Machines

[Carruthers]

Thank you, Grav. That's brilliant!

Your second link nails it down...

In the age of automation, the blacksmith is giving way to the 'agricultural engineer'.
The few smiths who have survived have had to make concessions to the modern age, like Bill Groom, from Slough in Berkshire, who takes his smithy, complete with forge, in a motorcycle sidecar to wherever his services are required.
He even finds an occasional job in town, here he is sharpening picks which are being used for road repair work.

Taken September 1st 1955.

That has led me to another picture which is plastered with copyright warnings but viewable here: Link

It's an old family firm run by two brothers, one of whom is 'the welter-weight wrestling champion of England'.

One more image of Groom Bros at work here...

Link

As far as the location of the image in Bruce's post #345 is concerned, my assumption is that it is indeed Slough and probably the High Street.

I've had a look at Street View but find that it is now a pedestrian area and unrecognisable.

The captions describe Slough as being in Berkshire. At the time the photographs were taken it was in Buckinghamshire.

There was a local government reshuffle in 1972 (I think) and county boundaries were shifted.

The town is north of Windsor on the other side of the Thames so if any of you are going to Harry and Meghan's nuptials in May, you'll be able to nip across the river for the rest of the day and see the place for yourselves.

Once again, thanks Grav.