A blacksmith is forging ahead with his new business after renovating an old Victorian stable to work from.

Since being made redundant in 2009, Steve Brighton, 51, is keeping the fires burning by working from his renovated 1884, Warrenby property, The ‘Old Stable’.

Working with Iron and steel has been in the Brighton family for generations. Steve’s father Harry ‘Miff’ Brighton was the last surviving Eston ironstone miner.

Using his redundancy money, the father of four, undertook all the refurbishment and preparation work at the premises himself installing a secure metal door and fitting a steel frame within the premises to support a ‘lift’, Steve’s intention was to focus on the manufacture of garden furniture, decorative gates, security work, such as grills for commercial premises windows, and public space artwork and has now built up potential orders with an increasing list of clients.

Born at Eston, California, Steve remembers the sights, sounds and smells of Old Eston’s ancient blacksmiths workshop when his father - one of the last Iron stone miners - used to take him along to watch.

“Those memories stuck with me all my life”, he says. And it was from these memories he decided to become a blacksmith himself.

He started work as an apprentice blacksmith and welder at Smiths Dock and Haverton Hill ship yards in 1976 when he says he was taught by the best and where he remained in the trade for 11 years until he was made redundant.

When this activity ceased on the Tees he says he did what Norman Tebbitt suggested, “I got on my bike and went looking for work. I went to London where I found a job in construction.”

Steve then spent 21 years in construction working for GKN as a foreman, then a senior site supervisor on sites throughout the UK before his second compulsory redundancy in May 2009.

After this second blow of being made redundant, Steve decided it was time to work for himself and build his own career doing the work he loves doing most with his best friend, Max, a Staffordshire Bull terrier by his side - traditionally the Blacksmiths favourite breed of dog.