Here I am inches away from the
ashes of George Cadbury, the undisputed king of chocolate in Britain. This
Willy Wonka’s remains are buried at the Quaker’s
Friend Meeting House which is south of Birmingham. Until the planet
disintegrates he’s looking onto Bourneville village which he created and just
over the row of houses in the mid-distance stands the Cadbury factory. It was
Sunday teatime when I visited and sunlight was washing wanly over Bournville Green which is part of the Cadbury story. The
Cadbury family built a village near the factory with shops, gardens, lawns and bowling
greens. The area has been dry for over 100 years - dry in that no booze is sold
in pubs, bars or shops. Recently Tesco tried to introduce beers into its local
shop but lost the court battle.
George’s ashes were easy to find. There’s a statue
of him facing his recently-sold empire and the ashes rest under a stone by its
feet. This global empire which now employs 71,000 people started with his dad
John who founded the company (also the Animals Friend Society which led to the
Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.) George was one of
seven children and though they were born into wealth they were devout Quakers.
Money was a by-product of hard work. They were pacifists so a military career
was out of the question. Also they weren’t allowed to enter a university or
pursue a profession in medicine or law. George entered joined the family cocoa business.
He was just 22 when took over the company with this brother Richard in 1861.
Under their hands the company grew at a sustainable rate. He was 40 by the time
they moved their business here where I’m stood at Bournville.
It was rural in 1879 but an ideal place to bring in the millions of gallons and
tons of milk and cocoa.
He got married for the first time when he was 33
and had four children. Sadly his wife died in childbirth. Age 49 he married
again to Elizabeth (her ashes are here) and they produced six children. Aged 54
George bought 120 acres of land close to the works and planned - at his own
expense - a model village for his loyal workers. By the time he was 61 the
estate included cottages, houses and shops. They had back gardens, play areas
and social clubs.
George and Richard were unbelievably big-hearted.
They treated the employees with respect, paid good wages, provided
good working conditions, education facilities, a pension, a medical service,
canteens, washing facilities and sports grounds. They believed a happy home
life for their employees brought a happy work place. Sadly Richard would die of
in Jerusalam aged 63 from diphtheria (and his wife
from falling downstairs on a liner.)
By the time George was in his sixties he was
seriously rich. He was richer in integrity than in bank accounts. He bought
newspapers and used them to campaign for old age pensions and against the war
and sweatshop labour. He donated Lickey Hills Country
Park to the people of Birmingham, a large house in Northfield to the Birmingham
Cripples Union (now the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital) and helped create a Quaker
School. He lived for 83 years, a long spell for the area, expiring at his home called
Northfield Manor House, a huge “A” Listed pile befitting a business king. Sadly
this was recently severely damaged when three boys aged 12 to 15 set fire to
it. Twenty fire engines couldn’t prevent its ruin.
These days Cadbury is still one of Birmingham's
main employers (however the dark chocolate Bournville
Plain is now manufactured in France.) This British institution is no more…an
American company called Kraft Foods own it. They borrowed £7 billion to buy
over 71% of the company for £11.50 billion. The deal got a big thumbs-down from
the British public but it still went ahead. Kraft then bought more shares and
when a company owns 75% of a target company they can remove it from the stock market.
I strolled around Bournville Green and sat on a bench and enjoyed a flask of
coffee. The Sunday early evening quietude was punctuated by a panting woman
jogging passed with nothing on her feet - Zula Budd,
I thought (she looked as androgynous.) This place was so clean you could run
barefoot on it. I could imagine someone running a Hoover over it but I could
not imagine George Cadbury passing by in a chauffeur-driven Rolls Royce. It probably
hasn’t changed much since it was built. George’s statue is looking on and
making ensuing nothing changes. I strolled down a narrow path to the Cadbury’s
factory to have a look. It still employs about 1000 people. George did well and
it’s a pity big-hearted people like him have to die. His goodwill, charity and philanthropy
didn’t die and continues now. He was so properly good I felt more worthless
than usual. I doubt I’ll come this way again so before I got in the car I
looked across Bournville Green to George’s statue,
did a salute and left.
Looking for the ashes of George
Cadbury…
Did George scrape the mud off his
shoes here?...
He looked over Bournville
town which he built…
The first cottages on Bournville lane…
…these days…
There’s George looking onto Bournville Green…
The view from the statue of the
Cadbury factory itself…
In 1931…
George’s home where he died…
…since ruined in
a mindless act of arson…