Burkinshaws Forge - Penistone Road.

[ANGELFIRE1 10]

I went down Penistone Road the other day, and the forge where I was a hammer driver in the 60's has been demolished. Billy Crapper, Killer, and Charlie are a couple of the names I remember from those days. There was one guy who drove taxi's part time worked there as well, but time diminishes the memory, I forget his name.

 

Pulling an ingot out of the furnace, stick a tin of beans on it, 2 mins later they were boiling, my they tasted good. Toast took very little time when the heat source was white hot.

 

I remember the lid coming off the top of the hammer, it had a safety chain to stop it landing on any one, but the bolts that held it showered down like hail stones (no hard hats in those times) Health & Safety was not even invented in those far off days.

 

I wonder if any one else remembers this forge and the guys who "earned" their crust there, because earn it they certainly did, it was hard hot work under the hammer itself.

 

Regards

 

Angel*

[retep 68]

I went down Penistone Road the other day, and the forge where I was a hammer driver in the 60's has been demolished. Billy Crapper, Killer, and Charlie are a couple of the names I remember from those days. There was one guy who drove taxi's part time worked there as well, but time diminishes the memory, I forget his name.

 

Pulling an ingot out of the furnace, stick a tin of beans on it, 2 mins later they were boiling, my they tasted good. Toast took very little time when the heat source was white hot.

 

I remember the lid coming off the top of the hammer, it had a safety chain to stop it landing on any one, but the bolts that held it showered down like hail stones (no hard hats in those times) Health & Safety was not even invented in those far off days.

 

I wonder if any one else remembers this forge and the guys who "earned" their crust there, because earn it they certainly did, it was hard hot work under the hammer itself.

 

Regards

 

Angel*

 

Was the Charlie, Charlie Housley.

[cjpw 10]

Did Tom Pollard work there?

[hobbinfootju 10]

My dad Harry Crapper worked in one of the steelworks on Penistone Road and we had a neighbour called Charlie Housley i dont know if this means anything to but if so i will get more info from my eldest brother.

[Tupotoffy 10]

I worked in the offices of Burkinshaw from 1968 - 1974. The taxi driver was Bill Brothwell, Tommy Darwent worked in the warehouse with Ben Eblet.

Ken Hallam and David Frith worked one of the big hammers. I can remember Charlie but not his surname.

In the office downstairs were Edward and Wilfred Burkinshaw and Bill Ronskley.

The constant beat of the hammers drove us upstairs mad, but we were driven more mad with the sound of silence during works weeks!