PERFECTIONIST Harry Hodson is about to have his theories put to the test before the nation.

The man who painstakingly built a magnificent scale model of one of the world's most famous bridges will be under the spotlight on Friday, January 11 when he takes part in a 50 minute documentary The Mystery of The Iron Bridge --scheduled to be broadcast at 9pm on BBC2.

Mr Hodson, took six year to construct the model of The Iron Bridge, which spans the River Severn near Coalbrookale in Shropshire. It is so good it is on display on the real bridge.

The Atherton man took six years to construct the model which contains 2,400 separate parts and subjected to exhaustive tests regarding the most likely construction sequence used on the real bridge. Test results were recorded and published at Leicester University.

Making the model was a task of monumental proportions and several local people played an important part.

Duncan Wood, now a cabinet maker of Hamilton Street, Atherton, was responsible for casting the largest parts of the model which were carried out at Fred Longworth High School in Tyldesley.

Culcheth artists Harry Stirrup was commissioned to paint two pictures relating to the casting and construction methods used in 1779 on the real bridge. Mr Stirrup converted Harry Hodson's ideas and drawings in to paintings on canvas and these attracted worldwide interest and were shown on television in the USA.

And Harry Hodson's neighbours Geoff and Deidre Grundy plus Chris Cobb from Bolton helped provide photographic skills which included taking 500 shots of the amazing original Iron Bridge.

Look out later this month for more pictures and the Journal 's in-depth story about how an anglers' wager way back in 1957 led to Mr Hodson's amazing Iron Bridge adventure.