Rivetlad's introduction

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rivetlad

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Hello folks,

My name is Alan McEwen and I have today logged on for the first time.

Well now you know my name, here follows a few details about what makes me tick.

I originate from the small village of Top O’ Hebers, Middleton, Lancashire. I am therefore, a proud Lancastrian, born and bred. However, since 1970, when I was sent as a Missionary by Providence to teach Tykes how to repair Lancashire mill boilers in Yorkshire woollen mills – I have lived just over the border into North Yorkshire; geographically, my home which I designed and built myself, World From Rough Stones House, is only five miles north east of Colne.

After serving a hard apprenticeship as a Boilermaker in Heywood, near Rochdale, in August 1968 I established my own Industrial Boiler Repair firm: H.A. McEwen (Boiler Repair) Ltd., which I am proud to relate, overtime became nationally renowned by both industrial and heritage fields – such as steam railways, traction engine owners, industrial museums, etc.

In late October 2007, after operating the firm as Managing Director and Chief Engineer, I resigned, handing over the reins to my son Alasdair, who then became the owner and manager of my dear old firm. I am proud to say the firm, which has many Lancashire clients, is still going strong after 43 years of trading.

In early January 2008, together with my beloved wife Christine, I started a brand new writing and publishing business. All my life I have been fascinated with many different aspects of British industrial history and in particular, the cotton mills of Lancashire, and the woollen industry of the old West Riding of Yorkshire, and it is a variety of Britain’s industrial history that is featured in the books that our firm, Sledgehammer Engineering Press Ltd write and publish.

Being a true-born Lancashire Lad, I could spout forever!
 
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Welcome and you can always let off some steam on here:D
See what i did there steam ,boilers oh never mind. Welcome again and them tykes need all the educating they can get.:D
 
Welcome aboard Alan,
I wonder if our paths ever crossed, I was a millwright working for Jeremiah Jackson of Walsden and worked on many a mill engine and boiler fittings, setting up the boiler for the test etc.

You sound to have made success out of a dying trade and good on you.
Enjoy you part time retirement, no doubt your son will be calling on you for advice.
 
Welcome lad. I met you at a book or history event not long ago but didn't realise you were an Accrington lad. I have probably published my last book.On this site you will come across people letting off steam and the odd one blowing their top.
 
Although I don't recall your name, we most probably have met up in some Hell Hole of a Todmorden boilerhouse. Commencing in the mid-1960s I worked in several " fire 'oles " in Todmorden, Cornholme-** Manchester Rubber Co **--replacing defective rivets, welding repairs on the furnace tubes of " Gradely Owd Lancashire Boilers, retubing the odd heavily-scaled packaged boiler et al. During the dinnertimes of them far-off days, after grafting all morning perhaps in the soot-filled side-flues or combustion chamber, my trusty Boilermakers and I would down pints of Yorkshire bitter or Guiness in the bar of the many local pubs; aye, and go back to work to complete perhaps another 6 or 7 hours! Halcyon Days!---And I miss 'em!
 
rivetlad said:
Although I don't recall your name, we most probably have met up in some Hell Hole of a Todmorden boilerhouse. Commencing in the mid-1960s I worked in several " fire 'oles " in Todmorden, Cornholme-** Manchester Rubber Co **--replacing defective rivets, welding repairs on the furnace tubes of " Gradely Owd Lancashire Boilers, retubing the odd heavily-scaled packaged boiler et al. During the dinnertimes of them far-off days, after grafting all morning perhaps in the soot-filled side-flues or combustion chamber, my trusty Boilermakers and I would down pints of Yorkshire bitter or Guiness in the bar of the many local pubs; aye, and go back to work to complete perhaps another 6 or 7 hours! Halcyon Days!---And I miss 'em!
Click to expand...

I guess that you downed a few pints in the Waggon and Horses if you worked on the boiler at Cornholme. Worst job I ever had was to weld bolts all along the top side of a fire tube so the fireclay (I think) would have something to stick to. I was laying on my back trying to hold a welding rod at the correct angle and in the other hand the welders screen. That really called for a few pints of Stones bitter.

It must be nearly fifty years ago but I van vividly remember sliding head first up the tube and praying nobody would pull the cable out and slam the fire hole door on me, I also remember the Stones bitter afterwards and my father kicking my backside when I got home because I was driving the works Bedford Dormobile.
 
Hi Rivetlad!

Do you still have your rivet hammer?

If so, maybe you could bring it to the next Accyweb meet so I could borrow it and use it on some of the other jokers on this website.
 
Aye, so I do. But if I bring the damned weighty machine, you'll require a large diesel compressor and a hundred feet of baggings-airlines.
 
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