The Team
Since the resignation of one of the original directors at the end of February 2009, and the subsequent re-naming of the company, Ian Yates has assumed the role of Managing Director. He retired in March 2017 and released all management control to Sara Shrives. However, as the level of the current workload, the level of the firm order book, and the prospective work available has warranted it, several other staff are now employed, each with their own specialist skills.
Ian has a lifelong interest in, and involvement with, preserving our heritage items (large and small), and after many years working (staff and volunteer) for various groups and societies, including the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Heritage Railways, he had the idea (for the original M&Y company) in gestation for quite a few years, when eventually he reached the conclusion that the time had finally arrived for him to branch out and start his own business, in order that he could leave something for the future, by helping to preserve some part of our heritage for the next generation. Ian feels that he has achieved this aim, and so, in March 2017, he retired from frontline restoration in the workshop and now works in an advisory / consultancy role.
Ian's practical background prior to 2006 meant that he had tackled many wooden construction and restoration projects over the years, including pattern and headboard making, classic boat restoration, even toy and model making.
Headboard for special
train, sorry for the very poor image
quality! (trying for a better
one)
Nameplate Pattern, for double Fairlie
locomotive.
Apart from timber related work, Ian has very high levels of skills in various finishing techniques, including the use of GRP materials, especially as used for boats.
Initially, Ian's work for a Welsh boatyard in their chandlery department led to helping out with winter maintenance. This experience helped Ian as he was subsequently taken on by the Ffestiniog Railway to assist in the carriage workshop, and by the time he left he was carriage shop charge-hand, running an extensive joinery and finishing operation for the railway's wooden and metal vehicle fleet.
Starting with Ian's skills, a few suitable images have been uploaded to ipernity.
It is intended that this page will be expanded by the addition of a few details about the other members of the team, and illustrating the special skills they bring to Stanegate Restorations and Replicas.
Copyright SRR / SjS 2006 -
2019