Many local residents will know the significance of Lasham as a world-class gliding centre and a world-class airliner maintenance base, both seeing regular traffic during the pandemic – the former when lockdown restrictions permitted and the latter throughout with aircraft arriving for, hopefully, temporary storage or routine maintenance.

However, I suspect very few people realise another world-class industry exists there tucked away in a small industrial estate much closer to the village itself. I became aware of its existence some 20 years ago when I was fortunate enough to visit the Morris Singer statue foundry with members of the Surrey Industrial History Group.

Many are the famous names of sculptors associated with the foundry and their work is exhibited worldwide, varying in size from desktop pieces to 50-tonne architectural pieces dominating their surroundings.

But the foundry has much earlier beginnings than its time in Lasham, starting originally in Somerset before transferring to London, then Basingstoke before arriving in the Hampshire village.

For many of those years a constant presence has been David Vallance, who started in London as a foundry technician before moving with the company, eventually becoming managing director.

Now David, in association with the Willis Museum in Basingstoke, has written down his memories of 50 years with the company in a new book highlighting the exceptional work produced by the foundry.

Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Elizabeth Frink are just some of the famous sculptors with whom David worked during his time at the foundry.

Examples of the foundry’s work can still be seen in Basingstoke. Look out for Elizabeth Frink’s Head of Christ in All Saints’ Church, the metal doors to the Moose Hall and the bronze panels on the Triumphal Gateway.

Further afield, a huge Henry Moore reclining figure in Singapore and the sculpture of Guy the Gorilla at London Zoo were all cast by the foundry in bronze while it was based at Chineham, Basingstoke, from 1967 to 1999.

50 Years of Founding is now available from the Willis Museum and also the Curtis Museum in Alton. The 85-page, A4-sized book is illustrated with numerous photographs of Morris Singer-produced bronzes located around the world, as well as tales of working with great artists and the problems encountered when transporting and erecting massive sculptures in far-flung corners of the globe.

At a very reasonable £7.50, the book will open many readers’ eyes to the world-leading role played by this foundry from its home in the Hampshire village.

For more information visit the Willis Museum website at https://www.hampshireculture.org.uk/willis-museum-and-sainsbury-gallery

Hopefully the museums will be able to reopen soon and you will be able to get your copy.

The photographs show the Lasham foundry during a visit in September 2000 and author David Vallance showing legendary West Indian cricketer Garfield Sobers a newly-cast bronze statue of himself at the Basingstoke foundry in 1998. The sculptor was Karl Broodhagen. The statue is now in Barbados.