By Royal Appointment, Autumn 2018

ISSUE 09 › AUTUMN 2018 › THE MAGAZINE OF THE ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS ASSOCIATION

MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT

SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION

The members conserving fine art and antiques

Why thinking green makes a better business

Contents, 1

THIS ISSUE

VERSION REPRO OP

10 SUBS ART

16 PRODUCTION

04

CLIENT

CONTENTS

03 PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

08 SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION

22 EVENTS IN REVIEW

President Mark Henderson, Gieves & Hawkes, reviews his tenure so far

The RWHA launches a new sustainability scholarship for business leaders

04 NEWS IN REVIEW

10 THE VALUE OF CONSERVATION

A round-up of the year’s member events and sporting highlights, plus events to look forward to in 2019

As HRH The Prince of Wales celebrates his 70th birthday, we highlight special member anniversaries and milestones

We spotlight Warrant-holding members whose expert skills are safeguarding the nation’s antiques and works of art

07 VIEW FROM

16 TREASURE, NOT DRAGONS

THE SECRETARY

Richard Peck, CEO & Secretary of the RWHA, outlines why sustainability must lie at the heart of every successful business COVER IMAGE HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES VISITS 617 SQUADRON AT RAF MARHAM, NORFOLK, 27 JULY 2018

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Why the past is an asset of invaluable worth and usefulness for forward-looking businesses, and how two Warrant-holding members are managing their archives

20 A CELEBRATION OF

24 CHARITY FUND The RWHA Charity Fund continues to make a difference in local communities

26 A DAY IN THE LIFE Meet passionate collector and curator Jen Jones and discover how she became an expert in the history of Welsh textiles

BRITISH CRAFTSMANSHIP

27 LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS

QEST launches a new book of photographic portraits and stories of 100 Alumni

A reminder of how to contact the RWHA’s local associations around the UK

R WH A M AG A Z I NE

BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

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PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD

WELCOME Dear Members,

MARK HENDERSON, PRESIDENT, ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS ASSOCIATION, GRANTEE, GIEVES & HAWKES

“The RWHA provides unparalleled opportunities to gain understanding and insight from world-class businesses”

Over the past few months I’ve stood on the beautiful moors and among the ancient Caledonian forests of Balmoral and watched the cabers tossed at the Braemar Games; savoured the splendid company of the local associations of Windsor, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Sandringham (with Highgrove to look forward to); met superbly skilled craftsmen and women at J. Barbour, Glencraft and John Smedley; and been awed by the ingenuity of the team at Bedmax, as well as their sheer guts, determination and imagination. I’ve seen behind the scenes of kitchen titan Howdens, with their deep understanding of great customer service; renewed my affection for the marvellous city of Liverpool during the International Business Festival and admired the magnificent vista across the Mersey; played tennis (badly) at Queen’s Club; compèred a quiz in aid of the Charity Fund; and hosted an event for new Warrant holders at 1 Buckingham Place. I’ve even had the honour of speaking at the annual RWHA Luncheon and introducing the brilliant Dr Tristram Hunt, director of the V&A Museum – or, to use its original name, The Museum of Manufactures. And, finally, I’ve been inspired by the curiosity of primary-school children at the Primary Futures event in Birmingham.

These opportunities have come to me in my role as President, but they are also open to every member of the RWHA – with, perhaps, the exception of acting as a warm-up for Dr Hunt! This unique organisation gives unparalleled opportunities: to meet members of the Royal Households; to visit Royal Palaces; to gain understanding and insight from world-class businesses (almost all of whom will generously grant time to fellow Warrant holders); and to help build modern, sustainable businesses that meet the standards expected of Warrant holders – and their customers and staff.

I am delighted about the launch of the RWHA Scholarship at the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership – an initiative led

by Mark Jankovich, Grantee, Delphis Eco (see page 8), which we at Gieves & Hawkes have been very happy to support.

