Waterside Forge One Street #6

John Perks, a man of many talents, has been working in the welding, fabricating, engineering and marine environment for 27 years and is well known locally for his expertise. His workshop is in the historic Underfall Yard right next to the patent slipway used to haul vessels of up to 180 tons out of the water to within 20 metres of his doors. In this marine environment he is called upon to do a lot of work with local vessels, not least mine when he replated some of her hull last year. As he is able to work with mild and stainless steel some of the things he makes and installs are railings, gates, balconies, hand rails and security grills. He can also turn his hand to making ornamental ironwork and sculptures and his giant thistle waymarkers can be seen on Bedminster's footpaths. Among other things he has done work on Pyronaut (Bristol's 1934 fire boat), the John King (a 1935 diesel driven tug), the Matthew (the replica of John Cabot's boat that 'discovered' Newfoundland) and the SS Great Britain (built in 1843 for the New York passenger run and now a museum) for which he remade many items that are unable to be found nowadays. He has and still is working on the Clifton Suspension Bridge, adding to their anti suicide barriers and dealing with the drainage. I am delighted to be able to show you John in his workshop today as it is pouring with rain and it is the warmest place for him to be.