While the fear of dying from a virus has all but disappeared from most of society, memorial masons and the rest of the death care sector are still busy.

There was another spike in the number of deaths this winter and that has been keeping memorial masons and their suppliers busier than usual again this year.

The number of death certificates mentioning Covid-19 has fallen but was back over 1,000 for the week after the Christmas and New Year holidays at the start of this year (see graph below).

The figure for Week Two of every year is inflated because there is always a drop in the number of deaths reported during the holidays and a catch up in the week after (other bank holidays also see a fall in reported deaths). This year the number of deaths continued above both the 2022 level and the five-year average for most weeks until April.

The five year average, by the way, is now being calculated without using the figures from 2020 because 2020 Covid deaths would distort the average upwards significantly.

It was not only Covid that caused the increase in deaths this year, although that clearly contributed. Other viruses and/or germs were also involved, with ’flu, pneumonia and other diseases of the respiratory system appearing on the death certificates of more than 11,000 of Week Two’s 17,381 deaths reported in England & Wales. With Covid, that accounts for 70% of all the deaths registered.

(Deaths reported to the General Register Office in England & Wales are published weekly and, as they account for most of the deaths in the UK, provide a convenient weekly snapshot of mortality in the UK.)

Although the number of deaths in 2022 was below the rolling five-year average, you can see from the graph below that the total was still significantly above the pre-pandemic level and memorial masons were also busy last year.

It is speculated that it was because they were so busy that 100 or so of those who had registered to visit the NAMM Tradex exhibition in September 2022 did not turn up. It was an unusually high number of no-shows for the exhibition, which caters for a small, niche market, although exhibitors seemed generally happy with the outcome.

There is disagreement among the exhibitors about the preferred frequency of the show, with the memorial wholesalers saying it should be every three years rather than its current two yearly frequency. They like to use the show to introduce new ranges in new catalogues but do not want to do that every two years. Other exhibitors like the two-yearly frequency because the show boosts their sales.

In 2019, the wholesalers showed their disapproval of the two-year frequency by not attending. The show went ahead without them.

There was to have been a show in 2021, but with Covid restrictions still being imposed it was decided in conjunction with exhibitors to wait until 2022, and to move the show to September from it’s usual slot at the Warwickshire Event Centre in June.

The wholesalers were back this time, but with the disruption Covid had caused some still did not have new catalogues to show. Some still don’t, which could be part of a new post-Covid normal.

There is no doubt that Covid accelerated and expanded the use of digital technology. Those who might have been reluctant to use it before Covid had to get used to it during the restrictions and have not looked back. Memorial masons who had resisted setting up online accounts with their wholesale suppliers before Covid got used to the idea during the pandemic. The wholesalers are also making ordering online easier by updating their websites.

And although there is a direct correlation between age and the likelihood of dying, the bereaved who are buying memorials are usually younger and are more likely than ever now to be familiar with viewing products they want online, perhaps making printed catalogues of memorials less important as a sales aid.

Wholesalers that did not have new catalogues for last year’s show say they will have them for the next Tradex, which the organisers, the National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM), have scheduled for 2025 – three years after the previous show – again in September at Warwickshire Event Centre.

Peter Hayman, NAMM’s National Executive Officer, says the three year gap is in recognition of what the wholesalers have been asking for, although it is also to give NAMM time to move into new premises that it has bought with a mortgage that costs no more than the rent it is currently paying for its offices in Rugby. 

The property it is buying is near to its current offices. It is just a shell in need of renovation, as you can see from the pictures below.

The premises will clearly require a lot of work and Peter Hayman did not feel it was realistic to be carrying out that work and moving into the new premises at the same time as organising the next Tradex exhibition, which is another reason it will be held in 2025.

NAMM is also vacating the piece of land it has been renting on an allotment for carrying out the testing of memorial safety systems and for training. It is hoping to come to an arrangement with the council whereby the association will keep a nearby cemetery tidy and safe in return for being allowed to carry out its training and fixing system assessments there. “It has some nice old memorials in there that we could refurbish as part of our training,” says Peter.

NAMM has also been involved in discussions with the Church of England about standardising churchyard regulations regarding memorials. BRAMM (the British Register of Accredited Memorial Masons) has also been involved in these discussions.