I heartily commend the small, but excellent, team at 1 Buckingham Place for building so soundly on the foundations of such an extraordinary organisation. I feel more proud than ever to be British because there’s enormous talent and energy in this great old country!

Mark Henderson, Grantee, Gieves & Hawkes R W HA MAGAZINE

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MEMBERS’ NEWS

NEWS IN REVIEW AS HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES CELEBRATES HIS 70TH BIRTHDAY, WE LOOK AT ROYAL WARRANT HOLDERS CELEBRATING THEIR OWN NOTABLE MILESTONES THIS YEAR

LAND ROVER: 70 YEARS STRONG

› SEVENTY YEARS AGO, the first Land Rover rolled off the production line. Launched in 1948 as Britain’s answer to the ubiquitous American army-surplus jeep and as a workhorse for British farmers, Land Rover was the world’s first mass-produced civilian 4X4. By the 1970s, Land Rover dominated 70% of the global aid market and it remains an iconic brand today. The first pre-production model is still in working order and was called ‘Huey’ after its registration number ‘HUE166’; its original sage-green paint was acquired from a fighter-plane factory. Almost 40,000 were built in the first 10 years and many were shipped overseas, leading to the remarkable claim that it was the first vehicle ever seen by a third of the world’s population.

With the introduction of the relatively luxurious Range Rover in 1970, Land Rover went on to define what has

“The first pre-production model is still in working order and was called ‘Huey’ after its registration number ‘HUE 166’” become known as the SUV. In excess of seven million Land Rovers have been built since the launch of the original vehicle, and the 70-year milestone was marked by a special exhibition and Land

Rover Day at Balmoral Castle. Land Rover holds all three Royal Warrants and its relationship with the Royal Household dates back to 1948 when King George VI viewed the original vehicle.

KINLOCH ANDERSON: CELEBRATING 150 YEARS › Kinloch Anderson, holder of all three Royal Warrants as tailors and kiltmakers, celebrated its 150th anniversary with the restoration of the Sundial Garden at Inverleith Park in Edinburgh.

Today, the business is managed by the fifth and sixth generations of the family and it felt fitting to mark the company’s 150th year in the

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city by restoring the Kinloch Anderson Sundial, a gift to the City of Edinburgh by Councillor W. Joseph Kinloch Anderson back in 1890. The unveiling of the restored sundial in June this year – from beneath a specially commissioned tartan cape – was attended by family, friends and business colleagues, with the Lord Provost attending as the official guest.

THE LORD PROVOST JOINS DOUGLAS, DEIRDRE AND JOHN KINLOCH ANDERSON FOR THE UNVEILING

MEMBERS’ NEWS

A.C. COOPER: A CENTURY IN PICTURES

› IN 1918, AUGUSTUS COOPER (1873-1960) founded his family-run, professional photography business based in central London. Primarily focusing on portraits of artists, dignitaries and works of art, some of Augustus’ early work still survives today and forms part of the National Portrait Gallery’s photographic archive.

Since then, A.C. Cooper Ltd has transformed itself into a successful business specialising in the photography of works of art, with commissions from the Royal Collection, HRH The Prince of Wales (from whom they hold a Royal Warrant), the Public Record Office, Bridgeman Art Library, Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Bonhams auctioneers, and a number of notable museums, galleries, artists and collectors.

Today, the company is run by Andrew and Sharon Smart and proudly operates under the same professional values that Augustus introduced all those years ago.

DANIEL OF WINDSOR: CENTENARY CELEBRATION › Daniel department store celebrates 100 years of trading in Windsor this autumn. The store was honoured to welcome HRH The Countess of Wessex who unveiled a plaque to mark the occasion in September.

A family-run, independent store since it was first established in Ealing in 1901, Daniel has been at

the heart of Royal Windsor’s high street since 1918 and has held its Royal Warrant for the supply of gifts since 2005. Over the years the store has been modernised and redeveloped, so today it covers 80,000 sq ft and employs 220 staff across 40 departments.

