Hoffman Bearings opened a ball bearings factory in Chelmsford in 1898. Through take-overs, name changes, and rebuilding, the factory endured until 1989, when it finally closed. Here we have a recording of the factory made in its final days.
But the story of bearings in Essex does not there: now Braintree Precision Components Ltd is operating in Braintree, manufacturing similar items. How different are the soundscapes of these two manufacturing companies?