Re: Tom Watsons of 5 Canal Street Nottingham
Post by Nobby » Thu Dec 28, 2017 4:35 pm
I have now found out who made these rods for Tom Watson! I have posted it elsewhere on the boards.....somewhere.....but I suppose I should add it here too.
As I had suspected it was Ken Johnson of Astwood Bank, a southern suburb of Redditch where Aspindale and Tony Croft were also based. When the two Aspindale brothers Peter and William split up in 1949, William took half the assets, including machinery, and set-up again taking on Ken Johnson to make the rods as he was just an accountant himself.
The firm was called 'Aero' after the range of rods the two brothers had produced and didn't last long and Ken was lucky to get the job of making the ferrules for the 'other' Aspindale firm, Aspindale and Son, Dalesman Rods. This too didn't last long as when they were joined by ex-Allcock employee Tony Croft he ended up making the ferrules in-house.
After Peter Aspindale suffered badly in a motor accident that firm closed too but Ken continued making rods in the Aspindale style supplying tackle shops, including Tom Watson, but matters were later complicated further ( as if that were possible!) because a recovered Peter set up Aspindale yet again with Tony Croft who had been making rods under the Croft's Competetive Rods banner. This fourth Aspindale firm closed down too, but Peter later set up again*...a FIFTH time.....making rods himself, whilst Ken continued also...both of them supplying Tom Watson with rods.
Ken later named himself Falcon Rods....thank God he wasn't tempted to use the Aspindale name.......
* These Peter only Aspindale rods are easily spotted as they bear a logo....a sticker not a transfer I think, .... black print on a silver sticker with an angler netting a fish. For reasons I don't yet know, Tony Croft, now moved to the South coast used the same logo on his rods after he had split with Peter....surely this is no coincidence?
And you thought Game of Thrones was complicated............
}<)))'> Nobby
It seems Tony Croft made a 12 ft three piece hollow built Lindon match rod when he was Croft's Competitive Rods for a short while, before Peter Aspindale turned up one day and they formed Aspindale and Son, part two.
When this all went out of shape Tony moved South where he stayed making rods until his recent death.
