DEBBIE Barker is mad about cranes. As a child, she spent Sundays with her father Barry Barnes as he drove around the North West pricing up jobs for the business he founded, Great Harwood Crane Hire.

When she left school, she had only one job in mind and joined the family business in the office.

Even when Barry sold out in 1988 to retire to the Isle of Man, Debbie stayed with the business under its new owners.

When the Great Harwood depot closed in May this year, Debbie moved with Ainscough Crane Hire to its headquarters in Standish as manager.

As a mother of two young sons, however, constant 12-hour working days were playing havoc with family life. But instead of staying at home, Debbie has taken the bold step of starting her own business - naturally in the world of crane hire.

The Great Harwood Crane Hire name that disappeared when Barry sold the business in 1988 has come out of mothballs. She has also bought the Hayes Lane depot where her father first built up the business.

And, in an amazing coincidence, the first driver she hired, Stuart Wallis, was the first person to be employed by her father back in 1979. "Great Harwood Crane Hire is back in business and it is like we have never been away," said Debbie. "The response from our customers has been amazing. It seems like no one has forgotten the name and the orders have been flowing in.

"It was a dreadful day when Ainscough closed the Great Harwood depot, but all that is behind us now and business is really starting to take off.

"The crane hire business is all I have ever known. When I was a little girl, days out at the weekend were spent with my dad pricing up jobs.

"I never really settled in Standish. A 12-hour day was pretty standard and I hardly saw anything of my children.

"My dad wanted me to join his new business in the Isle of Man, but I didn't want to leave the area. It was his idea to start my own business and the support he has given me has been fantastic."

Barry is equally committed to the world of crane hire. His 'retirement' in 1988 lasted all of three months before he became bored with life on the Isle of Man.

With wife Christine, he started his own business - Man Crane Hire - which now has a fleet of around 20 vehicles.

"Looking back, it was just too early to retire," said Barry. "My son Chris now works for me and it would have been ideal if I could have persuaded Debbie to join us so I could take more of a back seat. But she was determined to stay in Great Harwood and I am really proud of what she is doing."