BEST OF BRITISH
Spencer
Congratulations
This year marks the 75th anniversary of Vale Upholstery
In 1947 the Lomax family set up Vale Upholstery in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, manufacturing utility furniture under government regulations and re-covering furniture, with Vale mill giving the company its name. The 1950s saw the first deliveries of upholstery into independent retailers in the north-west of England and by 1962 the company had moved to larger premises in the town to cope with growing orders. The Belle Vue furniture show in Manchester proved a great springboard for attracting retailers from further afield and soon the company was trading throughout the North and
Midlands and later to the rest of the UK. Along the way Barbreck Upholstery was purchased and in 1982 the company moved to a 60,000sqft building in Mytholmroyd, near Hebden Bridge. Bridgecraft was bought in 2000 and all production combined on this site. Vale and Bridgecraft have a combined history of furniture making of 160 years, producing quality upholstery to a high standard. Designs new and old can be found in homes around the country. The company has a strong connection with Outward Bound and The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. A company bursary has allowed about 800 disadvantaged
students to attend five-day courses at the Outward Bound centre near Ullswater. The company endured massive disruption in 2012 and 2015 due to flooding, which flood defence works will hopefully prevent happening again. Management and a loyal skilled workforce are proud to have completed 75 years without a day of lost production. Changes on the high street and the loss of so many quality independents encouraged Vale Bridgecraft to open five support showrooms in Cheshire, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, and Tyne and Wear for existing stockists. Visit: www.valebridgecraft.co.uk Poppies
Opal
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Interiors Monthly March 2022
