Jennings Musical Industries - 115 to 119 Dartford Road

Jennings Musical Industries factory, Dartford Road

An idealised view of 115 Dartford Road, rear cover of the "Precision in Sound" newspaper format catalogue, late 1964.

Jennings Musical Instruments, 119 Dartford Road

"Squeeze Box" magazine, May 1949. A detail from the Jennings advert on the back page - 119 Dartford Road, Tom Jennings's first premises.

A shot of number 119 taken in the late 1950s.

Buildings in the late 1950s and 1960s

Some notes on the Jennings buildings at 115-119 Dartford Road. Number 115 was the Works - also known as "Unity Works" or "Unity House"; number 117 served as storage/repair; number 119, the only building that now survives, Research and Development, and prior to that the shop/showroom.

During the course of 1964, the AC100 chassis assembled by Westrex were transported to Dartford Road and made ready for sale at number 115 - given boxes and back panels, serial numbers, and so on.

Number 119 was purchased by Tom Jennings c. 1947 - and for a while it was his house (residence). Number 115, an Estate Agents in the first years of the 1950s (and a little way into 1953), had been acquired by late 1953; number 117, the old Fish and Chip shop, by 1956.

Below, a first report of the acquisition by Tom of 115 Dartford Road - "Unity Works". With the new space came the expansion of the "Jennings Organ Company" - the production of console organs and further models of Univox.

December 1953. The magazine from which this piece came - a review of activities in the accordion and music world generally (with many good adverts) - is extremely scarce these days. The set to hand came from a seller in Turkey.

Jennings Musical Instruments, 115 Dartford Road

"Melody Maker" magazine, 6th November, 1954. "Unity Works" was number 115 Dartford Road.

Jennings Musical Instruments, 115 Dartford Road

Music trade magazine, April 1955.

"Accordion Times", July 1955. The "Coupe Mondiale" was the accordion world championships.

Jennings Musical Instruments, 115 Dartford Road

Detail of another Jennings advert in "Accordion Times", January 1956, one of the first, if not the first, to mention the complex as a whole (i.e. numbers 115-119) explicity.

Below, a note published in "Mechanical World", February 1956 - prospective works at Dartford Road - a new factory - either a new building (not ultimately realised), or some expansion / redevelopment of number 115. The need for more space is likely to have been created by the expansion of organ production set in motion by "The Jennings Organ Company" in 1956. Towards the middle of the year, Tom recast "Jennings Musical Instruments Limited", his first company, as "Jennings Musical Industries". Further details can be found 1956 was a year of significant change.

"Mechanical World and Engineering Record", February 1956.

A detail from the Ordnance Survey map of Dartford, surveyed in 1960 and published in 1962. House and building numbers are marked.

Plan of Jennings Musical Industries (JMI) buildings at 115-119 Dartford Road, map

Numbers 115-119 Dartford Road, marked on Ordnance Survey sheet TQ5274-TQ5374A, part of a series produced to aid the National Grid (printed in 1962) - scale 1:2500.

The shed (workshop) behind number 115 belonged to Jennings, so too the one behind number 119 (Artists' Loan equipment). Both were fairly rough and ready by modern standards.

At least two plans for expansion were formulated - in 1962 and 1964. The former, which led Tom to seek capitalistion by selling a controlling part of the business to Royston Industries ("The Royston Group"), did not come into being unfortunately.

Music trade press, June 1962.

Further report, June 1962.

Royston's acquisition of JMI, 1963

Music trade press, February 1963. "The Guardian" had already noted the acquisition in January. Even in mid 1960s, JMI was described in Royston reports as being a small company unlikely to increase the profits of the group substantially. The tricks of accountancy.

Expansion in late 1964 resulted not only in the redevelopment of 117 Dartford Road, but the move to the , owned by Burndept, and refitted for Vox. Various lines were moved there: the production of most "AC" amplifiers along with certain ranges of guitar and organ. Following the fire of 1965, however, some of the guitar lines returned to Dartford Road.