It is also proud to boast Berkshire’s largest toy department.

WINDSOR, EARLY 1918

STEPHEN AUSTIN: 250 YEARS IN PRINT › THIS YEAR, PRINTERS STEPHEN AUSTIN & SONS, Warrant holder to HM The Queen, celebrates its 250th anniversary. Founded in 1768, the original Mr Stephen Austin established a printing business and provided materials for Hertfordshire’s county elections more than 150 years before universal suffrage.

The company is now at the forefront of electoral printing and fulfilment throughout the UK. Over the past century, the company has also become a world leader in the

CONFIDENTIAL PRINTING OF EXAMINATION AND ELECTORAL MATERIALS

confidential printing of examination and assessment materials. The first examination papers were printed in 1842 for the East India Company College (now Haileybury independent school). Today, examination materials for education departments and assessment bodies around the globe are printed and distributed from the Hertford site.

In one year alone, more than 90 million examination papers were delivered to 300,000 schools worldwide – enough to fill five jumbo jets!

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SUSTAINABILITY

“The sustainability audit, which forms a key part of the Warrant application and renewal processes, is an inevitable result of the need for business to address the challenges facing our environment” delivering solutions to these environmental challenges.

The commercial case for business responsibility and action is increasingly clear. A cogent sustainability plan can not only save costs and have a positive impact on the bottom line, but can also lead to improved sales as more buyers make this a requirement. It is interesting, too, that it has a positive influence on recruitment as employees progressively embrace the sustainability agenda.

Auditing for success

VIEW FROM THE SECRETARY RICHARD PECK, CEO & SECRETARY OF THE RWHA EXPLAINS WHY SUSTAINABILITY NOW LIES AT THE HEART OF EVERY SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS › IT WAS JUST OVER NINE YEARS AGO, in June 2009, that the RWHA held its first seminar on the environment and sustainability. It is fair to say that the view then was vastly different from the one held today. At that time, it was generally perceived that issues relating to the environment were more of a hindrance to business than a benefit because of the implied costs, and there was a perception that it brought no additional value.

However, for the past 15 years or so we have been experiencing another industrial revolution characterised by unprecedented changes. These have

SUSTAINABILITY

IN ACTION

largely been driven by new technologies, as well as innovations in business models, products and processes. At the same time, pressing social and environmental challenges – from climate change to waste management, and third world labour to the sustainable sourcing of materials – pose fundamental risks for the stability and wellbeing of every organisation.

Changing attitudes

Business thinking has had to change and there is a growing expectation that businesses must be proactive and take greater responsibility for

The sustainability audit, which forms a key part of the Warrant application and renewal processes, is an inevitable result of the need for business to address the challenges facing our environment.

Companies have commented positively on this audit, remarking that it has provoked wider and necessary thinking on this important subject. However, any process can always be improved and feedback from companies is crucial in this respect.

Gaining perspective

I am also pleased that the RWHA and its local associations’ programme of Sustainability Seminars have been so well-attended – we will continue with further initiatives and workshops in 2019, and we look forward to seeing you there.

Finally, one could be forgiven for thinking that with the growing focus on it, sustainability has become an overriding priority, but it is important to keep it in perspective. It is quite simply another element that a successful business must address in tandem with excellence of product and service.

