Tom Martin, Sparrows Offshore Services, Angola, West Africa, writes:

I have been an avid reader of Cranes Today for over 25 years now, I don’t actually have an old copy of your magazine as I pass them on to my fellow workers in our crane department. Over the years Cranes Today in my eyes has been the ‘Bible’ of the crane industry and I always look forward the latest copy. Well done with reaching 400 issues of Cranes Today and look forward to reading many more issues in the future.

Steve J Barnett, Managing Director, Manitowoc Crane Group (UK) Ltd, Sunderland, UK, writes:

While at Neagron Plant Ltd in the 1970s and latterly NRC in the 1980s and early 1990s, we advertised in the publication on a very regular basis.

I recall that I also wrote a few editorial pieces in the early days and actually had many of my photographs published including two of my own on front cover, one was a rebuilt NCK 6052B which we sold and the other was a Sumitomo heavy Duty Crane with a diaphragm wall grab taken at Yokohama harbour.

I also remember the days of Ian Johnston as publisher and the annual Rugby Varsity match at Twickenham at which the magazine hosted a fine day of corporate hospitality. I believe that Iattended about eight of these! Other than that I made a good friend in Nick Ratcliffe who was at one time the ad manager. His daughter Grace is my goddaughter.

Other memories include the famous Cranes Today London Bus, which was first seen at the Haydock exhibition in the late 1980s and the other major shows, Intermat and Bauma, in the 1990s.

Ben Graham, vice president & crane division manager, Kirby-Smith Machinery, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA, writes:

Attached is photo of me re-living Conexpo 1999 by reviewing issue 293, March 1999. That Conexpo was always special to me in my crane career as at the time I worked for the Grove and Manitowoc dealer in Las Vegas and both Cranes Today and International Cranes featured cranes that I had sold.

I’m sure I’m not even close to being the longest-standing reader, but it is always a “must” to read.

Several early readers wrote in with the first issue that they read. They include:

Bill Houlker, general manager, Morrow Equipment Co. (NZ), Petone, New Zealand. Earliest issue: April 1973

Bev Hitchcock, Technical rep, West Country Crane Hire, Plymouth, UK. Earliest issue: August 1973

Dirk Knoester, Mammoet project engineer, Schiedam, Netherlands. Earliest issue: April 1974