'You could smell someone' who worked at Raleigh

The news the company that owns Raleigh has begun insolvency proceedings means one of Nottingham's most prestigious manufacturing names may have reached the end of its journey.

From being one of the city's big three employers - along with Boots and Players cigarettes - with 8,000 staff, it may have finished its days being little more than a logo.

But during the decades of its existence, it touched the lives of countless people, both those who worked there and those who enjoyed its bicycles.

He said: "Raleigh - Players and Boots too - came to the school offering careers and since it was so close I went for Raleigh.

"It had such a great atmosphere, though you had to be able to take having the mickey taken out of you!

"It was diverse and so friendly, so full of characters, the social club was a great place."

"One weird thing was you could smell if someone worked for Raleigh. I think it was the metal mixed with grease and oil.

"And the factory dominating the area. I once walked past the gate just before four o'clock and everyone was pressed up against it, ready to run.

"But here's the thing, I never rode a Raleigh as I couldn't afford one," he said.

"I had grown up with Raleigh and joined in 1973, and I gained new friends at every stage of my 47 years and met my wife there, so it was very much the background to my life.

"There used to be so many people working there we not only had a football team, we had our own league.

"But then the redundancies started coming - I don't know how many times I walked into an office not knowing whether I would have a job when I came out.