Yorkshire firm puts the gloss on home of cricket

As the firm celebrates its 135th birthday, it has gained one of its most prestigious contracts – to paint Lord's Cricket ground, a place loved by Grace and generations of cricketers.

The work being carried out by the family-owned firm, which is based in Shipley, West Yorkshire, is part of a programme to spruce up Lord's for the 2012 London Olympics, when it will host the archery events.

Bagnalls will paint and redecorate many parts of the ground including the flagpole, main stands and stairwells and the room in which The Ashes urn is stored.

There's a saying that the Royal family must believe that every public building smells of fresh paint.

The paint in question is often provided by Bagnalls – its handiwork includes the Royal suites in Heathrow.

The firm has come along way since Alfred Bagnall decided to set up a small painting business in March 1875.

John Bagnall, the company's present chairman, puts the firm's longevity down to "not taking big risks, steady growth and responsible development".

"It's people that matter rather than whizz-kids,'' he said.

The firm is no stranger to large sporting projects. Back in 1922, Bagnalls was handed the contract to paint the new Wembley Stadium in time for the FA Cup final, the following April, the famous "white horse" game between West Ham and Bolton Wanderers.

As a newspaper report of the time stated, "even the skeleton Wembley owed something to Yorkshire...a Shipley firm had applied practically 200 tons of paint to the giant structures – and all by means of ordinary brushes".

Closer to home, Bagnalls has been carrying out painting work for civil engineering company Spencer on the Humber Bridge.

It's a job for those with a fine sense of balance. The bridge is moving all the time, and a light breeze can feel unsettling 150 metres off the ground.

Bagnalls has also worked on Plaisterers' Hall, one of London's best known Livery Halls, which is used as a venue for weddings and conferences.

Stephen Bagnall, the group's managing director, said: "We have remained at the forefront of the industry for a very long time and with continued focus on service delivery, safety and reliability we will continue to meet our customers' needs for years to come."

Recent innovations include a new website – www.airportpainting.co.uk – which, as the name suggests, highlights Bagnalls' success with airport contracts. It has carried out work at London's Heathrow as well as Gatwick, Manchester and East Midlands airports.

Today, the company has turnover of around 50m and employs 600 people across the UK, and, although John Bagnall warns that the economy is "very fragile", he believes the apprenticeship scheme provides confidence for the future.

Between 2007 and 2009, 33 of Bagnalls' staff completed an apprenticeship programme. The company is due to receive a Gold Rospa Occupational health and safety award in May at Birmingham's NEC.

Recently, Bagnalls has painted tourist attractions such as the British Museum, the Tower of London and Fortnum & Mason.

So the next time you are in London, consider the brushwork from Yorkshire which has given the City's landmarks a dash of colour.

A BRUSH WITH PAST

Bagnalls, based in Shipley, West Yorkshire, has worked on schemes of all sizes across Britain over the last 135 years.

The company has completed the redecorations to Network Rail's Filey station.

One of the painters, Graham Wilby, had worked on the station 20 years earlier when he was working for British Rail's maintenance division.

He added: "It's not on such a big scale this time. The whole roof was replaced then and now we're just painting the exterior. I think its worn pretty well over the years."