In April 1967, all manufacturing that remained in Dartford (guitars and some organs) was moved to the West Street Works. Number 115 became a sort of warehouse for Dispatch; and the creation of a new "Research Laboratory" at Erith emptied out certain rooms on the upper floors of numbers 117 and 119. In June 1967, the music trade press recorded that the Sales, Administration, Accounts, and Publicity Departments had also moved across to Erith.

Local Dartford press report, 28th April 1967.

June 1967

When the collapse of Royston brought JMI down in early December 1967, the official receiver, R.N. Langdon, was called in to regulate JMI's affairs. Receivership was a means of giving a troubled company a measure of breathing space in which to re-finance. At some point shortly after Langdon's appointment (8th December), sales of equipment were mounted at 115 Dartford Road - unfinished items from the sheds at back, and various unused components. At one of these sales, two AC100 chassis were seen, one of which was purchased.

Late 1960s and 1970s

Following the appointment of the receiver, the Dartford Road complex returned to Tom, who had been sacked from the company in September 1967 in a particularly heartless way. More or less immediately Tom set up a new company - "Jennings Electronic Developments" - and was swiftly back at 117-119 Dartford Road. By May 1968 he had his new company up and running there. For more on Tom in this period, .

Tom Jennings in his office, early 1967
Tom Jennings back at 117-119 Dartford Road, December 1967

Music trade press, December 1967. This is the earliest public mention that has come to light so far of Tom's being back at numbers 117-119.

Below, a note published in April 1968 recording Tom's return to Dartford Road, and an advert that only really makes sense in relation to the note. Dick joined "Jennings Electronic Developments" soon after Tom had founded it. The company's first products were pedals. "They're back" not only celebrates the new business, but Tom's return to the Dartford site.

Published April 1968. Dartford Road had evidently reverted to Tom before JMI officially became "Vox Sound Equipment Limited" on 26th April.

They're Back! - Tom Jennings and Dick Denney

May 1968.

Tom retained number 119, and for a time 117 and 115 too, though eventually both were sold off. Number 117 was in the hands of Motoplat (UK) by 1969, presumably having been disposed of earlier in that year. When "Jennings Electronic Industries" folded in 1975, Alan Pyne took over 119 Dartford Road and the contents of a number of the old sheds, which still contained parts and equipment from JMI days. Some great recollections of Alan can be found here. By 1989 Motoplat owned 107-117 Dartford Road.

The section above will be expanded soon. A page on the Jennings shop at 100 Charing Cross Road, 1950-1967, .

EXTERIOR

Jennings Musical Industries at 115 Dartford Road

An aerial shot of Dartford Road taken in 1953. The two adjoining parts of number 115 (one behind the screen wall) are indicated by the arrows. To the right is the garage on the corner. At the time the photograph was taken, number 115 was an Estate Agents. The buildings were acquired by Jennings soon after the photo was taken, becoming the works or "Unity House".

Jennings Musical Industries at 115 Dartford Road

Photo of numbers 117 and 119 Dartford Road taken by Derek Underdown c. 1955. Number 117 is still the Fish and Chip shop. Thanks to Toni Standing for kind permission to use the picture here.

Jennings Musical Industries at 115 Dartford Road

Photo of the rear portion of number 117 with the "huts" behind number 119. Photo by Derek Underdown c. 1955. Thanks to Toni Standing again.

The map a little way above records the arrangement of the buildings c.1960-1961. The panorama below is probably more or less contemporary with it. In picture are a Ford Anglia (introduced in 1959) and a Commer van (introduced in 1960).

Panorama of JMI factory, 115 Dartford Road

Composite Panorama of the Works published by Jim Elyea, Vox Amplifiers: The JMI Years, pp. 544-545. Note that number 115 encompasses the factory and the offices (with a lower roof-line). Numbers 117 and 119 are out of picture.

