Scrapyard manager 'touched' by response to closure

Ray Kirk said he was 'touched' by the response from customers

The closure of a scrapyard after more than a century of trading will be the "end of an era" for its manager when he calls it a day.

Albert Looms in Megaloughton Lane, Spondon, announced it would begin a phased closure from 8 June.

A post announcing the decision on social media received more than 600 comments.

Ray Kirk, operations manager, said the response from customers has "touched the heart" and the closure was the "end of an era".

"We've had people phone us up asking when we know the actual date, they want to come back just to reminisce," he added.

"My wife and I feel, equally, it's just the right time to do this - go out on a high, not when we have to."

His family moved onto the site when he was just five years old.

Lawrence Curley has been visiting the scrapyard since he was 17 years old

Lawrence Curley, from Littleover, used to spend his weekends exploring the site.

He said: "Saturdays and Sundays here were another thing; there was hundreds of people picking over cars getting their bits and bobs."

Mr Curley used to visit the yard on his scooter when he was a 17-year-old apprentice.

"I've been coming ever since, what am I going to do? I used to live down here", said Mr Curley.

Albert Looms started working with cars back in the 1970s

Albert Looms has been breaking cars since 1972, but originally traded in demolition work and dismantling rolling stock from the railways when in opened in 1920.

Now the firm's directors have decided it is the right time to shut.

Matthew Cullen, yard foreman, has been working at Albert Looms for over 20 years but used to visit as a child with his dad.

He said: "It's like a right of passage in life, fiddling with cars, building your own motors, nowadays you can't do that, cars are too modern."

Mr Cullen said he was initially shocked when he heard the news about the closure and said working there was like working with "family."

The closure has prompted a lot of people to reminisce about visiting the site

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