Sustainability in action continues over the page

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SUSTAINABILITY

SUSTAINABLE FOCUS IN BUSINESS LEADERSHIP

THE WILLIAM GATES BUILDING AT CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY

THE RWHA ANNOUNCES SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE INSTITUTE FOR SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP

SUSTAINABILITY IN ACTION AT ASTON MARTIN

› THE RWHA AND THE UNIVERSITY a responsible business – is a key criterion OF CAMBRIDGE INSTITUTE FOR for continuing to hold a Royal Warrant, SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP but the initiation of this scholarship goes (CISL) recently announced the one step further by actively inauguration of a scholarship supporting the development programme to support the of the next generation DISCOVER MORE development of business of business leaders. leaders of the future about CISL, the degree and It is hoped that the who are committed the organisation’s wider scholarship’s availability to tackling global work at www.cisl.cam.ac.uk/ will encourage talented sustainability problems individuals, who might graduate-study/master-ofand leading businesses to not otherwise be able studies-in-sustainabilityachieve positive change. to fund their continued leadership Funded by a collection education, to apply to study of individual Warrant- holding for this two-year master’s degree. companies, the Royal Warrant Holders Two scholars have already been Association Sustainability Leadership selected and funding is in place to support Scholarship began in September 2018. It a limited number of students over the is the first of its kind to be made available next four years. The Association is looking to assist those who undertake a Master forward to working with CISL to also of Studies in Sustainability Leadership at develop opportunities for knowledgethe University of Cambridge. building and information exchange As highlighted on the previous among Warrant-holding companies and page, sustainability – in terms of being with CISL’s extensive network of experts.

In September, the RWHA and Highgrove Local Association held a successful Sustainability Seminar at Aston Martin’s factory in Gaydon, Warwickshire, attended by almost 60 members.

Following candid and thought-provoking presentations from Royal Warrant holders Aston Martin and Rokill Pest Control, followed by useful Q&As, attendees were able to share and gain knowledge in break-out sessions and discussion groups.

These benefited from the expertise of specialists from The Planet Mark who focused on measuring and reducing carbon footprints; Achill Management who facilitated discussion on the business case for sustainable practices; and Business in the Community who discussed the sustainability criteria relating to the Royal Warrant.

After a networking lunch, the day concluded with a behind-the-scenes factory tour of Aston Martin’s manufacturing plant. Presentations and resource tools from the day are available from the members’ website at www.royalwarrant.org

SUSTAINABILITY RESOURCES The following organisations are useful reference points and have a wealth of knowledge and information: BITC (Business in the Community) www.bitc.org.uk/what-responsible-business The Planet Mark (part of The Eden Project) www.theplanetmark.com Achill Management www.achillmanagement.com

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CONSERVATION

THE VALUE OF CONSERVATION HOW FOUR RWHA MEMBERS ARE SAFEGUARDING WORKS OF ART AND SECURING THE FUTURE OF TRADITIONAL SKILLS

MONUMENTAL ACHIEVEMENTS › Rupert Harris has always had a passion for making. Having studied sculpture at school, he was faced with a key decision: “I had the opportunity of the Army, forestry, or art school, so I studied sculpture and history of art at the Central School of Art and Design,” he explains. “When I was at art school, they still focused on practical skills, whereas today it’s more theory-based.”

Upon graduating, he took a job with English sculptor Lynn Chadwick, before setting up a sculpture-casting foundry with a friend in the mid 1970s. But it was a course in conservation at the V&A that determined his future career: “You worked as a member of staff and, at the same time, you were trained, and not only in metalwork – I also spent time in stone and ceramics, so I got a good grounding in other materials.” Leaving the V&A in 1982, he set up Rupert Harris Conservation Ltd and is now regarded as the leading conservator of metalwork and sculpture in the UK. His team works with the National Trust, English Heritage and, of course, the Royal Household.

Conservation, he observes, is a relatively new profession. “Even at the V&A, the staff that were training me were from the locksmiths’ department originally. It wasn’t until the early 1970s that conservation became a proper profession and, since then, it has moved on dramatically.”

Today, the art of conservation means to preserve but not to alter. “The word ‘reversibility’ is key,” explains Rupert.

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“It wasn’t until the early 1970s that conservation became a proper profession and, since then, it has moved on dramatically” “You must preserve what you’ve been given, without over-enhancement.”

Rupert can be called out on any number of projects, ranging from jewellery and ecclesiastical objects to lead and bronze monuments and enamel work.

