LOCAL engineering employers paid tribute to Stuart Irwin at a gala dinner in Bolton Town Hall.

Mr Irwin, who retired recently as director and chief executive of EEF Lancashire, served the organisation and its predecessors for 31 years.

This made him a well-known figure on the local industrial scene - but not famous enough to stop Lord Charles (helped a little by ventriloquist Ray Alan) confusing him amusingly with Stanley Unwin.

Mr David Shingler, the National President of the Engineering Employers' Federation, praised Mr Irwin's "massive contribution" during his time with the organisation and there were equally warm words from Wilhelm Vockel, his counterpart in Bolton's twin town of Paderborn and a friend for 20 years.

Mr Peter Whitnall, the current President of EEF Lancashire, outlined the progress of the organisation over the last 31 years to the point where the Association now covers the whole of central and north-west Lancashire with 60 employees and a membership base of nearly 300 companies.

Mr Whitnall told diners that he was shop steward at General Engineering when he had one of his first encounters with Mr Irwin.

"We knew full well that if Stuart was on our case we would be in for a hard time," he said.

Mr Irwin's leadership, commonsense, fairness and judgement had been "absolutely critical" to all employers during the strike-ridden 1970s.

"It is a tribute to the man that he wan't only appreciated by employers, he was respected for his fairness and his honesty by employers and unions alike," Mr Whitnall said.

Tributes also included a splendid monologue on Mr Irwin's life and times which was written and performed by local entertainer Bernard Wrigley.

Mr Irwin, who has been retained in an advisory capacity for 12 months, has been succeeded by Mr John Brown, the former Director (Europe) of the Government Office North West.

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