Sharp chisels, a keen eye, and a steady hand are all tools of the stone mason's trade - and Mr. Massey has all of these. Here he is busily engaged on an embossed portion of the Thompson Centre's commemorative stonework.
When the new William Thompson Recreation Centre has its official opening on May 14th, the occasion will be preserved for posterity inscribed in Shap granite. Seven massive blocks of granite - the mottled variety hewn from Shap's volcanic strata - have been placed in the main entrance to the new recreation and sports centre. One of them records the laying of the foundation stone in 1973 by Mr. Walter Winterbottom, then Director of the Sports Council. The remaining six are at present being worked on by a Burnley firm of stone masons prior to the official opening.
The firm responsible is one which has worked on a number of inscriptions on stonework around the town - including those on the former St. James's Church spire, the statue outside the court buildings, and the foundation stone on the flyover section of Centenary Way. At present working on the inscriptions on the eight-inch thick Shap granite commemorating the Thompson Centre's opening is 27 year old Mr. Davis Massey, stone mason and letter carver for H. Stevenson and Sons Ltd., "It's a tricky job" was his comment this week. "The structure of the granite, which is mottled, makes it a ticklish process, requiring great care. You can't just hammer away at it." David has been chipping away at the granite - in both embossed and "straight-forward" inscriptions - for about eight weeks now, and the work is nearing completion. Mr. Harold Stevenson, principal of the firm involved said: "We are getting more calls on our services for this type of work than ever before. Skilled craftsmen in this trade are in short supply."