Show Notes
Smalls are a big market. Annual underwear sales in the UK top £400m. Much of it used to be made domestically (with a thriving cluster in south Wales), but, in the past 15 years, that industry has dramatically shrunk. Today, just a few artisan lingerie companies survive. On this week’s The Factory Next Door, we head to New Tredegar in South Wales to meet Naomi Edmondson, the founder of lingerie company Edge o’ Beyond. Number 46 on our list of the greatest products we make here is The Luxury Lingerie. Naomi gives us a tour of her factory as we chat about the challenges of keeping lingerie manufacturing alive in the Welsh valleys. Plus, we talk about the physical power of beautifully made underwear and being banned from social media. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence. Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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You never quite know what you’re going to find when you visit one of our manufacturers.
When you need someone to escort the King’s crown to Parliament for the state opening, you call on his Majesty’s Gentleman at Arms – with their distinctive red and gold jackets. And when you need someone to make a new uniform for this historic corps, you call Jules Walker and her team at Gieves and Hawkes. Number 53 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Ceremonial Uniform. Jules is head of the tailor’s military team, and on today’s show she gives us a tour of her workshop in the basement of 1 Savile Row. We learn what it takes to make uniforms for the King’s Guards, discover what an epaulette is, and consider the parallels between tailoring and plumbing. Also on the show, we mull the need for a Ministry of Made in Britain and question why buyers from overseas appear to value our crafts more than we do. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Support the show: https://buymeacoffee.com/thefactorynextdoor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The epicentre of the global pen industry used to reside in Birmingham. Then the plastic biro arrived and everything changed. But in the city’s jewellery quarter, a team of skilled silversmiths are ensuring the history of Birmingham’s pen industry continues to be written. Number 52 on our list of the greatest things we make here is the propelling pencil by YARD-O-LED. Owner Giles English shows us around the company’s historic workshop as we celebrate a 100-year-old design, admire irreplaceable machines, and learn the meaning behind the company’s distinctive name. Also on the show, we explore the power of loss, Giles talks about the birth and sale of the Bremont Watch Company, and we discover the important distinction between chasing and engraving. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.