The Church set up an Ecclesiastical Judges’ Working Party on Churchyard Memorial Regulations. Its report, which is imminent, will set out its views about what needs to be done to bring about greater consistency between dioceses. It cannot insist dioceses comply, but it says it hopes its proposals will be persuasive enough for most, if not all, chancellors to follow them, even if there are minor diocesan variations in the light of discussions, which should include local masonry companies.

BRAMM, like NAMM, provides training for memorial masons on the correct way to fix memorials and then keeps a register of those trained so cemeteries can be sure they are allowing only trained masons into their cemeteries to fix memorials safely.

Last year, BRAMM took the decision to create a new position of Executive Officer and appointed Yvonne Colverston, who had been on the BRAMM Board for several years, to the post. She stood down shortly afterwards “for personal reasons”, although she is still involved with BRAMM. It is now felt there is no need for an Executive Officer.

Following Yvonne’s departure, BRAMM administration has been carried out by an agency, although a new administrator has been recruited and was due to start from the beginning of August.

BRAMM also sponsors the Cemetery of the Year contest, which has contributed so much to the improvement of cemeteries. BRAMM provides a prize for the Memorial of the Year category, but that category is now being included every other year only and is not included this year.

A mini trade show at The Blast Shop 21-22 September

Claire Wallbridge, the Training Officer of the Natural Stone Industry Training Group (NSITG), has also recently been elected as Chair of the Craft & Training Committee of the Worshipful Company of Masons (WCM), the stonemasonry livery company. The WCM invites working stonemasons it has helped with their training or otherwise been involved with into the Livery as Yeomen. There are 73 of them. Although the Yeomen are invited to take part in some of the activities of the Livery, the Craft & Training Committee was concerned there were no events especially for them. It has decided to change that.

It is planning a number of events especially for the Yeomen and the first of them took place at the National Trust's Fountains Abbey in Ripon, Yorkshire, on 27 July. It gave the Yeomen a chance to meet two of the National Trust's apprentice stonemasons working at Fountains Abbey and to hear from three Liverymen about their experiences in the stone industry.

It was presented as an upskilling and networking opportunity for Yeomen to find out more about their craft, the industry they are working in and what stonemasonry has to offer as a career.

The three Liverymen they heard from were: John Burton, an architect who headed Purcell Architects; Tom Billington, of Oculus Management; Adam Stone, MD of Chichester Stoneworks. 

As well as the Yeomen, those who took part in the day included York College stonemasonry tutor Paul Hill and Stone Federation President Chris Kelsey, who was there representing the Stone Academy that Stone Federation launched at the Natural Stone Show in London in June to ensure there is comprehensive training provided for today's stone industry.

At Fountains Abbey, John Burton and Adam Stone outlined their eventful involvements with the stone industry.
 

The Building Limes Forum’s main event this year, including its AGM, is taking place in Lincoln 1-3 September.

The event is based at the University of Lincoln, Minerva Building, Brayford Pool, Brayford Wharf N, Lincoln LN6 7TS. It includes presentations and site visits – book a place here.

Speakers include: 

• David Wiggins, CARE Engineer and Director at Clach Conservation. His subject is: Working with carbonate binders in damp environments.
• Maria Stefanidou, Professor and Head of the Laboratory for Building Materials at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece. Subject: Comparative studies of lime putty, dry hydrates and hot mixed lime mortars. She will also present a case study of the PerLiMat project where insulated lime plasters were used.
• Mike Haynes, Director at the Mineral Products Association. He will discuss lime production and the road to net zero. In fact, lime producers have said they will go beyond ‘net zero’ to ‘net negative’.
• Nigel Copsey, Stonemason, Conservator and Researcher at Hot Mixed Mortars. Subject: Lime and hair plaster and pointing mortars.
• Philip Gaches, Master Plasterer, Author and Director at Gaches. He will give a presentation entitled: The beautiful simplicity of lime.
• Richard Jordon, Roofer, Teacher and Assessor. His subject: Lime mortar in traditional roofing.

