Oxfordshire, Banbury, Aluminium extrusions, Factories, The Alley, The Ally, History, 60th anniversary, Northern Aluminium, Alcan, Banbury Works, World War 2, Decoy 

The year 1931 was not a good year for indusrty in Britain, the slump was in its third year and would continue for some years afterwards. In Banbury, a quiet market town, at least there was the prospect of some new jobs at a factory being built a mile out of town on the Southam Road at Hardwick Farm.

The first rumours hard started two years previusly and once the site work actually began there seemd to be some cause for cautious optimism. The local press did its homework and pointed to saucepans, aeroplanes and cars - three markets that were doing less badly than most at this time. In trying to attract the new investment Banbury Borough had emphasized the town's road, rail and canal links with both the industrial Midlands and the South East.

Nobody was looking even ten years ahead, let alone sixty. This booklet records some of the changes.