1989 Photo shows William, Raymond and Michael - directors of H & R Clegg

A families firm rather than a family firm is the best way to describe shop fitters plumbers and builders H. & R. Clegg

The firm was set up in 1919 in Bridge St by plumber Horace Clegg and his joiner brothers Herbert, Robert and Rennie, but Rennie and Herbert left when the business became a limited company in the 1930s. At the time as the two brothers left, Mr Ronald Magnall who was to be a future managing director came into the firm as a joiner. In the 1950s Cleggs opened up it's Bull Street office.
Horace and Robert moved out of the business, ending the original families link with the business, and Mr Magnall moved into the top spot. Mr Bernard McCourt who served his apprenticeship with Cleggs became a director.
In 1965 Derek Riley, a former captain of Burnley cricket club and President of Lancashire league, plus time served joiner Duncan Gradwell joined the board.
A year later the firms joiners workshop was moved from Bridge Street to temporary premises in Sandygate before being moved to its present site in Talbot Street in 1969. The Cleggs story was relatively quiet for the next six years but then Raymond Wilcock joined the board. Raymond served his time at the firm as an apprentice joiner in 1958 but left in 1964. He returned to Cleggs in 1972 just as Bernard McCourt was retiring.
With Mr Magnall's death in January 1980. Derek took the home until he retired from full-time work in 1988 and handed the reins to Raymond. Duncan retired in 1987 and his place was filled on the board by his son Michael who entered the firm as an apprentice joiner in 1966. Derek's place was taken by his son William who joined the firm in 1980. And the family link doesn't end there. Raymonds 18-year-old daughter Fiona works as a receptionist for the firm. His 21-year-old son Andrew serve his joiners apprenticeship with Cleggs, and his 19-year-old nephew Michael is an apprentice painter and decorator with the business. William’s wife Karen was working full time for Cleggs until she had a baby Stephen 18 months ago now she works part time in the office. Her father Arthur green served his time as an apprentice plasterer with the legs. And Williams brother-in-law Mark is serving his apprenticeship with a firm as a joiner. The firm employees about 30 people and a number of them have been there for many years. There’s foreman joiner and Alan Shackleton who has been with the Cleggs for 35 years, foreman plumber Dennis Hillman who has been there since 1958 and foreman painter Neil Alderson who joined in 1960. Cleggs ran Savoy Funeral Services as a sideline until it was dropped in 1978. Now it concentrates on plumbing, general building work, painting and decorating, plastering and roofing. For the last two years business has been exceptionally good. Most of our work is done through the licensing trade, Brewers, building societies banks and housing associations. Said Raymond of Marsden Road. The business has grown at a very slow pace. We do not want to become one of the national contractors, he added. We are quite happy to fill a niche in the market. We are specialists in repair maintenance and small works up to £100,000. Raymond would like to see his son return to the business in time but said what the future holds nobody knows - the building trade fluctuates.