Working for Coleman and Company Ltd, our job was to carry out the lowering of two lift cars and the counter weights to the ground floor of Derwent Tower in Dunston, Tyne and Wear.

Known locally as the "Dunston Rocket" due to its unusual shape, this residential tower block was 29 storeys high and was constructed in the late 1960's and early 1970's.

This iconic tower block was selected for demolition, so we were contracted to lower the lifts. Since the block had been standing empty for some time, there was no longer an electricity supply to the building.

The lack of power meant that we had to lower both lift cars by hand down the 29 storey building to the pit below. Our equipment had to be carried up 60 flights of stairs and our workers had to go up and down 60 flights of stairs multiple times a day.

Birmingham based contractor Coleman and Company decided to recruit a local workforce, including ourselves to keep the funding earmarked for the work within the Tyneside area.

The Dunston Rocket has been a feature of the Tyneside skyline for a great many years and we are pleased to have been a part of the redevelopment of this area.