about MIW

1979: Bryan Ferry on a goodwill visit to the factory where a press was named after him. He is shown with Vin Gowland (Plant Manager) far left and staff. Rob Davison is 4th from right.

Made in Walthamstow is the research base for the history of the Philips (later PolyGram) vinyl and cassette factory in North East London. It was set up by Rob Davison, an ex-PolyGram staffer in the late 1970s and 80s, with the intention of writing a book about the plant, the record business at the time and, the Factory's place in the local community. The site has been a conduit to ex-employees and others connected to the Factory and continues to support the research for the book. The site was redesigned in 2022 and will go through a further update during 2026. If you have an interest or wish to contribute please do contact us via madeinwalthamstow@outlook.com

"My decision to try and write about this came from a number of directions; an affection for my days with one of the majors during one of the last periods where vinyl was the major format for music; my disappointment in finding no representation of the Factory at the local Vestry House Museum; finding people interested in the posts on my blog with many of them expressing their affection and memories of their time there. It spurred me to revisit the original idea. There is a story worth telling" Rob Davison, September 2025