1975: Pedro Fuentes
I remember being six years old, at home in Valparaíso, reading ‘Made in Sheffield’ on my mother’s cutlery. In my early-twenties, as die designer for a Santiago engineering company I recommended special steel for my designs: Atlas Steel made by Firth Brown, Sheffield.
In my mid-twenties, as a political prisoner in one of Pinochet’s concentration camps in the north of Chile, I received an envelope marked ‘UK Embassy’. A visa to live in the UK! I later discovered that my sister and my future wife had risked their lives to get me a visa from the Embassy. Once in the UK I learned that the visa was also a result of pressure on the British government by the Chile Solidarity Campaign and Trade Union movement.
Once in Sheffield, my first job was as a ‘slinger’ at Firth Brown. I was later promoted to utility man which involved slinging, crane driving and managing special steel gas furnaces.
In my sixties I was a teacher and organiser of classes for refugees from all over the world.
Now, in my early seventies and enjoying retirement, I feel thankful of the solidarity and support I have received throughout my exile here and am proud of being a Sheffielder.

Sheffield Forgemasters