BRIDGNORTH in Shropshire, England
- HSI's
Home Town:-
................and what has Bridgnorth got to do
with the steel industry? You may well ask. In 1781, just a few
miles up river at a place called Ironbridge, the world's first arch iron bridge
was built across the Severn valley by one: Abraham
Darby, - whilst in 1808, a Mr
Richard Trevithick built the
world's first passenger steam locomotive at Bridgnorth!!
Well, that's quite a start ...................
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We are so proud of our beautiful county of Shropshire:-
Current temperature and time in Bridgnorth:-
Potted History of HSI's Chairman and Managing Director:-
Michael M Mansfield Hickman (formerly: Michael Hickman but now known as: Mike
Mansfield), grew up in a steel world. Born in 1939, at the start of the
Second World War, of humble beginnings, he lived in Ocker Hill, Tipton,
Staffordshire which was, and still is, the very heart of the "Black Country".
Within a short distance of his home was the Patent Shaft steelworks with its
mighty furnaces and "ear-splitting" rolling mills. All around
the area were slag heaps and industrial waste sites but much engineering
activity. He started his career at Metro-Cammell in Wednesbury, an
engineering company producing hydraulic machinery and worked in the buying
office under the supervision of Jack Lazenby and Bill Groom. After a
relatively short time at this company, redundancies were made and Mike was
transferred to the Patent Shaft steelworks. He spent some time in the
Sales Office on marketing projects before having the urge to seek new horizons
and moved on to Richard Thomas & Baldwin, Brierley Hill and then Tubes of
Aston in Birmingham.
Much experience was gained with longer periods of
employment at Miles Druce Metals the stockholders at West Bromwich and Tipton
Steel Stockholders. Eventually, Mike took over the running of Tipton Steel
Stockholders (Stoke) and was instrumental in the development, in the UK, of the
steel lightweight I-Beam used as crossbearers in the trailer and freight
container market through his contacts with Cockerills of Belgium.
To further
develop this interest, Mike decided to go it alone and set up his own company in
1978 with his family. **************
A glimpse into the past, written by the Chairman's
mother, whose maiden name was: Margery Best, about her recollections of the Patent Shaft Steelworks, from her home in
Stafford Street, Wednesbury:-
Odd
Ode to a Steel Works
Around the furnace they would stand,
with heavy ladles in their hand
to feed the furnace with iron, ore and sand!
Work ceased at the bull's blow,
huge doors flung open, setting the sky aglow
Not bell or hooter, but "bull" its name,
for it roared out like an animal in pain!
and out they poured, their shirt and neckerchiefs
dripping sweat,
Hard work in that heat, for the wages they would
get!!!
but now, the men stand quietly in a queue,
for the weekly money they are due
Not earned, but a "sop" to their pride
on the unemployment tide!!!
Why, oh why?, have we no learner who would paint the
sky at night?
caused not by the sky but the furnaces bright,
but we know these days are dead and gone
although, for me, their memory lives on and on!!
Margery
Lewis Hickman
