Pye Unicam Meetup

Pye Unicam Meetup

I spent about half my working life at Pye Unicam. A Scientific Instrument Design and Manufacturer part of the Pye Group of companies in Cambridge.

Pye’s was an important employer in the Cambridge Area, along with the Instrument Company and Marshalls. Plus the University.

When I joined Unicam Instruments in 1965 at the tender age of 15 this particular company employed about 600 people. A few years later when it was merged with W.G. Pye we became a company of about 1200 people.

Life was a bit different back then. Many of the employees lived in rural areas and The Pye Group ran a Company Bus scheme to pick its workers up.

I lived in town so it was a short bike ride to York Street.

Today the Pye Group of Companies no longer exists, there are still a few off shoot companies like Ellutia Ltd in Whichford where I spent another 15 years of my working life (in two goes)

The Pye History Trust was started a few years ago to record the importance of Pye in this area. It has its own dedicated room at the Museum of Technology. I was invited to attend a presentation  today with other Pye Unicam People. It was great to see that this foundation also included the Instrument Company.

A great chance to meet up with many friends I had not seen for sometime., I some cases 30 years - People may change visibly but are were still friends :)

I left the company in 1994,  29 and a half years after I started as an apprentice  and I still miss working with the people there. I often think if it had not been for the fact that the division I worked in was closed by the new American Owners I would still be there.