EARLIER this year Burley Oaks Primary School included in their English lessons, a story about ‘The Iron Man’ written by Ted Hughes.

The seminal children’s novel of a giant iron figure on the loose in a farming community manages to say profound things about friendship, kindness and isolation in a brilliantly thrilling and imaginative fashion.

The final part of the lesson was a project to make a model of ‘The Iron Man’ from items found around the house, such as cardboard boxes, tin foil, tin cans and plastic bottles.

However, one Year 4 pupil decided he wanted to take the project a step further.

Harry Stringer set about making his Iron Man out of scrap metal - just as described in the story. His parents Henry and Liz said their son disappeared for quite a long time carefully foraging for suitable bits and pieces of car parts from the pile of scrap at the bottom of the garden to represent the parts of the body.

He used large diameter tubing for legs, engine valves, hand pliers and bolts for fingers, a 1912 Hupmobile radiator surround for the upper body, two 1929 Austin Seven wheels for the head and tummy, an old Jeep brake disc for the face. Then the back and front of the tummy was made using Hupmobile road springs and chicken wire fencing, and finally old clothes posts for arms.

Once Harry was happy with his design, he was given a short simple ‘crash course’ by his daddy how to weld steel together. Roles reversed it was his daddy who was instructed to hold parts in place whilst welding was been carried out. It took Harry three days on and off to create his ‘masterpiece’. It was then time to stand the giant up for the first time in the garden where it stood approximately 10ft tall. The final touches were then carried out, filling his tummy with some more scrap which included engine pistons, an old paraffin stove, old oil tins, WWII ammunition cases and lots more pre-war car parts. Finally, sticking night lights on his face which changed colour and also filling his mouth with more car brake cable like spaghetti as described in the story, the ‘masterpiece’ was finished.

Harry came up with the idea, design and found the right scrap parts and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of welding it together. When asked what was his favourite part, he immediately replied ‘’the welding!’’.

Henry and Liz said: “Being Harry’s parents it was intriguing, exhilarating and sometimes frightening watching our son constructing the Iron Man with minimal supervision.

“Harry is a talented eight year old with a passion for creating projects that interest him. His ‘sculpture’, has been living happily in the garden since February 2021. However, he has decided it is time to find the Iron Man a new home to someone else who will enjoy him just as much as we have.

“If you are that person, please can you contact the Ilkley Gazette to who we thank for including this story.”

Email: claire.lomax@nqyne.co.uk