Meccano Was in Every British Home. Then Liverpool Got 20 Minutes.

Friday 30 November 1979, 4:10pm: the workers at the Meccano factory on Binns Road, Liverpool, were told it would close for good at 4:30. Twenty minutes' notice. And a Meccano No. 10 set that cost about £50–£60 new in 1974 sold at auction for £800. This is the story of Frank Hornby's metal strips with the half-inch holes: the 1901 patent, the Liverpool factory, the Meccano computer built in Manchester, the takeovers by Tri-ang, Airfix and General Mills, the 14-week occupation, the move to France, the closure of the last dedicated Meccano factory in Calais, and the 2025 licence. Then, what old sets fetch at auction today, and four checks before you sell yours. Did you have a Meccano set? What number was it, and what did you build? Tell me in the comments. Chapters 00:00 Twenty minutes' notice 01:12 A clerk's idea 03:30 Into every British home 05:18 The colours that date your set 06:56 Two takeovers in eight years 08:34 The occupation, and the move to France 11:48 What your Meccano is worth now 15:48 Here's where I stand Sources Inside the final days of Liverpool's lost Meccano factory, LiverpoolWorld: https://www.liverpoolworld.uk/news/pe... Meccano factory occupation timeline, libcom.org: https://libcom.org/article/meccano-fa... Binns Road Meccano Factory, site of, Engineering Timelines: https://www.engineering-timelines.com... How Frank Hornby's attempt to make mechanics easy gave millions an interest in engineering, E&T: https://eandt.theiet.org/content/arti... Last dedicated Meccano factory to close, Toy World: https://toyworldmag.co.uk/last-dedica... Addo Play signs multi-year global licensing agreement for Meccano, Toy World: https://toyworldmag.co.uk/addo-play-s... Meccano set steals the headlines at Halls' toys auction, Halls: https://fineart.hallsgb.com/news-item... Is Vintage Meccano Collectable?, Potteries Auctions: https://www.potteriesauctions.com/new... Vectis Auctions, pre-war Meccano No.10 (2014): https://www.vectis.co.uk/476-lot-5117... Vectis Auctions, 1960s Meccano No.10 (2024): https://www.vectis.co.uk/d049-lot-997... Frank Hornby · Meccano · Meccano Ltd, Wikipedia ——— Every fact in this video is sourced above. Auction values are reported results; they vary with condition and are not financial advice. This video uses AI-generated visuals and an AI narration voice. Arthur is a fictional narrator. What's in your loft? Tell me in the comments.