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.

In case you thought hand arm vibration syndrome (HAVS) had gone away, a £200,000 fine imposed on a company where two workers suffered from it is a stark reminder that it hasn’t.

The company involved is not in the stone industry. It is Ross & Catherall Ltd, based in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire. It makes metal bars for the aerospace and automotive industries. The two operators who suffered HAVS worked at the firm’s Forge Lane site in Killamarsh, Sheffield, South Yorkshire.

The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £7,605.37 in costs at Derby Magistrates’ Court on 17 July after pleading guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work (etc) Act 1974.

The men had carried out tasks that included the use of vibrating tools throughout the company’s manufacturing process.

Both operators used these tools for extended periods of time over a number of years without adequate systems in place to control their exposure to vibration.

RIDDOR reports submitted by Ross & Catherall in May 2019 revealed the employees had been diagnosed with HAVS.

The RIDDOR reports prompted a Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation. HSE discovered there was no hand-arm vibration risk assessment in place prior to or at the time of the workers’ diagnoses to identify what level of vibration the operators were exposed to.

There were no control measures in place to reduce exposure levels, with reasonably practicable measures only being implemented following HSE’s intervention.

Health surveillance was also inadequate. This was not carried out annually and there was no initial health surveillance assessment for new operators. Additionally, referrals were not carried out in a timely manner for those employees displaying symptoms of HAVS.

HSE guidance on HAVS is available online on the HSE website – click here to see it. 

HSE inspector Lindsay Bentley said after the Ross & Catherall conviction: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to assess the risk from exposure to vibration, put in controls to reduce this risk and ensure that health surveillance is adequate to identify symptoms in a timely manner.

“HAVS can be a life-changing condition which impacts all aspects of your life. Prevention of vibration damage is key and there is plenty of guidance available for employers to help them protect their employees’ health on the HSE website.”

hse.gov.uk

Stewart Davies, the financier who rescued the Grade I listed Kelham Hall in Nottinghamshire when it became a casualty of Covid in 2021, paid the Hall a flying visit (literally) on 13 July with a group of friends that included Martin Robins, a now retired Director of Farmington quarry, which Stewart Davies also rescued in the 1990s.

Martin Robins now lives in the Cotswolds and Stewart Davies flew Martin and his friends from the West Country in his private jet and on to Kelham Hall in helicopters, one of them piloted by Stewart himself. The party included Charlie Laing, the great-grandson of Sir John Laing; Michael Grey, a conservation architect; George Watkins, a retired aeronautical engineer with aircraft components manufacturer Rotol, which supplied the Dowty Group where Martin once worked; and John Mustoe, a retired Cotswold builder. Natural Stone Specialist was also there.

Set in 42 acres, Kelham Hall was built by George Gilbert Scott, before he was knighted for the Albert Memorial in London. Gothic and classical architecture rivalled each other in the mid-19th century and Scott favoured Gothic. He built several Gothic churches in the East Midlands but maintained that the style was also suitable for secular buildings and set about demonstrating that at Kelham Hall, built between 1859 and 1861.

Although Kelham Hall was criticised by Pevsner and Girouard, it was admired by many and became the intellectual justification and model for George Gilbert Scott's St Pancras Chambers in front of St Pancras railway station in London, which, like Kelham Hall, has walls of brick but incorporates a great deal of decorative and structural stonework, including a variety of marble and granites.

Kelham Hall was never quite finished because, having spent £50,000 on it, the family having it built decided they had spent enough. Consequently, some of the decorative marble and granite columns have never been installed (although the stone bases and capitals are ready to receive them) and niches, presumably intended to carry carvings, perhaps of family members, stand empty (see photo above).

Although a variety of stones have been used at Kelham Hall, especially for the mantles of fireplaces and for those columns that have been included (granites, French and Italian marbles, and at least one instance of Purbeck Marble), most of the stonework is Anston, the same stone from Yorkshire used to build the Palace of Westminster.

The Hall was eventually taken over by an Anglican religious order, the Society of the Sacred Mission, which added a substantial extension to the Hall for members of the order to live in. Those rooms are being turned into 52 rooms to accommodate the wedding parties and business groups that hire Kelham Hall now it is an understandably popular destination for such events.

The religious order also built a chapel, which has the second largest dome in England after St Paul’s Cathedral (it claims to be the largest herringbone dome).

When the Society of the Sacred Mission decided it could no longer justify the expense of running Kelham Hall, Newark & Sherwood District Council moved in, dividing the interior with a variety of stud walls and mezzanine levels to create offices, fortunately without causing much damage to the underlying fabric or painting over Scott’s original paint and paper colour scheme. The council additions have now been largely removed on the ground floor, returning the Hall to Scott’s original designs. On upper levels, more work is required to remove the evidence of the council’s occupation.

Scott liked fireplaces, both as a focus for rooms and because he thought the evolving idea of central heating was just a fad. At both Kelham Hall and St Pancras, all the rooms have fireplaces, with the chimney stacks on the roofs adding to the decorative gothic skyline that the buildings create.

All those involved on 13 July thoroughly enjoyed the delightfully convivial and interesting visit. As Charlie Laing said later: “The jet was amazing, the helicopter was amazing, the main house was amazing, the monk's additions were amazing, the garden was amazing, the company was amazing, lunch was amazing, the weather was amazing! Just totally dazed!”

• Kelham Hall stands next to the River Trent and has also just been visited by Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse, whose Gone Fishing TV programme has gained a wide following. They recorded an episode of the programme at the Hall, although it will not be on television until July next year, when the season is again appropriate.

Each year at Marmo+Mac, Europe’s leading international stone fair held in Verona, Italy, designers, stone suppliers, stone fabricators and leading computer-controlled machinery makers collaborate to produce works of art in stone.

This illustrates the versatility of stone as a material and the ability of the industry that works it to produce just about anything designers can come up with. It is always a highlight of Marmo+Mac for many visitors.

This year the inspiration for this collaboration is a herbarium, which is a book of a collection of dried herbs accompanied by descriptions of their medicinal virtues.

Herbaria are also exciting showcases of unique forms. Each variety of herb is arranged in an orderly fashion on a page, showing the often extravagant response that nature is capable of creating for the survival of each species.

The exhibition this year at Marmo+Mac is called Herbarium Mirabile (Admirable Herbarium). It is curated by Raffaello Galiotto and will be shown in Hall 10 during Marmo+Mac, which takes place from 26 September to 29 September.

In it, a lithic botanical garden is created, composed of 17 marble sculptures.

All the artworks have been designed using advanced parametric 3D modelling software and crafted in marble using high-precision CNC machines.

And this year, for the first time, the decision has been taken to forgo the traditional manual finishing of the sculptures, allowing viewers to see precisely what the machines are capable of. The result is an interesting new expressive language providing a demonstration of the experimental and avant-garde nature of the exhibition.

In a rectangle enclosed by semi-transparent canvas walls, the artworks rise above flat slabs of Botticino marble resting on a bed of coarse gravel. The arrangement is irregular, but the sculptures are adequately spaced to allow visitors to explore each of them from all angles.

Herbarium Mirabile is an opportunity to experience the beauty of coloured marbles from various parts of the world and enjoy the sensual folds, engravings, and unique surfaces designed by people and shaped by diamond tools driven by computers, thanks to the expertise of the developers and operators of those machines.

www.marmomac.com