MANY of the workers leaving the Springer Natland Road factory seemed resigned to the news that their jobs were to go, reports Michaela Robinson-Tate.

They were reacting to the announcement that Clarks was to shut its last shoe-making factory in Kendal this year with the loss of 167 jobs, ending an era for K Shoes.

"It's what we expected" was a typical reaction from the staff, many of whom had spent decades with the firm.

With 30 years service Steven Pearson, 45, from Kendal, had been prepared for the worst.

"It's not a shock, we were expecting it."

However, he said the shoe giant had not been as forthcoming as they wanted: "I don't think they (Clarks) have been up front. Everything's been all cloak and dagger for years."

For 49-year-old Tony Nelson, of Kendal, the news came after 34 years with the firm.

"We knew it was coming but a lot of people were gutted in there."

The Springer moulding worker felt for younger colleagues: "I can't complain because it's given me a good living all these years but when it comes down to it we have really been sold out.

"There are a lot of young people still in there that have got big mortgages who must be thinking I don't know how I'm going to survive'."

Robert Fleming, 64, moved to Kendal from Preston to work at the Springer factory five years ago.

"It's bloody terrible, it really is after all these years.

"There was not much talking in there. Nobody said much but people were thinking. But what can you do? There's no industry coming in and small towns can't absorb the redundancies. Everybody will end up in tourism."

One worker, who did not wish to be named, said: "It's just what we expected. It's been dragging on that long everybody wanted to know one way or another."

He accused Clarks of taking assets from K Shoes: "They all do that buy the business just to strip it down."

Vic Brown, of Kendal, who has worked at K Shoes for three-and-a-half years, is one of 13 employees in the repair shop to keep his job as his colleagues pondered an uncertain future.

"I feel pretty bad," he told the Gazette as he left the Springer factory. "I did not think the news would be this bad. I thought there might be some shoe manufacturing jobs saved."

He said workers in the repair factory had a separate meeting to everybody else who were called to Millbeck to hear the devastating announcement.

"There have been lay offs for months and months now. People have not worked a full week for months. It seems that the whole of the Springer factory has been off every Friday since September. There is only the repair factory that has been full time."

Another worker, who did not wish to be named, said staff had been expecting the announcement for some time. "Everybody has been resigned to the fact that it was going to happen. We all knew it was coming so it was no great shock to anybody."

January 17, 2003 13:00