Further to previous posts, I popped in to William Hawkes and Son in High Street Deritend with my footrest hanger this morning. The current member of the family is actually called Roger and is the 4th generation.
It's a super place, with a huge guillotine and bending machine, giant pillar drill and all sorts of other kit as well as (of course) welding equipment. Sadly no open hearth though, although there may be one lurking somewhere.
It was the work of a moment to put the offending article in the vice, fire up the cutting torch and get it red hot so it could easily be persuaded back into shape. I couldn't complain at the fiver he charged me.
Well worth knowing about and good to support these places. Apparently he used to employ about 8 people but the recession hit him hard (much of his work is ornamental ironwork which is probably quite pricy) and he's now effectively a one man band with a woman doing his admin etc (probably his wife). I didn't see any sign of a junior Hawke being prepared to take over so I suspect when Roger quits that's ll be it and all the kit will go to Henry Taroni.
Phone number is 0121 772 2694.
