THE Remembering ISTEL project continues to attract more support from ex-employees, and now the archives have a permanent home.
The Standard reported in November 2023 about the creation of an archive for the IT company ISTEL.
It was started by Dave Handley and Derek Coombes who, during a conversation at Redditch Local History Museum, discovered they both worked at the business.
Checking what information the museum had on ISTEL, they found it was limited to two publicity brochures and a mug.
Derek and Dave said they were shocked how little information there was on the company, so decided to rectify that by starting their own archive.
Since then, the collection of information has gone from strength to strength and they continue to connect with ex-employees on their Facebook group.
A feature on the website to put names to faces displayed in publicity brochures has identified 350 at the last count out of 850 images.
Because of the success of the group, a prestigious blue plaque was unveiled last December, with ex-employees invited to attend.
And now Derek and Dave have found the archive a permanent home at the British Motor Museum (BMM) in Gaydon, Stratford.
A number of locations for the archives were investigated but one stood out above the rest, the Gaydon based British Motor Museum (BMM).
Derek and Dave said they chose the BMM because of the simillarities between the two companies.
They said: “BMM also grew out of British Leyland (BL) and indeed the BL Heritage collection of cars once shared facilities at Studley Castle where ISTELs training facilities were housed.”
Derek and Dave are therefore approached BMM management with a proposal for the ISTEL archives to be added the their already extensive motor industry archive.
Although cautious at first, BMM managers saw ISTEL’s service offering was over many non-motor industry sectors, Dave and Derek were able to show how ISTEL was at the heart of the motor industry and late last year it was agreed BMM would accept the ISTEL Archive.
Derek said: “Although disappointed at the reminders of ISTEL in the public domain, we have been equally surprised about the amount of ISTEL related data that has been kept privately by ex-employees.
“Through our Facebook campaign and the re-union exhibitions at the library, many ex-employees have been digging through the attics and I think, surprising themselves on what they have kept about ISTEL”
Dave added “Indeed, the project profile has been so high that they have been able to include support from several senior managers from ISTEL, including John Leighfield, who was the chairman and chief executive.
“He donated many of his personal collection of artifacts to them and they have enabled us to tell the story of ISTEL’s rise to one of the leading IT companies in the 80s and 90s.”
Visit istel.redditchheritage.online for more information.