Conveniently, the methods haven’t changed much since he began, he says: “You can’t undertake repairs properly if you don’t mirror the original techniques.” It is mostly work by hand, and it requires a very good understanding of art history. That’s where the research comes in.

For example, Rupert explains that during the 17th and 18th centuries, the Flemish

Huguenots identified an opportunity among the wealthy owners of English country estates: they made moulds of the original marble sculptures in Europe, brought them back to England where the statues were cast in lead, reproduced and then painted to look like marble.

“If you get an object that hasn’t been well maintained, and you’re trying to restore the surface, you need to know what the surface would originally have been like,” he says.

“You need to do that background research before you even begin to touch anything.”

Rupert’s company was granted its Royal Warrant to HM The Queen in 2007 and

CONSERVATION

RUPERT HARRIS CARRIES OUT A CONDITION SURVEY OF THE STATUE OF RICHARD THE LIONHEART AT THE PALACE OF WESTMINSTER

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MEMBER STORIES

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CONSERVATION

“We wash, wax, check and report on all the sculptures, and when November approaches, we make sure that all the war memorials are beautifully clean” the workload remains immensely varied: his business has 70 current projects, and it can be responsible for 700 to 1,000 per year.

Some of the UK’s most recognisable statues have benefited from his handiwork, including the Lions at Trafalgar Square. “But if I could have one type of object on a desert island, it would probably be Renaissance bronzes,” he says with a smile.

His is a reputation business: long-term clients include the City of London, where Rupert’s company looks after all the sculptures on a maintenance contract.

“We wash, wax, check and report on all the sculptures, and when November approaches, we make sure that all the war memorials are beautifully clean.”

It’s a small team, with just ten employees at the company HQ in Poplar, east London.

“Most of the staff have worked with me for 15 years or more. When they come, they don’t tend to go.” His next trick will be finding his successor.

“I couldn’t retire because I’d be bored to death, but I’d rather not work seven days a week,” Rupert laughs. “I’m always looking for talented people, but they’re hard to find.” www.rupertharris.com

ALAN FINNEY WORKS ON A CHELSEA GOLD ANCHOR IMPERIAL SHEPHERD

PORCELAIN PERFECTION › THE ART OF CERAMIC RESTORATION combines the skills of the artisan potter with the eye of the fine artist, and a willingness to explore the past. Alan Finney of Ceramic Restoration Studios Ltd is able to think like an 18th-century craftsman in order to reproduce a detail of an early piece of Chelsea porcelain from 1745 to 1770, for example.

“Being able to layer the colours so that they shine through from underneath: that’s the real skill,” Alan explains. And he believes that colour-matching is not necessarily something you can learn – although a career of some forty years in ceramic restoration undoubtedly helps. Instead, Alan’s skills appear to

be instinctive. In fact, his role within the world of contemporary conservation is part restorer, part nimble-fingered artist – which is not so surprising when you discover he started his career as an artist at a specialist ceramic restoration studio in Cheshire.

Since 1979, he and wife Gill have run their own company from Biddulph in Staffordshire. Working life is busy but satisfyingly so. “Over the years, I’ve restored somewhere between 150,000 and 200,000 pieces.” He agrees that this sounds almost unbelievable – especially when he adds that “there probably isn’t a collection in the world that hasn’t got a piece of my restoration in it”.

CREATIONS IN CANE Grantee and a Warrant holder since 2014, Rose Timms of Wycombe Cane Restoration Works has been working with cane for 30 years, having responded to a card in the local newsagent’s window for a part-time job at the original Wycombe Cane & Rush Works. When the company closed 10 years later, Rose, who had by then been taught the art of traditional English cane work, set up on her own from a workshop at home. Restorers in this field are rare and most of the cane comes from Indonesian vines, which Rose describes as being the sort Tarzan would be found swinging from! Beautiful and versatile, cane can last for many years if well looked after.

www.wycombecaneworks.co.uk

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XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX CONSERVATION W THOMAS SPECIALISES IN THE RESTORATION OF 18TH- AND 19TH-CENTURY WOODCARVING AND GILDING

“You’re only as good as your last piece, and ceramic restoration is very easy to do badly” Damage can range from a simple crack to a treasured item shattered into jigsaw-like pieces, and figures with missing limbs and spout-less teapots are a daily occurrence. But as Gill notes, “You’re only as good as your last piece, and ceramic restoration is very easy to do badly.