On the other side of Dartford Road, almost directly opposite the JMI buildings - i.e. straight across to the left in the panorama above - were the premises of the "Dartford Engraving Company" (behind numbers 70 and 72 Dartford Road). "Dartford Engraving" produced traffolyte panels for amps and guitars.

Telegraph magazine, 14th May, 1965

"The Telegraph" magazine (Sunday Supplement no. 34, 14th May, 1965). Tom with a Symphonic Bass standing in front of the wall of number 117.

INTERIOR

JMI factory, 115 Dartford Road

"Accordion Times" magazine, September 1953. Repairing accordions in the "shed" behind 119 Dartford Road. The accordions will probably have been brought to the Charing Cross Road shop in the first instance, though.

Panorama of JMI factory, 115 Dartford Road

Flyer from late 1960 / early 1961 showing the interior of the factory building, 115 Dartford Road.

Panorama of JMI factory, 115 Dartford Road

Note the beige single speaker AC10s with black "luggage" handles lined up down the middle of the space, followed by AC2s with white handles. On the far left hand side is the guitar assembly area.

Amplifier production in the JMI factory at 115 Dartford Road

Published in the local Dartford press, 4th September, 1964. Large box AC50 Foundation Bass sets being packed for export to the States. The testing rooms can be seen in more detail in a picture further down this page.

Below, a couple screengrabs from film segments shot at 115 Dartford Road in early 1965 - the testing of a Vox Continental organ in one of the booths. In early days, amplifiers and organs were tested principally by playing. By mid 1964 it had become the practice to check at least some of the newly-produced equipment by electronic means. This was the case also at Triumph Electronics, which assembled AC50 chassis (among other things) under contract for JMI. Indeed, at Triumph virtually all testing was done with scopes and meters.

The Continental is hooked up to a T60 amplifier and speaker cabinet for testing.

Left to right, Heathkit AG-9U signal generator; multimeter (probably also made/supplied as a kit by Heathkit); oscilloscope.

Below, shots of the guitar assembly area, guitars stored between the two benches. One can see the near side in the picture above.

Guitar production in the JMI factory at 115 Dartford Road

Still from the BBC4 Documentary "Vox Pop. How Dartford powered the British Beat." From a film made in mid/late 1964.

Tom Jennings in front of the guitar assembly area, Dartford Road

Tom J. in front of the guitar stands. Picture from Getty Images.

Jennings, Dartford Road factory, Beat Instrumental magazine, September 1965

"Beat Instrumental" magazine, September 1965.

Jennings, Dartford Road factory, Beat Instrumental magazine, September 1965

A further picture from "The Telegraph" magazine (Sunday Supplement no. 34, 14th May, 1965) - a large-box AC50 and an AC100 being checked in the small testing "rooms", 115 Dartford Road. In the foreground, T60 amplifiers and cabinets, some AC50s, perhaps AC100s too, and covers, slightly strewn about.

Lonnie Donegan at Dartford Road

"Dartford and Swanley Chronicle and Kentish Times", 3rd July, 1964.

Jennings and team at 119 Dartford Road

"Dartford and Swanley Chronicle and Kentish Times", 19th February, 1965. Tom Jennings and team preparing for a press view in 119 Dartford Road prior to the Frankfurt Musikmesse.

Reports

Below, a report in the "Electrical Times", 22nd October, 1964, giving a small glimpse of moves to expand and reconfigure operations following the "Million Dollar Deal" .

Planned development, Jennings Dartford Road factory

"Electrical Times", vol. 146, no. 17, 22nd October, 1964.

The greatest change, however, was the expansion into the West Street Works in Erith, which was owned by Burndept Electronics, a fellow member of the Royston Group of Companies, and a contractor for JMI from 1962. Production of AC100s (technically AC80/100s) began in Erith in early Spring 1965.

Planned development, Jennings Dartford Road factory

"Dartford and Swanley Chronicle and Kentish Times", 23rd July, 1965.