete, if very dirty bowl to take home.
For those who cannot remember those far-off days, washing-up was done in a ceramic sink or enamel bowl withot detergent, so it should be no surprise that the following morning Jack came in ful of enthusiasm for his new bowl. Washing-up was suddenly quiet, without the scratch and scrape of enamel against plates and cutlery: we ought, he suggested, to see how they sold to employees.
More scrap was found and, with a little mottling colour added, thy went very well at 5s (25p) each - so well, in fact, that within a few days it was clear that some people were buying sufficient to supply retailers around Highams Park!
Without anyone realising it at the time, an industry had been born. The bowls were soon being sold at 25s each, equivalent to about £15 today and, such was the demand, we had to ration our customers. A London bus was hired, to be photographed running over the 'unbreakable' bowl which then regained its shape. Jack Brooke went on to develop a wide range of Bex housewares, the forerunner of many competitors. But the toilet seat was a failure and never reached the market.