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Go Bananas

Geest bananas were a large part of its success. The pictures come the book Geest 1935 -1985. But who worked at Geest at this time and what memories have you got? Please comment and make this a bumper feedback

Banana Packaging
Banana Packaging
Ray Hilbourne executive director at Spalding depot
Ray Hilbourne executive director at Spalding depot

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18 Responses

  1. Did you know they also had a chip factory at Stumps Lane. We packed chips for M & S ,and chip shops. Coleslaw for M&S ,Unigate ,LIncoln Daries and Some Airlines .We also peeled onions for other food processors.

    1. Chip production was started at WMR – in the Prepack bike sheds under a young lad called Tim Francis. Before George Hiscocks was installed.
      Nice to hear you’re still on the ration strength

  2. My dad Rex Pitts worked for Geest bananas during the 60s and early 70s. He did the exhibitions and stands in London, and he often reminisced about his trips to earls court. He was proud of his job and often told me tales of tarantulas coming in with the crates of bananas from the West Indies- he often pulled my leg so I’m not sure if that was a fact! I have a picture collage that he did back then, if you can tell me how to post s photo I will put it on here!

    1. Yes it was a fact. I remember your Dad as one of the most charming men I ever met. I was a lowly junior, way back in the 60s, and one of my jobs was to give out the free hand of bananas to the office staff, a perk of the job, every Friday afternoon and yes more than once I faced spiders and other various exotic creepy crawlies that appeared.

  3. I started with geest in 1979 at west marsh road, our factory was called f.p.d it was the coleslaw Factory, we still had the bananas on site then.

  4. had several members of my family work for geest. my grandfather walter used to drive for them when they had their own transport. my dad ted, uncles slim and pete plus various others. i rember one sunday morning (b4 hse) dad taking me to watch him cleaning a conveyor belt under the floof while watching several rail carriages reversing into the shed for unloading its bananas,and if i`m not mistaken thought geest had their own shunter

  5. Worked for Geest from 1968 to 1999 at The Sutton Manor St.Helens Depot in the distribution department. Working my way up from warehouse man to hgv driver then to end up as Transport Manager. One great firm to work for until it went plc then the whole ethos of the firm changed for me. I made many trips to West Marsh Road and had made good friends with fellow employee’s to numerous to mention. Happy Days.!

  6. My Grandad & Dad both started working for Geest when they opened their first place in Quadring. One of the Geest brothers lodged with my Grandma’s friend in the village for a while. My Dad transferred to Spalding & worked in Bananas for over thirty years, he carried on working for three days a week from the age of 65 to 70, finally retiring in 1985. Dad was the shop steward for years too, I remember him going to London once a year for their big trade union meeting. He used to buy a huge ‘hand’ of bananas from the staff shop every week, it’s a good thing we all liked them! I also remember Dad telling us about the odd Tarantula or small snake being found in the bananas, so Rachel your Dad wasn’t teasing you about that!. Names I remember are Renee, Horace Bland & Gordon Lawson – he kept birds of prey as a hobby. My Dad was known as Son (Stanley.)

    1. Yes I remember your Dad as I started in Geest Bananas in 1979 at the age of 19. I was in the packhouse as part of the Quality Assessment team checking the intake. I worked with Horace Bland in those early days, along with Dave Mowvley and Andy Garrett. For us few young uns it was like Dad’s Army cos most of the blokes were 50 and beyond. Great chaps like Horace, Son Stanley, Franco Pola, Derek Widdows, Dick Maddison, Bill Gosling. Brilliant place to work …..Dave and I were there until the banana business was sold off in 1997. Does anyone remember my Dad Arthur Andrew….he was a long distance lorry driver there for over 25 years until he passed away from Leukaemia in 1983. He loved his job too

  7. Ray Hilbourne (Geest Bananas) was my neighbour in Peterborough in the 1970s. Does anyone know where he might be now?

    1. Hello David. Its Roger Hilborne here. I remember you from Harewood Gardens. Stumbled across this page and saw your name so thought I ought to write to say Dad sadly died two weeks ago at the age of 101! Remember those days well particularly the rum punch parties! All the best.

  8. My Aunty Joyce Semmence worked for Geest in the 60s and told me stories of huge spiders found whilst sorting through the bananas before they were washed.
    Wether it was true or not I never knew but we were never short of bananas surplus to needs.
    I used to collect the numbers of all the lorries from their main depot with my cousin Carol , happy happy days.
    I would love a photo of a Geest lorry or if them parked at head office, it would bring back such lovely memories of my aunts and uncles all now long gone.

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Ray Hilbourne executive director at Spalding depot