The livery on the vehicles of Tunbridge Wells stonemasons A Burslem & Son has been up-dated to carry the message that the company are this year celebrating 125 years in business. And they are still on the same site in Benhall Mill Road as they started out on in 1880.

As one of the Kentish town\'s oldest firms, Burslem\'s provenance includes the production of 150,000 memorials commemorating British soldiers who died in northern France during World War One.

They also constructed the large memorials at the sites of many major battles - Gallipoli, Dar-Es-Salaam, Etaples and Thiepval among them.

The stone of the Menin Road Gate at Ypres, which records the names of all those killed in action during the 1914-18 war, was produced by Burslem and erected on site by their masons.

And just last year the tradition continued when they were commissioned to make and erect the new War Memorial in their neighbouring town of Tonbridge.

Making, carving and installing a wide variety of custom-made memorials, carved and lettered by their own masons in an impressive array of native and imported stones remains a vital part of their business.

But these days Burslem are also widely regarded for their specialist work in the restoration and conservation of buildings and have lately carried out faÁade works at Firle Place, Calverley Terrace, and Battle Abbey, as well as numerous local churches.

They are also involved with new build stone projects and extensions in the South East for a number of private clients and institutions.

And the company boasts an expanding granite and marble division supplying both trade and retail customers. All surfaces and cladding are produced at their Tunbridge Wells works using stones from all around the world.

David Hall, managing director, says: "We are delighted to be celebrating our 125th anniversary and thrilled to be working on a prestigious project in Tunbridge Wells at Calverley Park repairing and restoring the sandstone boundary wall. We have an impressive team of masons and management and an order book of many interesting projects to look forward to."