Wendy Alford first went into partnership with Forge Master Dave Townsend in 1982, she helped run the London forge which employed between 6 and 12 craftsmen, journeymen and trainees, until 2003. Over this period, developing her own individual style and approach, she designed and worked on hundreds of commisions which included among a plethora of balconies, gates, staircases, screens, interior fitti
ngs and so on, the 11'0" diameter steel, aluminium and cast iron spiral staircase for the film set of Aliens 3, forged steel railings to the pedestrian precinct in the centre of Reading and a large set of contemporary forged steel gates at Bradfield College, Berkshire. She has organized and worked on many restoration projects, including the Tower of London railings and British Museum gates. In 1989, she bought the Old Forge in Haddiscoe, Norfolk, an 18th Century traditional village Smithy, with evidence pointing to the existence of a forge, on the same site, for over 1000 years! Wendy and Dave continued the restoration, begun by the previous owners, making improvements to the buildings and set up, installing equipment and machinery, whilst beginning to take on local work, carry out some or part of commissions taken on by the London Forge, then larger projects, in their own right. In the early 1990's, Wendy became involved with the Worshipful Company of Blacksmiths, becoming a W.C.B. Crafts Committee and the National Blacksmiths Competition Committee (NBCC). David Townsend began Blacksmithing at school. At 18, he joined the Royal Navy, training first as a mechanical engineer then as an Air Frame Engine Fitter. At 23 he qualified as a Toolmaker, working for Hawker Siddely, before returning to his first love at the Forge and Anvil. He was the Forge Master at Tasso Forge, London, for almost 30 years. He has taken on and run many large restoration projects, including the gates at Regents Park, the Victoria and Albert Museum and Natural History Museum roof ironwork and reproduction of historic wrought ironwork at Hampton Court Tudor Kitchens. He designed and forged balcony balustrades for the Institute of Watercolourists, Piccadilly and the staircase balustrade for Harrods. He produced, forged, fabricated and cast ironwork for hundreds of domestic properties across London and further afield, including spiral staircases in Versailles,the Dubai, New York and Israel. Dave and Wendy have now moved from St Mary's Forge to Orkney where they are setting up a new Forge. Watch this space for news of creative projects and Blacksmithing experience opportunities.
