I had no idea the dispute would last so long.

I thought it would only last two to three weeks at the most.

I thought that, perhaps, everyone would sit around the table - the union and management - make the arrangements and that everyone would return to work.

Craig Smith: Factory boss

When I received the redundancy notice, I was very sad and angry because I had been with the company for 34 years and I was one of the youngest there.

I was angry that Craig Smith refused to talk to us.

From the start, his attitude towards us and the union was that he listened to what we said but did nothing about it.

He was the boss, he was running the show and he would say what went on there.

Neither the union nor the workers had any say at all about the company's activities.

In my opinion, a business cannot be run that way these days.

The support we've had from local people has been tremendous. It's surprised us.

They say there are no such things as communities anymore, but this proves, not just to us, but to the community itself, that a community does still exist here.

Some are surprised that we've continued this picket for so long.

Support

Our families were behind us from the start. Our wives and partners have been a great support.

We were only receiving �47 a week from the union's strike fund and we had to make that last.

We also received support from the local community, even business people in the area were behind us.

They contributed things like money and food.

We have been trying to raise our own money with a sponsored bungee jump and sponsored fun run.

Of course, the unions throughout Britain and even Ireland have been sending money to us and have said that they hope it will help us to get through this.

A picket line is a lonely place, especially in the middle of winter.

The factory is in an isolated location.

Grandfathers and great grandfathers

It's quite open and is hit by all weather.

It's windy, pouring with rain and we've asked ourselves, more than once, why we are here?

But we've thought back to what our grandfathers and great grandfathers would have endured and it was a lot worse than this.

It's been worth it.

Most of us have been here for a long time, working together. The time has passed.

It's great to get closure; it's been a very long 18 months.

We hope now to get our lives back.

We hope to get work, but there isn't much around in this area and what is available is generally poorly paid.

And, of course, our age goes against us, we're too old to employ.

We're glad that this is over, but we're also pleased that no other worker will ever have to go through what we have suffered.