I READ with great interest the article in The Bolton News on November 2 about the re-siting of the 50 ton steam hammer to the Deane Campus.

If my failing memory serves me right, I am almost certain it was the steam hammer that was originally used in the forge at Thomas Walmsley’s (Atlas Forge), located at the corner of Bridgeman St, Fletcher St.

It was used to hammer metal into workable sizes, such as white hot iron billets that were brought from the furnaces, in readiness to be put through the rollers to be worked to whatever size of material required.

Having worked as a wages clerk for 12 years during the 1960s and early ‘70s, I am sure that the hammer operator was Tommy Clancy.

I seem to recall he was originally the steam train driver who worked within the factory sidings until the closure of the link line which ran past the factory from Bolton to Daubhill.

During my time at Atlas, one of the people that worked the billets on the anvil was John Larson, whose father was also a furnaceman in the forge and his fellow furnaceman was Albert Vickers.

They were three of many characters who worked at the forge at that time.

The furnacemen and other co-workers would regularly work 12-hour shifts because of the lack of numbers on the two shift system, which was probably due to the nature of the work involved being very hard, very hot and not very well paid, considering what was asked.

The only relief they had was that during their spells off between heats they would nip over the road to the local pubs for the odd pint. I say odd pint loosely because of lack of health and safety rules in those days.

They had an understanding with some of the landlords, which meant they would go across outside of opening hours, through the rear door pull their own pint and chalk up on the board their intake, to be paid for later. They could be trusted to be honest in those days.

Sorry for the digression, but I am led to believe that the forge was one, if not the last to use the old puddling process to improve the quality of iron produced when heated in the furnaces. No doubt one of our local historians will throw some light as to whether this is true or not. The original statue of Atlas, which stood on top of the factory in all its glory, I think, is situated at the south end of St George’s Road, alongside St Peters Way.

It was nice to be reminded of 12 happy years working with many good colleagues and at a long lost local company steeped in industrial local history which I do know will be available to check on at our wonderful local library. G Lockton Harwood