News

What a start to the year! By the time this was written on the 18th January, much of the snow had disappeared but only after covering the higher reaches of the Peak District for 33 DAYS!!

Inevitably, things only got moving rather slowly but we have already received some interesting orders and commissions:

Dartford Bandstand

Working for Tony Cohen of Britannia Architectural Metalwork, we are to build and erect a complete new bandstand with copper clad roof within three months. The design is fairly typical of late Victorian / early Edwardian structures, though the horizontal projecting eaves are replaced by upswept curves from the soundboard (the soundboard is the tongue and groove boarded ceiling).

The new Dartford Bandstand

Slightly smaller than the typical Victorian ‘full’ bandstand, this one measures just under 7000mm across the eaves.

Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) Memorial, National Arboretum

Our next military memorial is an unusual one, consisting not of bronze plaques or murals but of a large pierced stainless steel disc on a slate base. The RAF badge, in full relief in bronze, will sit in the centre of the disc and the pierced lettering in the disc will cast shadows on the ground below. Illustrations in a couple of months…..

A Trail of Sand!

Heritage Trails cover some unusual old crafts and industries but we haven’t previously made any plaques for the sand quarrying industry. We now have a commission to produce a series of plaques in the format below for the Sands of Time Trail in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire. Leighton Buzzard was and is a major centre of sand quarrying, the sand being hand-dug and conveyed by narrow gauge railway until about 30 years ago.

Tactile Map nears completion

This lengthy project - to re-create a 19th century canal basin in miniature - is almost finished. At some stage, almost every member of staff has been involved in modelling, lettering, casting, assembly and very careful finishing processes.

The map is roughly 2 metres long by 1 metre wide and cast entirely in aluminium so that it can survive the weather and (hopefully minimal) vandalism.

It’s been a very enjoyable challenge from start to finish and we’ll be sorry to see it leave the works!

(Work has just started on a more conventional toposcope or viewpoint panel for Beaudesert Park in Cannock Chase, Staffs - formerly the home of the Marquis of Anglesey)

Brighton Bandstand finished!

Not only is this large bandstand now fully restored but the public can actually get into it! The iron bridge which formerly linked it to the promenade disappeared many years ago but we have built a new bridge which was installed a couple of weeks ago. Apart from a little paint touch-up here and there, the whole structure is almost ready to hand over to Brighton Council. Photos in the next News Issue.

More signposts restored

It’s heartening that a good many of the old village signposts we’ve been working on recently were originally made by us in the 1920s. The various makers active in that period used a bewildering range of designs and strange methods of fixing fingers to columns. The one illustrated is to a simple format and, fully restored, looks superb.

The Transport Trust

This respected organisation has initiated a nationwide plaque scheme covering significant sites for all kinds of transport. We’ve now made and installed the first few and think the design and colour scheme are very effective.

Latest feedback from customers:

“Now that we have received our first blue plaque from you, I thought I would drop you a note to let you know how delighted we are with it. Indeed, it is just what we envisaged and meets our needs magnificently” Treaddur Bay Council, Anglesey  13th July 2009

“I’d like to say thank you very much for a great product (plaque) - we are very, very pleased with it.” H. Harwood, Great Shelford, Cambs. 16th July 2009