The story of the factory is an important part of history of both the record industry and of the local community. 

If you purchased recorded music between the 1950s and the late 1980s it is likely that some of it was manufactured at the Factory in Walthamstow Avenue, E4. Initially a business called Record Pressers it was purchased and expanded by Philips in the early 1950s growing as the rock n roll era took off. It pressed vinyl for it’s own labels – Phonogram, Polydor, Philips, Mercury, Fontana, Vertigo, Pablo & Verve amongst others in pop, rock and jazz; for licensed labels such as Stax, Atlantic and for contracts with Arista and Chrysalis, Readers Digest, Pickwick and many more. It made classical albums on Philips, Decca and the prestigious Deutsche Gramophon labels. In the mid-sixties it was the first to produce the (then new) cassette, a Philips invention.

As part of the community Philips was a progressive employer. In the 1970s, recognising that it had a high proportion of Muslim workers, it changed shift patterns and bussed staff to the local mosques for Ramadam prayers; it acknowledged the needs of families organising working around the needs of childcare and school times.

This website has been in existence since 2012. Originally set up as the research base for a proposed book.  This has yet to materialise (the idea has not been abandoned) but we have been contacted by a number of ex-employees and families of ex-workers sharing their memories; we have had enquiries from specialist vinyl collectors asking technical questions and we have gathered pictures of the products made, the people and the site itself.  If you would like to contribute or have memories or comments about the Factory please contact us at info@madeinwalthamstow.com