Tours and demonstrations include: 

• Tour of Singleton Birch lime quarry and manufacturing site.
• Lincoln Cathedral tour by the cathedral’s in-house conservation team
• Lincoln Medieval Bishops’ Palace – works tour by the contractor Messenger and Buttress Architects. There is more about the Bishop’s palace on the English Heritage website here and on this website here.
• There will be practical demonstrations of the use of lime mortars at Lincoln Castle by Rebecca Gilling and Nigel Copsey.

For more information and to book a place visit www.buildinglimesforum.org.uk/events

The price for the full event booked before 4 August is £370 for Building Limes Forum members and £400 for non-members. After 4 August it is £400 for members and £430 for non-members. Places can be booked for individual elements of the event. The prices for each element vary. The AGM is free for members to attend.

Porcelain will play a major part in hard surfaces taking an ever larger slice of the worktop market.

That’s the prediction of a new report on the market from Germany.

Called Worktops in Europe – TOP 10 Countries in comparison from 2017 to 2030, it is available in German and English. The UK is included as one of the top 10 countries.

The report says that with 56.4% of the market, hard surfaces will far exceeded laminate sales by 2030. Laminates are forecast to have 33.2% by then. Porcelain will achieve the highest growth from 2022 to 2030, with sales increasing by 46%.

The report says the general trend has been visible in the Top 10 countries in Europe for years. There have been difficult conditions with the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and inflation throughout Europe, in 2020 to 2022, but despite that, the market for worktops continues to grow.

The market at ex-factory prices has grown by an average of 14% from €1.36billion euros to €1.55billion euros in the past two years, although there are big differences between the 10 analysed countries of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain and Poland.

The report says there are currently 7,261,000 worktops sold in these countries in a year, with prices increasing more strongly than the number of units, both as a result of the move towards hard surfaces and price increases of materials.

Kitchens account for 74.9% of the worktops sold, with 10.6% for bathrooms, 10.0% in the contract business and 4.5% in furniture construction.

The report says laminates are currently particularly prevalent in Great Britain, France and Germany but says this is changing.

Worktops are becoming more individual – and thinner. In all counties combined, the most popular thickness of worktops is 30-40mm, with 20-30mm surfaces having a share of 28%, and those of less than 20 mm with 9.7%. There are striking differences in preferences of thickness in the different countries, with 20-30mm dominating in the UK but porcelains making thinner tops more common.

Product trends are an important part of the development of worktops up to 2030. The interaction of colours of worktops, back panels, kitchen sinks and kitchen taps remains the focus of product development. The colour scheme is thus based on the colours of kitchens and sinks. Accordingly, green, beige and grey tones are gaining market importance.

The report analysis:

• the market size in 2022 and 2030 in euros and units
• the most important material suppliers for worktops
• the biggest fabricators
• which furniture and kitchen retailers determine the business
• the significance of e-commerce today and in 2030
• the contract business
• changes in distribution channels expected by 2030
• current sales of different materials and expected changes by 2030
• product trends

Worktops in Europe contains 552 pages with 296 tables and graphics. It is published this month (July 2023) at a price of €5,000 plus VAT. 

It can be ordered from: Unternehmensberatung Titze GmbH, Auf den Stöcken 16, 41472 Neuss. +49 2182 871200. [email protected] / www.titze-online.de

Last year the European Stone Festival was supposed to have been held at Piece Hall in Halifax, Yorkshire, but became a casualty of Covid. This year, the West Riding Stonecarving Association decided to hold a Stone Carving Festival of its own in Halifax in the grounds of Halifax Minster on the weekend of 22-23 July.

In spite of almost incessant rain, the 35 masons and carvers taking part, who came from all over the UK and as far away as Germany and Norway, had a great time. So did the hardy visitors who went along to watch the participants work and see the stands of those backing the event. 

The backers included Marshalls, which donated blocks of its Howley Park sandstone for the carvers to work, stone and tool supplier Southern Stone and toolmaker RG Travis & Son.

Everyone taking part was full of praise for Helen Jukes from the West Riding Stonecarving Association, who was in charge of organising the event. They particularly praised the food they were supplied. And on Monday the event made the front page of the Yorkshire Post.

There were also bands and entertainers, a bar and food stalls. And the West Riding Stonecarving Association had a stand of its own where visitors could have a go at carving and lettering and talk to members about joining the club.

In a now established format, the event concluded with an auction of the carvings, which raised £6,595. Any profits were being split 50/50 between the West Riding Stonecarving Association and the Minster.

