Song remembers factory's 50 years

The workers' recording will now be mixed and released within a few weeks

Workers at a 50-year-old factory which will close its doors for the last time in December have recorded a song to mark the occasion.

The Air Products site at Acrefair, Wrexham, is to close with the loss of 200 jobs.

John Edwards, who has worked at the site for 33 years, penned the lyrics to We're Here to Stay, and based the song on a track by singer Dafydd Iwan.

The song will be sold in Wrexham with proceeds going to local charities.

Mr Edwards persuaded up to 30 colleagues to record the track at Glyndwr University on Wednesday, with the help of a group of students.

Verse one of Here to Stay "They came over here in the fifties, To make cylinders, pumps and tanks, We gave them our knowledge and labour, And took their employment with thanks, Now the world has changed many times over, New markets have come into play, The future is now in Asia, But our memory is here to stay."

It will be included on an interactive DVD which will include slide shows and films commemorating Air Products' half-century at the site.

Mr Edwards said: "I have been here for 33 years and I wanted a memento of the place.

"I decided to base the song on Dafydd Iwan's Yma O Hyd, which basically means here forever.

"The song is about what we are here, how we came about, and how we did our best to overturn the proposals to close the site.

"Basically, we might not be here physically, but in some way we'll be here forever."

He added: "We've had a lot of support. The company [Air Products] has agreed to pay our production costs and donating to our charities.

"Dafydd Iwan has agreed to let us use the song, and has waived any royalty rights, which is absolutely fantastic."

Mr Iwan, who is president of Plaid Cymru, said: "John Edwards contacted me some months ago and I said I would be very pleased to help.

"It's a great example of using a song for a purpose. I've seen the words and they are very, very good."

At least 50 Air Products staff have already left, with the remainder of the workforce to be made redundant by the end of the year.

The plant, which opened in 1950, is closing because production of gas plant equipment is being switched to China.

Air Products said the decision to close Acrefair was made "in response to on-going cost pressures and the changing demand for our products which is shifting to other parts of the world, notably Asia".