Alan intuitively knows how to repair a chip in the rim of a cup by shaping the porcelain to exactly match the outline, or how to create a precise mould from a replacement piece.”

Sadly, other restorers may not be quite as thorough. “We see the disappointment when people bring us pieces they’ve had restored elsewhere,” says Gill. “You don’t know what has been done below the painted surface, so that can be quite upsetting.” Alan and Gill can easily spot when too much paint has been applied during a previous repair so, for the best possible results, many of Alan’s techniques are those he has developed himself.

When Alan and Gill received their Warrant from HRH The Prince of Wales earlier this year, they felt delighted and very privileged. Every day brings new restoration challenges, and Alan’s skills remain in demand by private collectors, antique dealers and museums worldwide – including local favourites, the Wedgwood Museum and The Potteries Museum, both located in Stoke-on-Trent.

Every single piece that Alan works on is different and each item is photographed and recorded individually. Even after 40 years, Alan still gets great joy from his restoration work and clients know that he places considerable importance on returning treasured collectors’ items to their original condition. And his reputation is based entirely upon the quality of his work: “We’ve never advertised and we don’t have a website,” says Alan. “But we do provide excellent customer service and, clearly, word gets around.”

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CARVING THE FUTURE When 16-year-old Ray Dudman walked into W Thomas Restorations more than forty years ago, all he saw was mirrors. In the 1970s, much of a furniture restorer’s time was taken up with antique mirrors and Mr Thomas was the leader in his field.

“Woodcarving, gilding – all the top dealers in the world came to Mr Thomas. He was the oracle,” says Ray. An appreciation of the grain steered Ray’s training in woodcarving and he still loves the feel of working with wood.

Ray also learned the traditional skills of gesso-carving which is what helps to create the depth and dimensionality within antique furniture’s decorative elements. Traditionally, gilded frames and furniture are covered in layers of gesso (a mixture of chalk and glue) to provide a base for the gold leaf; as part of the restoration process, the gesso often needs to be recarved.

“There can be anything from one to three millimetres of gesso on a single piece, and when it becomes too thick, the original detail is lost,” explains Ray. “The water-based gesso perishes in damp conditions. So, restoration and re-gilding is less about woodcarving, and often more about gesso-work.”

Ray understands that for some woodcarvers, restoration can be frustrating. “You don’t have the same freedom as an artist, because you’re not creating your own thing. Instead, you have to try and think how the craftsman made that item 300 years ago, and then work in a similar way. You have to adapt your carving technique and that doesn’t suit everyone.”

W Thomas Restorations became a Royal Warrant holder to HM The Queen in 2003 and now specialises in 18thand 19th-century woodcarving and

gilding, including furniture, mirrors and architectural interior decoration.

One notable project involved restoring the wood mouldings after the fire at Windsor Castle in 1992. With such varied experience, Ray is philosophical about the differences between restoration and conservation.

“Conservators tend only to want to preserve what’s there. A conservator might want to leave off a missing piece of wood because it’s part of the furniture’s history. But we’ve been trained how to carve and that allows us to restore the missing pieces, and match replacement material,” he explains. “We work closely with the antiques trade and we understand that pieces need to look good in order to sell.”