The Minster remained open during the carving festival and said it had welcomed more than 500 visitors. It also continued working and during the Sunday morning service a Christening took place. 

The theme of the carving competition was the wildlife of Yorkshire, which, as ever, was interpreted imaginatively by the participants.

There were separate categories for apprentices and master masons, with prizes for the pieces the judges liked best. The judges were the Mayor, Councillor Ashley Evans, and his wife, Rosey; Curate of the Minster the Rev Sam Crook and Lecturer Rev David Carpenter; and Peter Arts, the Senior Banker Mason, Fixer and Conservator from York Minster.

There was also a People'e Choice Award, for which those visiting the event could vote.

First in the Master Masons Class was Peter James Heaton, from Colne in Lancashire, who had carved a squirrel on a tree branch. The winner of the Apprentices was Brandon Haley of Brighouse, who carved a delightfully round robin redbreast. The People's Choice Award went to Ryan James of Wakefield, who had come third in the Master Mason category with his carving of a puffin with a beak full of fish.

Second prize in the Master Mason category went to Max Lawson, who carved a toad and hare with a carrot. Second prize among the apprentices went to Imogen Long, who had carved a clam shell, and Nancyann Marshall received third prize for her four-sided carving that included a frog on two sides.

Although the European Stone Festival, which was held in Austria this year, could not be held in Halifax last year, it is scheduled to come to the city in 2026, so this year's festival could prove to be a useful dress rehearsal for that.

See the pictures below and watch the video to get a flavour of the weekend.

Denfind Stone in Scotland is helping to improve skills and develop a range of new products to continue the revival of the use of sandstone from the quarry.

Denfind Stone in Angus has continued a tradition of innovation through investment in a new production facility for walling stone, paving, and finished dimensional sandstone products.  

It is also creating new products, including natural stone slips that can be fixed on to the façade of a building or a wall.

It is working to deliver a 40mm natural stone pre-assembled option that can be used up to 3m high without mechanical fixings. After that, mechanical fixings are required – and Denfind is working on that.

The project has been part funded by BE-ST, formerly the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre.

Denfind is working with the University of Aberdeen to deliver the relevant testing. 

Denfind owner and director Brian Binnie says: “We are passionate about the geological heritage of our stone and by developing products that were 400million years in the making, we play our part in ensuring that this traditional industry thrives in the world of modern architecture and building.

“There’s no doubt that natural stone is aesthetically better, more durable and fundamentally kinder to the environment than creating manufactured stone substitutes.

“We believe there are many more products and solutions for which Angus sandstone is the answer and we have built in a culture of innovation and working with like-minded partners to ensure that we secure a long-term future for our stone and our industry.”

Denfind Stone started in 2004 when Brian and Alison Binnie recognised that a disused Angus sandstone quarry on their farm had the potential to meet the growing demand for local, high quality, natural, sustainable and aesthetically sympathetic stone products.

The supply of Angus sandstone has been secured with planning permission to extend the quarry. This makes accessible more than 500,000 tonnes of natural sandstone to supply the market for decades to come.  

Consequently, Angus sandstone in historic and conservation projects can now be replenished from the same source and new projects can begin their own journey of longevity with a recognised quality natural product.   

Angus Sandstone is naturally flat-bedded. It is ideal for cladding, particularly as 40mm slips, which are a cost-effective solution in a Scottish product with the everlasting appeal that only natural stone can achieve.  

The 40mm thick stone slips can be fixed on to the façade of a building or a wall. They are cut from Angus sandstone and give the same appearance as 100mm and 140mm thick stone.

They can be applied to either block or a cement board using an adhesive and can be finished by pointing with mortar or left for a dry stone wall effect.  

Brian Binnie: “We will continue to innovate with new product lines and work with the architectural and building industry to ensure natural sandstone products are recognised for their quality, durability and aesthetic appeal.”

Following on from the 40mm slips, there is a knowledge transfer project, funded by Innovate UK, to develop a natural stone pre-assembled cladding system that will incorporate mechanical fixings to allow installation to any height. 

The aim is to reintroduce stone into mainstream 21st century construction, ensuring that a local, sustainable, environmentally friendly material is available in a user-friendly format to protect and enhance the built heritage of Scotland. 

