Despite the usual wet and windy weather, the famous 1884 bandstand on Brighton sea front was successfully dismantled and moved to our works about ten days ago. It looks a mess but it won’t do by the time we’ve finished with it! The roof design is unique and so different from the usual Victorian designs that I’m going to do a little article on it on this site sometime soon.

Paint analysis reveals 40 old coats of paint!

All the castings are big  - the columns are 1.25 tonnes apiece - and braced together so rigidly that they were immune to anything the last 120 years could throw at them, the odd hurricane included. The balustrades, gutters and ‘frilly bits’ are in a mess but the main components look good. More to follow…….

One coat of paint and much crisper castings.

The column capitals were made in eight sections and pinned on afterwards. The design is a curious mixture!

Casting without patterns!

Casting in metal can be tricky at the best of times but at least we usually have casting patterns to work from - basically wooden models of whatever we want to create. Over the last month, we’ve had to make a range of large architectural castings without any patterns at all! The projects involved replicating existing castings in a Burnley park and on the facade of an ASDA store in Co Durham, but the original suppliers and their patterns had long ago disappeared.

Using only cleaned-up old castings, we’ve managed to mould and cast new columns, spandrels, beams and pendant posts, a great credit to Steve Thorpe and his team in our aluminium foundry.

Pendant column and 3500mm crossbeam - cast without patterns

 Another steam locomotive takes shape

In a rather cluttered corner of our erecting shop, the once derelict and rusting hulk of a World War 1 trenches locomotive is now well on the way to full restoration. Built by Kerr Stuart in Stoke in 1917, it was sent to France and went to work in a quarry when the war was over. It then spent nearly fifty years doing absolutely nothing before being bought by a preservation group. A new boiler has been ordered and it is hoped to have the loco in regular use at the Moseley Railway Trust’s Apedale, Staffs HQ by late 2010.

Just the boiler, tanks, cab, fittings......to go!

A six-wheeled 2ft gauge loco weighing about 9 tonnes, No 3014 was built for the network of behind-the-lines railways ferrying ammunition, supplies and drinking water for the artillery and infantry in WW1

Despite the credit crunch and overall air of gloom, we’re keeping busy. Our friends in the street furniture trade tell us that trade for them is very patchy with less major projects under way. Our sculptor friends still have lots of work but new public commissions are not plentiful.

Here’s a little summary of our recent news:

For the first time in years, we’ve exhibited at shows - Arts Fairs in Buxton and Sheffield. We do this not with the intention of selling anything but to make contacts with artists in different media so that we can learn from other craftspeople and collaborate on projects in the future. The Sheffield Fair was under canvas during the now-traditional August Monsoon whereas Buxton was held in the magnificent Dome - one of the largest unsupported domes in Europe and the source of some incredible acoustics whereby people talking quietly a hundred feet away could be heard perfectly!

Two large architectural metalwork projects have just started (see separate stories for details). These are the creation of a new and decorative cast aluminium open market in Bedford and the complete refurbishment of the famous Brighton Bandstand, adjacent to the gaunt skeleton of the West Pier.

Our bronze foundry is set for a busy six months with a wide range of work - balustrades and grilles for a large house in Cheshire, an abstract sculpture for Coventry, large history panels for Burntisland in Fife and sculptural work for our friends and neighbours Castle Fine Arts.

Signs and plaques continue to provide our bread-and-butter. Recent projects include Welcome signs for Colne Valley in Lancs, new nameplates for locomotives on the Manx Electric Railway, and an attractive bronze for Marple in Cheshire.

As ever, one-off projects continue to materialise. We’re just finishing some brass church windows for a beautiful little church in Warwickshire ; a very early Baguley petrol locomotive is being stripped down for a rebuild ; and we’ve just completed some large ductile iron floor lettering for Silvertown in the East End.

And finally… we had a memory-jerking steam boat holiday in Scotland with Chris Topp of Chris Topp & Co, masters of real wrought iron and Dave Hodgson of Dorothea Restorations. We’ve been friends (and occasionally competitors) since school days - rather more years than we like to count!

Ted & Sue McAvoy, Leander Architectural

The morning of 23rd June dawned clear and dry, which was just as well for the crowd assembled to launch the bronze map of the Waterloo area of Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. Unveiled by Council Leader Roy Oldham, this large bronze is the second in a series of 18 covering all the wards in the borough.

Leander are responsible for design and historical research as well as making the maps and their oak frames, and installing them on site.

These two photos show little elements of a large oval bronze plaque for a Stockport MBC lottery-funded park scheme. The pictorial elements were traced meticulously from old faded photo prints and then etched to produce a casting pattern.

Erecting these two storey balconies in West London was complicated by the sunken garden in front and an access gateway too narrow for a crane. The problem was solved with a specialist articulated Hiab vehicle and a lot of hard work! The balconies were designed and made by Leander for the Cast Iron Company, and installed on the 25th June 2008.

“The plaques have arrived safely and they are wonderful. Thank you very much” - Southport Civic Society (April 2008)

“The RAF plaque is greatly admired. You did a fantastic job on it. It looks fabulous” - Westminster City Council (April 2008).  [This plaque commemorates the 'birthplace' of the RAF and its unveiling was featured in the press and on TV]

“It has been a pleasure dealing with you and your company. Thank you for all the help you have given us” - Whitley Local History Group, Coventry (April 2008) 

“I am writing to you personally because we wanted to tell you how very pleased we are with the plaque- your firm have produced a beautiful product”  Whitburn Local History Group, Sunderland (August 2008)

“Thanks for the super job on the blue plaque for Canal House - it will look really well”  Inland Waterways Protection Society  (July 2008)

“Many thanks for all your efforts, the result is truly amazing”  Carlton Village Residents Association (Oct 2008)

“Everyone is very pleased with the latest addition to the Bromsgrove street scene (large town sign with full colour pictorial panel). Thanks very much to everyone who has been involved”  The Bromsgrove Society (October 2008)

(Shipyard memorial, Sunderland) “It was a great success with everyone, much admired and given good press coverage. Many thanks again and, if we have an more bright ideas, we’ll be in touch”   Monkwearmouth Local History Group, Sunderland (November 2008)

Working for Britannia Ltd, Alton, Hants, Leander have restored the structure at their Buxton works and it was re-erected in April 2008. Photos to follow…