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Article printed in the Driffield Times 03/08/2005
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Crane rescue project - plea for pictures

A BEEFORD man who is helping restore a unique crane at a cost of thousands of pounds is calling on Driffield residents to help provide pictures of it in its heyday.

Bernard Jordan is hoping to stage an exhibition featuring the 45-ton, 42-year-old crane when his friend, Vic Makey, has restored it.

The pair need pictures to help them restore the crane to its former glory and later to appear in the display.

Mr Jordan, of Main Street, Beeford, said: "The crane is something that I was involved with and my friend is restoring it. We are looking for pictures of when it was used in this area. We are hoping to jog people's memories. Someone might be able to remember something."

Mr Makey said: "The crane is unique, the first one of its kind ever built. The problem is that we don't have many details of the jobs that it did. We need the photos to put it back in its original livery."

They are looking, in particular, for photographs of one of the first times the crane was called into action.

Manned by a crew from Hedon, the Priestman Lion III crane took on the job of dragging a wagon from Driffield Canal near Wansford in 1963.
Mr Jordan, who was then a mechanic, was one of the crew that day.

He said: "The boss was ringing around all day on the Thursday and finally got the crane from Hedon to lift it out on the Friday. There were not many cranes like this around back then that were mobile and could lift that weight.

"It will look good when its restoration is finished."

Anyone with any pictures or information about the crane or rescue at Wansford should contact Vic Makey, tel (07802) 303849.

03 August 2005