by Campbell Docherty
He spent 35 years as an employee at Longbridge and another 24 years retired, living in the shadow of the plant.
So, at 11am, when Lyndon Drissell walks into the local grocer's on Longbridge Lane and says: "I've just heard some sad news", the word 'sad' is an understatement.
"They've stopped production at The Austin. The suppliers are taking away their stock."
READ MORE: {}
Sarah Powell and Tracey Meredith, the shop assistants he came in to tell, could only mutter "Oh God".
What more can you say? It would be wrong to suggest that "The Austin", or MG Rover as it is officially known, plays quite the same pivotal role in the day-to-day life of Longbridge, Northfield and Rednal as it did in Lyndon's day.
The 6,100 workers - not quite the 28,000-strong force it once was - largely live elsewhere.
But a lot of former employees still live in these areas, in the footprint of a former British manufacturing giant.
The fact that giant is now facing the abyss is still felt most keenly here though because these are the people who have Austin and Rover in the blood, the families who have put their generations through Q Gate at Longbridge.
Most Read
Longbridge Lane newsagent Roger Page has been selling newspapers and cigarettes to workers for 40 years.
The fact he loses only five per cent of his trade when the plant is on holiday these days tells two stories.
Firstly, thankfully for him, his business will not suffer immediately. But it is also a sad indicator of slow, terminal decline. Once, he said, he needed six people behind the counter to serve when the lunchtime klaxon sounded.
"We don't need that now of course." Now, it's just him.
"It will be devastating for the area, there's no doubt... if it closes, of course."
His "if it closes" is the point. The workforce may have changed, there may be less of them and they may live elsewhere, but saying those words still sticks in the throat.
"There is a lot of speculation going on and the workers who come in are clearly worried about it.
Don’t miss
"If the worst does come to the worst, the area may be down for a few years but it will recover. Don't forget, there is a whole site there to redevelop."
Across the lane, at the grocers, Sarah and Tracey summed up the frustration the workers and the whole area is feeling.
Tracey said: "You just want them to make a decision and stick to it. This has been dragging on for weeks and weeks now. It has been noticeable there have been a lot of For Sale boards going up on the houses around here.
'I don't know if people are panicking and deciding to sell up and rent for a while but the amount of houses going on the market has been very obvious."
Sarah added: "There are 1,000 or so Longbridge workers still living around here and if they have to move then it will be a big change for everyone."
Not surprisingly, given the length of time MG Rover and Shanghai Automotive have been trying to thrash out a deal, the local rumour mill has been chugging away.
"Last night someone was in the shop telling us that there had been a fight between a security guard and a guy who just wanted to get his own tools out of the workshop, just trying to get his gear out."
The fact that production was stopped would tend to suggest these rumours weren't too far off the mark.
Then Lyndon walked into the shop, with the news he picked up in the Post Office pension queue.
In his 35 years, he has worked in every part of the line and seen a lot of unrest at the car plant.
"I have to say, I really thought there was some hope with the China deal. I didn't think it would close and I still think they'll keep something going there. But it won't be anything like it was. It won't be like that ever again."