Wedge Group Galvanizing is planning a ‘night on the tiles’ after being presented with its very own piece of memorabilia from the House of Commons.
The company, which is the UK’s largest hot dip galvanizing organisation, has taken delivery of a large cast iron tile that made up part of the Commons’ roof for more than a hundred years.
The tile was originally donated to the company’s South East Galvanizers plant – formerly Crittal Galvanizing – but is now set to take pride of place at Wedge’s head office in Willenhall, West Midlands.
“It is estimated that the roof tile was first added to the House of Commons between 1836 -44, and remained on its roof for more than a century, before it was damaged in the blitz during World War II,” Trevor Beech, Sales Director of Wedge Group Galvanizing, revealed. “The iron is believed to have been galvanized in France, and is said to be one of the first examples of ‘quantity galvanizing’.
“Even now, more than 150 years since the tile was originally produced, it still has a coating of around 150 microns, well above the minimum standards for galvanized steel today, which proves the long-lasting protection the galvanizing process can provide.”