Local family seek former colleagues of Norwich man who worked at the Norfolk Brewery

Norwich man David Williams sadly died in 2019, aged 75, and the Norfolk Coroner recorded his cause of death as Industrial Disease at his Inquest.

Mr Williams’ family is now seeking to understand precisely when and where he contracted the asbestosis which brought his well-earned retirement to an untimely end.  As part of this quest, they are now hoping to get in touch with former colleagues, particularly those who worked alongside him at the Norfolk Brewery in the 1960s and 1970s.

Mr Williams’ partner of 24 years, Beverley, explains:

“We have already managed to talk to former colleagues from other places where David worked, including a plastics factory and the former Norfolk Hospital on St Stephens Road.  We know that there were asbestos-lagged pipes all over the boiler room at the hospital when David was a ‘stoker’, the popular name then for a boiler man.  Now, to complete the picture, we need to hear from people who shared his experiences at the Norfolk Brewery, or as it was known in the 1960s, Watney Mann (Norwich) Ltd.”

Phoebe Osborne, a solicitor specialising in asbestos-related disease claims at Ashtons Legal, adds:

“We are trying to build a full picture of the occasions on which Mr Williams was exposed to asbestos.  The majority of heating systems had asbestos-lagged pipework back in the 1960s and 70s and would just like to speak to people who remember about the working environment at the Norfolk Brewery during that period.  We would also be happy to hear from anyone else who worked alongside him at the UG Closures premises on Fallows Road or at the West Norwich or St Stephen’s Road hospital sites. 

David was a very sociable man and held long-term roles in these companies, so we are optimistic that people will remember him and come forward to assist his family to obtain closure about his premature demise.”

Anyone with information is invited to contact Phoebe Osborne at Ashtons Legal on phoebe.osborne@ashtonslegal.co.uk or on 07483 928171.