The standard contract on the back of each Oldham company order form quotes the telephone number of Vance Miller’s personal fax machine "in case of serious problems". The machine sits on the table by his armchair at his home, where he announced that, "The plain fact is that the price of the kitchens I bring in from around the world cannot be matched. We will always have the best prices.

"Over a thousand people in Britain, and even more in other countries, depend on the work that goes through this old mill. Perhaps it’s time that Vance Miller and his workers here and in the villages overseas had some support and encouragement from the authorities here."

Maple Mill has been a feature of the Oldham skyline since the early days of the last century.

Two corbelled rings on the chimney signify that the buildings were conceived on the drawing board of Sir Philip Sidney Stott [1858-1937] the local architect who designed over a hundred of the world’s greatest cotton mills.

When Courtaulds abandoned high-tech open-end spinning at Maple Mill in 1991, it looked as if the world of work had finished with the landmark building, the largest of its kind.

But Vance Miller says the "unbeatable price" of the kitchens he imports will keep people busy there for many more years.