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Harris Tweed; fascinating (well, to me ) prog about manufacturing, lost skills etc.
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Your first post about it did trigger my interest fc.
It was just the thought of 3 hours of concentrated viewing on the Tweed industry.. thought it might be slow going (which is why I also enjoy PN's tv quick reviews) - but I bet I'm being narrow-minded and I bet there is a lot more to it. I'll watch the first episode this evening.
The tweed bit is incidental though as, how it plays out, has happened to so many things we used to make here at home.
Part1 can be watched in 65% of the time if you fast fwd all the mood shots though. It is a bit slow as it is setting the background. Ep 2 is sad to watch.....painful. Ep 3 makes one cross at certain peoples ineptitude.
In essence, the point is that the people who are involved with the sector seem to be fixated on hetitage products such as jackets and don't seem to get the idea that the cloth needs to be marketed to other end manufacturers that can create new products for a new generation.
The weavers are stuck in a time warp and some of the legislation is out of the ark...they can't motorise their looms for example....some footage from 1975 in episode 3 on that.
Mr Haggas is a total nightmare...a Wilson type in the rag trade. When you see what he spent a million quid on in episode 3.....it is all about EGO for him and that is why his masterplan is flawed....no original thought at all...yet he had the ££££ and the back up to turn things around for the mill.
He spent another million on upgrading the mill...amd it sits empty as he is so stuck in his ways.......makes me furious TBH.
The weavers just sit and weave...they don't go beyond that...perhaps that is one of the problems too.?? No-one seems to be able to innovate their way out of the decline.0 -
Pulling the thread back onto topic
..albeit with a dishy type............
SS the singer wears corsets made of H tweed...so you are spot on
A* To SS..and a B to LIR for trying to pull it back.
I think I am going to have to tell the tale meself as seems no-one is going to watch the progs.
DS would find them interesting I think.
Sheep fleeces are only worth £1 nowadays and are often just burnt as it costs more to shear the sheep than the fleece is worth......so much for our love of Chinese Made Acrylic/Poly blend yarns.:rolleyes:
I have to go have dinner now so will attempt a PN style resume later on.
Snag is, I don't have her memory for detaill so it will all be 'The woman who..'' or The bloke who.....'''
Nature/Nurture debate....can go on forever that one.
From adversity, humans create great things. It's why we don't live in caves anymore.
Just for Mewbie....someone posted your area...so near yet so far.;)
Maybe there is fashion hope for me then.....now that would surprise youngest son, or maybe some of his flair for fashion and what looks good has rubbed off on me.
At least it would stop him shouting from the other side of the shop "What about this mum, although I don't think they do it in a large enough size for you!" We made it! All three boys have graduated, it's been hard work but it shows there is a possibility of a chance of normal (ish) life after a diagnosis (or two) of ASD. It's not been the easiest route but I am so glad I ignored everything and everyone and did my own therapies with them.
Eldests' EDS diagnosis 4.5.10, mine 13.1.11 eekk - now having fun and games as a wheelchair user.0 -
Sue, how do you feel about the ex from hell nipping round?Retail is the only therapy that works0
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Not sure that a discussion of my marriage and feelings is really appropriate for here....it would almost certainly ensure the thread would be moved to DT!We made it! All three boys have graduated, it's been hard work but it shows there is a possibility of a chance of normal (ish) life after a diagnosis (or two) of ASD. It's not been the easiest route but I am so glad I ignored everything and everyone and did my own therapies with them.
Eldests' EDS diagnosis 4.5.10, mine 13.1.11 eekk - now having fun and games as a wheelchair user.0 -
I offended you. Last thing I meant to do.
I forget this is a public forumRetail is the only therapy that works0 -
No no, you haven't offended me at all, I could talk chapter and verse about it but just don't think it's right for the thread or indeed the site.
Far too public.We made it! All three boys have graduated, it's been hard work but it shows there is a possibility of a chance of normal (ish) life after a diagnosis (or two) of ASD. It's not been the easiest route but I am so glad I ignored everything and everyone and did my own therapies with them.
Eldests' EDS diagnosis 4.5.10, mine 13.1.11 eekk - now having fun and games as a wheelchair user.0 -
Anyway, thought I would link it up here as well worth 3 hours of viewing and close to my heart as we exported tonnes of used HT jkts many years ago to Japan and the profits helped us buy our 1st house.
I've just finished watching the first episode. Thanks fc. It was a really interesting watch. It was pretty fascinating and I now know a lot more about tweed.
I'm not a tweed person (well not Fergus Wilson style jackets - some other stuff like the USA young guys hat might be pretty cool.. and maybe those models wearing younger style tweed jackets) but appreciate the shades and colours, and the skills which have gone into making it. They were/are artisans.
Too much to comment on... but that Yorkshire older guy who bought in.... and decided to cut back the colours/patterns from 8000 to just 4 lol. He chose like one jacket design - which he personally seemed to like.
When I saw his warehouse of jackets.. 75,000 of them... ready to sell, some for packing in Harrods-looking posh big boxes... I felt panic (putting myself in his position as expecting to flog them at £300 a piece).
All those in the industry up there.. especially the weavers, isolated in their own way of life - part of what must keep them partially sane is creating the different patterns.. so being restricted to just 4... !
The young London (bearded) high-end retailer seemed very switched on. In contrast, the older take-over guy with his 4 pattern jackets.. "Comprendeh the better end?"
Will watch episode 2 and 3 this week.0 -
I cant believe you have spent the last three hours watching thatRetail is the only therapy that works0
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I cant believe you have spent the last three hours watching that
It was only episode 1 I've watched to now.. which was about 58 minutes.
Still have 2 more episodes to watch.
It was really worth watching. I could partly understand where the older Yorkshire guy logic, but a big gamble. It seems to me to be an industry which needs independents sourcing patterned tweed material from them, for lots of different items, to sell at a premium. Like that younger London bearded retailer was doing. Not just that Yorkshireman's narrow design, 4 shades only, jackets.
Even then... there didn't seem to be clear solutions for the hard hit circumstances all the Harris Tweed islanders (weavers and associated jobs) to enjoy well paid tweed work - partly because of economic conditions around the world. Still, premium luxury items with high-markup can keep some people ticking over nicely even in depressions.0 -
Even then... there didn't seem to be clear solutions for the hard hit circumstances all the Harris Tweed islanders (weavers and associated jobs) to enjoy well paid tweed work - partly because of economic conditions around the world. Still, premium luxury items with high-markup can keep some people ticking over nicely even in depressions.
Not all work can be well paid. This is harsher in areas where there is less choice of work. e.g. I have an acquaitance who despite being rasonably successful feels she doesn't earn terribly well and ''could earn more in middle management for someone else'' my answer is that she has a choice...
re luxury items, my ''mole'' in high end retail tells me, with some surprise, takings are UP.0
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