BLUE PLAQUE TO HONOUR ELLIOTTS OF NEWBURY

Newbury Town Council will unveil its 22nd blue plaque to commemorate Elliotts of Newbury, one of the town’s principal employers from 1875 to 1974.

The plaque will be installed outside Bond House, Strawberry Hill, now occupying the former Elliotts site, and will be unveiled at 1pm on Friday 5th June by Cllr Jo Day, Mayor of Newbury.

Originally established as a moulding and joinery business, Elliotts expanded in 1922 into the manufacture of domestic furniture. During the First World War, the company produced ammunition boxes, and in the Second World War it played a significant role in the war effort, manufacturing components for Spitfires, other aircraft, and Horsa gliders used in the D-Day landings. In the post-war years, Elliotts continued furniture production and also built civilian gliders, including the Olympia EON.

From around 1912, the company was owned by the Buckingham family. Following its closure in 1974, the site was redeveloped as premises for Bayer. The building, now known as Bond House, is owned by Fortem Property Management Ltd and is currently being converted into residential accommodation. The plaque will be affixed to the front of Bond House, ensuring it remains easily accessible to the public.

Cllr Gary Norman, Leader of Newbury Town Council, said, “We are very grateful to Fortem Property for kindly agreeing to host this blue plaque, which commemorates a company that played such an important role in Newbury and in supporting the national war effort during the Second World War. We are also, as always, very grateful to the Newbury Society for generously contributing a substantial sum towards the cost.”