New book tells the story of Havant manufacturing hero Ken Wood and his fun-loving staff

College lecturer and Spring Arts and Heritage Centre co-ordinator, Steve Murray, wrote the story of Havant-based Kenwood.

Led by one of Britain’s youngest millionaires, late founder Ken Wood, the firm moved to its current unit in New Lane from Woking in 1962.

What followed was great success in manufacturing the firm’s iconic mixers, including the Chef, and the integration of its old and new workforce.

Mr Murray's book features an insight into the thriving social scene Ken Wood paved for his workers, from successful sports teams to a bustling social club and boozy away days.

‘The book features the memories of employees from across the workforce, including factory workers, demonstrators and board members,' said Mr Murray.

‘In many ways, the story of Kenwood mirrors the story of British manufacturing and the book moves from the heyday of the 1960s, when the Kenwood site in Havant was at full capacity, to the decision to relocate production lines to Asia in the 1990s – leaving the Havant site as a high- tech centre for research and development for products that are now manufactured in China.

‘Most people in Havant know someone who has worked or works at Kenwood and it was important to acknowledge the impact an internationally renowned brand has had on Havant and its people.’

The book features Ken Wood's unpublished autobiography, in which he jokingly admits not knowing ‘the sharp end from the blunt end of a ship’ when he left school at 14 for a career at sea.

His stepson John, 60, said it had not seen the light of day because of the ‘model man’s’ modest outlook.

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‘The weird thing is he didn't want people to know him – he wanted the business to sell itself,’ said John.

‘He did that so well that people didn’t realise Ken Wood was actually a man’s name.’

John, who wrote the book’s introduction, added: ‘Steve did a fantastic job trawling through stories to make this possible.’

He added: ‘This book is exactly what I wanted.’

The book is available to buy at the Spring, in East Street, Havant, for £5.