Ray’s company is also increasingly being commissioned to recreate historically-accurate pieces of furniture from scratch, using archive photographs and watercolour paintings as source material – a task he finds both challenging and pleasurable. The company has recently moved to a new workshop in Wimbledon, south west London, and he is enthusiastic about developing staff – in particular, young trainees and apprentices. One of his current apprentices, Oscar, is finishing his college course, part-funded by QEST, and there have been other City & Guilds apprentices, too.

“Having fresh blood in the company, and giving them the chance to put their college skills to good use, has been very rewarding,” says Ray. “It was a bit like a factory in the old days – one carver would carve, one person would gild, and someone else would do the finishing. Now, we’re trying to make everyone’s skills more adaptable.”

www.thomasrestorations.com

CONSERVATION

CREATING NEW PIECES OF GLASS PAINTING TO FIX VANDAL DAMAGE AT JORDANS ESTATE WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTISE AND KEEP THE CRAFT ALIVE

SEEING THROUGH TIME › Few of us are confronted with 600 years of stained glass history on a daily basis.

But that’s the fascinating reality for Steve Clare, founder of a stained glass conservation business based in Wells, Somerset, called Holy Well Glass.

The work, he explains, is very much based on teamwork and trust, and most of the techniques used by Steve’s 18-strong team of glass designers and conservators have their origins in the medieval period. Modern epoxy adhesives allow old or ineffective repairs to be removed and replaced, and new glass is only used as a last resort: repairs are blended expertly into old glass, while new pieces are discreetly date-marked.

“Glass conservation has really only developed as a profession in the past 50 years. So, while the techniques may not have changed, understanding and managing the environment is very important now,” Steve explains. As stained glass adviser to the National Trust and an expert in ecclesiastical stained glass, Steve cleans, repairs and re-leads ancient glass.

Holy Well Glass is also increasingly involved in environmental monitoring.

“Once the stained glass is reinstated, it’s important to properly protect it from environmental damage in the future,” says Steve. “Everything we work on has a detailed record, both written and diagrammatic, with a photographic record of all the interventions made.”

A WORLD OF WAX One of the first companies of its kind in the world, Royal Warrant holder Picreator Enterprises Ltd manufactures a range of products widely used by conservators and restorers. The company was founded by husband-and-wife team John and Melanie Lawson in 1967, and is now run by their daughter, Grantee Michelle Burns (pictured right), who explains: “While convalescing as a journalist, my father realised there was

a need for small-volume restoration and conservation products, as these were very hard to obtain at the time.”

Recent commissions include 14thcentury glass in a church near Worcester, 16th-century glass at Winchester Cathedral, and 1960s fibreglass windows made by British painter and printmaker John Piper, so Steve’s glassmaking skills constantly travel through time. His initial foundation course in fine art at Sir John Cass College in Whitechapel (now known as The Cass) has proved useful, as did his training as a silversmith.

Perhaps the hardest part of the job, says Steve, is staying focused in the face of such beautiful handiwork. “We restored the great east window at Wells Cathedral, so it was lovely to work on something at the heart of our local community.”

He also has a long-standing relationship with Winchester Cathedral.

Holy Well Glass received its Warrant from HM The Queen earlier this year and Steve knows St George’s Chapel at Windsor well. But current commissions are not solely limited to conservation; Holy Well Glass now creates new stained glass, too.

This kind of work is likely to take greater priority in the future, and Steve appreciates that his young colleagues, including his son Jack, would like to expand the design element of the business. In fact, staff member Amy Johnson recently took the top prize, as well as the Craftsmanship Award, in the 2018 Stevens Competition for Architectural Glass Design, with a very modern design for the dance studio at Eastbourne College.

