I would like to refer to the letter from Mr James Smith in your paper of April 19.

I well remember his father Mr Bert Smith who helped to fire our no.1 kiln at Woodside.

The work was indeed physically exhausting in the eight hour shifts and the atmosphere created by the bricks in fire, to almost 1,000 degrees, sulphurous and unpleasant.

This would not have prevailed today almost 31 years later thanks to the Health and Safety Executive but no worse than many other brick companies at that time.

For example, at the London Brick Company works at Peterborough there were no roofs over the kilns at all and firing took place in the open air then.

At least our kilns were covered in. I believe that my family looked after the staff well. I instigated a comprehensive pension scheme in 1957 for all the staff and at Christmas, hampers including turkeys an the trimmings were distributed.

The children of the staff were entertained by Father Christmas and at other parties.

A bonus scheme also prevailed.

Ready Mixed Concrete acquired the works from Hall and Co in 1972 and it was sold y them in 1975 for demolition.

EDWARD HANDLEY