» AN EXPERIENCED veteran locksmith , nicknamed “ Willo The Wisp ”, Dennis has encountered a variety of challenging situations throughout his career – much like a wisp of smoke that is hard to catch - Dennis is ‘ in and gone ’ without leaving a trace .

Dennis told us :

Prestigious Projects & Living Life on the Edge

One of my most prestigious projects was repairing the metal gates at Windsor Castle . Many would shy away from such a tricky job , but I ’ ve always liked a challenge ! The job involved refurbishing the locks and replacing the lead in the hinges , which had worn out over time . I had to remove the old lead , ensure everything was smooth and in good condition , and mix some clay to form a mold . Then , using a cast iron pot , I melted the lead . With my son passing me the ladle full of molten lead while I stood atop a ladder , I carefully poured the lead into the top hinge . It was a meticulous and

dangerous task , but immensely satisfying once completed .

I have also done work on The Houses of Parliament ’ s terrace around the back by the river - I worked on the posts with hardened colour-tinted glass .

I worked on the big GPO tower in London , travelling in a cradle attached to a rope on the outside of the tower . I soldered zinc panels all around the tower after the bomb damage in 1971 . I ’ m not just a locksmith , I get involved in all sorts of things . I ’ ve repaired sliding sash windows on a vicarage property , a lot of locksmiths wouldn ’ t touch those !

My work often involves creative solutions . I remember an old , large house where the local ironmonger had provided old-fashioned keys with intricate mazes cut into them for the gates . These cast-iron keys were tough to cut and had to look like part of the original lock . I used a technique called smoking : I would blacken the key over a candle flame , then file down

the shiny marks left by the lock ’ s internal mechanisms . Repeating this process until the key fitted perfectly and it became indistinguishable from the original .

Still Locksmithing at 85 : Recent Work

I ’ ve done a big job recently for a museum , repairing big hardwood doors and replacing the locks ( because they didn ’ t have a key ). It was quite a challenge picking 10-lever Ingersol locks , but I did it . Another locksmith quoted £ 2800 for two new locks . I restored the lock casing , and made cylinders to fit inside – keyed-alike from the outside and keyed to differ from the inside .

An especially harrowing experience occurred in Hatfield three years ago . I had changed the locks at a new shop in the town centre eight months prior . Two weeks after the installation , a woman phoned me asking if I could come over . Upon picking the high-security locks , I discovered it was ‘ boobytrapped

’ with explosives . When triggered , the explosive blew the door right back , a stark reminder of the dangers that sometimes accompany locksmithing .

I used to break into locks and houses , dealing with 10 to 20 locks per day . One memorable instance was with a Chubb AVA lock , a high-security rim lock with no picks available for it . I had to break into a house in Luton . After careful consideration , I drilled a small hole , inserted a screwdriver , and turned it around until I hit a ratchet . By applying pressure on the frame , the door eventually flew open .

Born to Fix

I left school at 15 , but before that I worked at a local hardware shop , it was actually called an ‘ Oil Shop ’ back in the day . I was from a big family one of six children , my father was Italian and my mother a Geordie , back in those days it was all about learning a trade on the job . My father used to fix watches , so all of us were