May’s amazing musical gates

DISC will do nicely . . . May Boydell and her new gate made out of plastic CD covers

NEW garden gates were music to Werneth resident May Boydell’s ears — but she can’t believe they’re made out of plastic CD covers!

Housing specialists Bramall Construction is top of the pops for recycling after replacing her flimsy wooden fence with environmentally-friendly plastic gates that will never splinter or rot.

The revamp of her Cambridge Street home, which also included new garden walls and iron gates to the front, is part of a £1.4 million improvement programme.

The 67-year-old grandmother-of-two is delighted that some of her musical heroes’ work, including The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart and Engelbert Humperdinck, may have been melted down to form her new gates.

She said: “When Bramall Construction told me my new garden gates had been made out of CD covers I thought they must have gone mad!

“But I’m really impressed with my new gates because they’re much stronger than before and I’ve got two bars across them making them more secure.

“I think it’s very apt that my new gates are made out of CD covers because I really love music and going to concerts.

“I love Mick and Keith and I actually saw the Rolling Stones when they played one of their first gigs in the Sixties — they were fantastic. It’s hard to believe that Mick and Keith are now propping up my gates!”

Bramall is giving around 120 Werneth properties similar face-lifts as part of a joint venture with Oldham Council and the Oldham Rochdale Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder scheme.

Site manager Sean Gregson said: “We’ve just started buying in gates that have been made out of recycled CD covers and it’s an entirely new concept for us.

“The recycled material is very strong and falls in line with our company policy of coming up with cost-effective solutions that are environmentally friendly and promote sustainability at the same time.”

The gates are made by Wigan-based manufacturers Metrolite Industries, which is supported by environmentalist David Bellamy.

General manager Tom Milner said: “Our company is unique as not only do we manufacture recycled gates and other recycled products, half of our employees who work on the products have a disability.

“Our recycling practice is still unusual and helps companies like Bramall reduce its carbon footprint because of the longevity of the product. When the tenants get fed up with their gates they can always put them back into recycling again.

“But it’s wonderful to think that the greatest rock and roll stars of all time could have gone in to making a set of gates!”




Chron’s Gatest Hits!

“Sitting on the Fence” — Rolling Stones

“Gateway of Love” — Neil Young

“No Matter What” — Stephen Gately

“Don’t Fence me in” — Bing Crosby

“Devil Gate Drive” — Suzi Quatro

“Unchained Melody” — Gareth Gates

“Heaven’s Gate” — Rory Gallagher

“Gate Balls of fire” — Jerry Lee Lewis