The latest episode of Vanished Wales told the story of Curran's - where one of Wales' greatest singers started her career. A former employer of Dame Shirley Bassey, Curran Steels was a factory that was located on the east bank of the River Taff. People keen to see the factory now, will be sorely disappointed, as it has been replaced by modern apartments.
Founded over 100 years ago, the firm initially produced furnaces for annealing metals, however it later became famous for enamelware. The company was founded by Edward Curran whose father Charles, had settled in Cardiff because of work created by the city's docks. Curran's' first design was a new type of furnace that was built in 1904. In 1914, Curran's developed the expertise to start producing military armaments. During the Second World War, Curran's became a munitions factory once again and was the only British company with the manufacturing capacity to do so.
When the war ended, the factory resumed it's production of enamelware. Notably, in 1961, Curran's began producing pressed steel baths. Several years before, in 1951, a young Shirley Bassey would start working there at the age of 14, where she would pack chamber pots. She joined the factory after leaving Splott Secondary Modern School. Aside from working at Curran's - Bassey, an alumni of Moorland Primary School also in Splott, would also sing in local pubs and clubs. In 1953, she would sign her first professional singing contract with Columbia Productions.