Innovation has always been a key part of the industry. In the 19th century, the invention of the Hunter Planing Machine transformed the way Angus sandstone was processed into paving products. Denfind Stone hopes the investment in 21st century machines will lead to equally transformative breakthroughs in modern techniques and products.

Denfind has also developed its business to take its responsibility to the natural environment on and off site seriously. 

The Angus sandstone at Denfind Stone has one of the lowest embodied greenhouse gas emission counts for any dimensional stone due to the proximity of the quarry to the processing sheds and the commitment to renewable energy and tree planting. 

Creating quality products with a minimal carbon footprint supports a greener future and respects the geological heritage of Angus sandstone. Denfind Stone is committed to using environmentally friendly and sustainable methods at every stage of the stone production process – from quarry to delivery.  

Historically, Angus sandstone has been used across the world on prestigious buildings including Cologne Cathedral in Germany and the roof of the Vatican. It has also been exported for projects in South America, North America, Asia, Europe and Australia.

Nationwide hard landscaping materials supplier London Stone has opened its eighth showroom. It is by the A38 in Filton, Bristol, just a minute's drive from Junction 16 on the M5 and close to Junction 20 on the M4.

The new branch has 380m2 of hard landscaping material displays, including natural stone, porcelain, clay pavers, composite decking, cladding, pergolas and planters.

Managing Director Steve Walley says: “We’re really excited to open our latest showroom in

Bristol. We’re looking forward to establishing a relationship with the local community, and hope to increase footfall to the surrounding businesses.

“I am incredibly proud of the new showroom, it’s looking fantastic, and is a great setting to view our materials in situ.”

The Bristol Showroom opened this month (July). Another new showroom – in Altrincham, Greater Manchester – is due to open later in the year.

As well as its own showrooms, London Stone also has three partner showrooms in Cheshire, Hartlepool, and Kent.

www.londonstone.co.uk

Five more construction sectors, including Bricklayers & Masons, were among those added earlier this year to the lower paid trades that can now be recruited from overseas to overcome skills shortages.

It is a move that has been welcomed by Adrian Attwood, Executive Director at conservation construction contractor DBR Ltd.

He says: “We are currently in a perfect storm of resource shortages due to Brexit, the skills gaps and post-COVID work / life balance attitudes.

"It’s seriously hampering the growth of companies and their ability to absorb volume and, at the same time, be able provide a high quality, agile service / product.

"The labour market is also overheating, with wage demands outstripping market ability to absorb increased costs, further depressing market confidence. So, relaxing of visa rules can only be good news for the construction industry and the UK economy as a whole.”

The extension of the categories for which visas will be allowed under the UK’s post-Brexit points system were announced by Chancellor Jeremy Hunt in the Budget on 15 March. More construction categories are still under review and are expected to be added soon.

Various trade and professional bodies had lobbied for more construction trades to be included on the UK’s Shortage Occupation List (SOL) that makes it possible to obtain visas for people in those categories.

Among those lobbying was the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), of which Stone Federation is a member. In February this year it submitted stakeholder evidence to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) about skills shortages that it felt should be considered for inclusion on the SOL.

Bricklayers & Masons are lumped together as one category, with masons identified by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) as one of the trades finding it hardest to recruit skilled workers.

Roofers, Roof Tilers & Slaters have also been added to the SOL, along with Carpenters & Joiners, Plasterers and a catch all wider category of specialists that goes under the name of Construction & Building Trades NEC (NEC stands for ‘not elsewhere classified’).

Stone Federation says it is continuing to speak with representatives from the various masonry training colleges, CITB and other stakeholders to help bridge the skills gap in the industry in the UK.

Tim Balcon, CITB Chief Executive, says: “The inclusion of in-demand construction occupations on the Shortage Occupation List is an important step in bridging the current skills gap identified in CITB's recent Construction Skills Network report, as construction rebounds from the pandemic.

“We will continue to work in partnership with government and the construction industry to grow the skills of the domestic construction workforce and create a dynamic migration system to ensure industry is able to deliver its pipeline of work.

“We also look forward to working with government on 'returnership', following the Chancellor's announcement on Wednesday.”

'Returnerships' are intended to encourage retired people, especially those who have taken early retirement, back into work.