December 19th, 2018
With millions of presents, inquisitive reindeer and thousands of elves buzzing around his North Pole workshop – Santa recently realised he needed to add another floor to stop any future logistical problems from snowballing. But who could deliver a festive staircase in time for the White Friday rush? Barnshaws Sections Benders of course!
Ste Airs, Project Manager for the workshop expansion, explains: “We tried a lift at first, but because of the cold temperatures, it froze solid on the first test. We eventually had to cut the elves out of it with an angel grinder. Plus, the lift was about as festive as a February curry. Santa takes Elf & Safety at the North Pole very seriously, so in the end, we decided a simple staircase was the best way to go.
“From prior experience, we knew the staircase would have to be curved. You can’t have corners in a workshop full of hyper elves fed exclusively on sugar and mulled wine, so it had to be a curved staircase. We’ve worked with Barnshaws before to deliver curved steel elements, so we gave them a jingle bell.”
Barnshaws, while renowned for its structural fabrications, is equally adept at providing smaller-scale curved sections for aesthetic purposes. The business recently delivered laser cut, curved steel profiles to support a new staircase at Stockport Grammar School. The finished staircase was good enough for children, so something similar would definitely suit the elves.
Utilising three wise men (engineers), Barnshaws was able to deliver 25 curved 12 mm thick profiles totalling 20.18 metres in length. Thanks to a short delivery time, the staircase was ready well before White Friday.
“One of the great things about the new staircase, is that it gives Santa a chance to work off all those mince pies!” enthused Trey Ning, Chief Fitness Elf.
A Merry Christmas to all from Barnshaws Section Benders!