THE industrial heritage of the Black Country is being rekindled for youngsters at a Cradley Heath school with the opening of a traditional chainmaking shop in their playground.

Passionate chainmakers Annette and Mick Bradney are restoring the shop which was moved brick by brick from Butchers Lane, Cradley, to Temple Meadow Primary School a few years ago.

The unique project has caught the attention of a TV production company which is planning to film there for a BBC series on Britain’s industrial heritag when it is up and running next month.

Mrs Bradney, aged 46, who has demonstrated chainmaking at the Black Country Museum, was taught by her 61-year-old husband, who came from four generations of chainmakers and worked in the industry before becoming a foundry worker.

The Cradley Heath couple, of Trejon Road, are working hard to restore the chain shop with help from Temple Meadow governor Kevin Woodside.

Mrs Bradney will give demonstrations of chainmaking to the pupils and to children from neighbouring schools.

“I watched my husband chainmaking for 14 or 15 years and thought I could do that, so he trained me and I’ve been chainmaking for a year now,” said Mrs Bradney, adding: “There’s a big history of chainmaking around here - and especially surrounding the women chainmakers. I’m trying to keep the memory alive for every woman and child that died. They were undernourished, worked a long, hard day and were on piece work.”

Temple Meadow headteacher Cathy Walsh said the project was very exciting and would become a valuable school and community facility.

She added that Councillor Margaret James was investigating possible funding sources to fence off the chain shop so that it could be used by the community out of school times.