RR Goods & Services | Stansborough
Threads of
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Peter Jackson has again brought the attention of the world to New Zealand with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and local Petone-based textiles company Stansborough plays a glittering role, literally. Stansborough has secured a lucrative licensing agreement with Warner Brothers to sell some of the fabrics it designs and manufactures, including the ‘magical silver scarf’ worn by Gandalf the Grey in the latest blockbuster trilogy filmed right here in picturesque Middle Earth.
to cross-breed with already proven sheep, in the hope of developing flocks for specific purposes.
According to Tolkien; Gandalf’s scarf (worn by Sir Ian McKellen) ‘is made from the finest slivers of Mithril from the Mines of Moria and shines like moonlit silver’ – with a description this complex it was certainly a task for a highend textile company with a certain special ingredient. Said ingredient is the blue-grey wool from of one of the rarest breeds of sheep, Stansborough Greys.
However, the Eldridges recognised the potential fleece quality of the Goth breed and decided to assist in their procreation, which would ultimately lead to the current flock of more than 1200 being registered as a unique breed with pure-bred status.
History Stansborough Greys originate from Denmark and their wool was in fact used by the Vikings for their ships sails more than 1000 years ago due to its high strength and water-shedding characteristics. Company directors Cheryl and Barry Eldridge originally purchased 350 sheep during a time period when New Zealand was experimenting with imported breeds of sheep
“New Zealand farmers prefer white sheep, nobody really wanted them and the flock that were brought out had ended up on a farm in the South Island,” Cheryl says.
Unique is certainly an underlying characteristic of Stansborough as an operational farm and as a business. For instance, the looms the wool is eventually woven on are not exactly modern industrial machines – they date back to the 1890’s. Barry Eldridge and loom technician Richard Graham operate the Yorkshire Hattersley looms, thought to be the only looms of their kind still working commercially in the world, to complete the labour intensive yet incredibly eco-friendly production of the world famous fabric.
Special offer Movies The process from discovering the silvery sheep, to producing the silvery scarf has led Stansborough indirectly onto the silver screen and bestowed their drapes across many a famous actor’s frame. Elijah Wood and many other stars sported a ‘fellowship cloak’ in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and apparently Hollywood product placement costs a fortune? Not when your products are as rare and sought-after as Stansborough’s range of fabric gold. Sir Ian McKellen who plays Gandalf the Grey blogged before the filming of The Hobbit, “I now have a substantial, magic-looking silvery scarf to wear and act with and perhaps find some part of its own to play”. As one of the main protagonists of the movie, it was essential his attire matched his grandeur. The ‘substantial’ reference by Sir Ian McKellen refers to the length of his scarf, at 2.8m it will certainly keep any wizard warm in windy Wellington or anywhere in the world for that matter. The landmark licensing agreement with Warner Brothers represents a huge potential market for Stansborough, in essence a familyowned and operated company. The overseas and export market is certainly not alien to Stansborough, with sales already established worldwide the global interest has certainly spiked with the release of The Hobbit. It was originally Ngila Dickson who spotted the quality of Stansborough’s produce, something which undoubtedly contributed to the two Oscars she later won for her work on The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Mention you read our story in Wellington Today and receive a discount on our corporate gifting packages!
That is exactly the surprise Barry and Cheryl received when designer Ngila Dickson decided to pay a visit after she’d sung the praises of the New Zealand-made fabrics. Such was her impression, 1000 m of fabric was ordered for The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Stansborough fabrics featured in all the following flicks: • The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012) • The Desolation of Smaug (2013) • There and Back Again (2014) • The Lord of the Rings trilogy • Disney’s - Chronicles of Narnia and The Lion,The Witch and The Wardrobe • Disneys Chronicles of Narnia – The Prince Caspian
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• Avatar • The Waterhouse • Kidnapped.
Cheryl Eldridge says humbly, “it was just a case of being in the right place at the right time”. Who would have thought that being in the right place at the right time could lead to one of Hollywood’s greatest directors appreciating the quality of the Stansborough textiles that would be adorned by the stars of his movies? 42 | February/March 2013 www.wellingtontoday.co.nz
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