“We have an ambitious and talented team,” says Steve. For now, though, the conservation philosophy at Holy Well Glass remains reassuringly simple: “As much as necessary, as little as possible.” www.holywellglass.com Having little prior knowledge of this field, John approached the British Museum to discuss his ideas. The head of the Museum’s research laboratory at the time, Dr Werner, became John’s lifelong mentor, and offered advice and guidance on the types of products required by restorers. The company was ultimately granted permission to manufacture and market the product known internationally as Renaissance Wax, and from there the business was born.

www.picreator.co.uk

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ARCHIVES

TREASURE, NOT DRAGONS AS THE RWHA BEGINS TO DIGITISE ITS OWN ARCHIVES, DR NICHOLAS MORGAN, HEAD OF WHISKY OUTREACH AT DIAGEO, EXPLAINS WHY BUSINESS ARCHIVES ARE SO IMPORTANT

› THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION abroad that archives are rarely visited and mostly forgotten places, full of dry-as-dust documents of questionable value, manned by stooped and stentorian staff (often of equal antiquity as said dry-as-dust documents), whose sole purpose in life is to obstruct access and jealously guard their treasures from prying eyes. A bit like Smaug the dragon in J R R Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Perhaps it’s because of this that some business managers or owners, of both large and small enterprises, see little value in investing in the people, processes and facilities required to select and store the relevant records accumulated by their businesses – apart, of course, from those they are legally required to retain. Or perhaps they feel that archives are something that happen later; that somehow create themselves, once the legacy of a successful business is created over several generations. Such views are sadly mistaken.

For forward-looking businesses, the past is an asset of invaluable worth and usefulness. A business archive, by which we might mean both the place and the thing, is a repository where the material record of a company’s past is stored. And an archive isn’t just about what happened; it’s also about how and why things happened.

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Documents such as minute books, accounting materials, correspondence, trademark registrations, label books and pattern books, production records, price lists, product brochures, packaging materials, advertising briefs and artwork, and staff records (where GDPR will allow) can all be included, as can tangible artefacts from the past, such as products and equipment.

Together, these represent a record of decision-making processes, of creative thought and endeavour, of successful (and unsuccessful) innovation and of the individuals whose talents and strength of will collectively made a business what it became.

It represents the values and principles that formed the cohesive glue that stuck the firm together – very often the foundations of its original success, and its future longevity.

Properly maintained and managed, an organisation’s archive is a boon to marketing creatives trying to resurrect or reboot existing brands in the face of the relentless scrutiny of 21st-century consumers and the authenticity they demand; or to innovation departments seeking to create new brands with a credible heritage. Designers love a successful archive. The information it can provide becomes more than just an historical timeline on a website, but rather the beating heart of the business that underpins both vision and mission.

In fact, the legal department’s archive is frequently the place of last resort in sometimes hugely important issues of intellectual property. And, of course, archives can have an inherent value in their own right. There are few areas of

FORTNUM & MASON: SELLING HISTORY

“Of course, archives can have an inherent value in their own right. There are few areas of an enterprise that cannot benefit from the value they provide” an enterprise that cannot benefit from the value they provide.

For doubters and sceptics, there are useful sources of advice that can help on what is required, such as The National Archives, the Business Archives Council, and the Scottish Records Association. But often there is nothing better than just talking to other companies of similar size and scale who have made the business case and invested, and seen the value that archives can deliver back. Think not in terms of dragons, but rather of the treasures they once guarded.

ABOVE: BOOKS AND RESOURCE MATERIALS FROM THE DIAGEO ARCHIVE

Fortnum & Mason began to realise the potential importance of its archive with its tercentenary preparations, writes company archivist Dr Andrea Tanner. So three years before the celebrations in 2007, a review of the surviving records was commissioned.

The archive at Fortnum’s had suffered greatly from loss and neglect; records were moved into outlying warehouses and subsequently lost, and the result was a small corpus of minute books, printed matter books and product catalogues. No records remained of buying, selling, customers or staff.

Accordingly, a comprehensive research programme was undertaken in national and local archives, in order to augment what had survived in-house, and to find new ‘old’ stories to inform product development and public relations communications. This included an oral history interview programme with former members of staff, customers and suppliers, which continues today.

The experience brought home the importance of the corporate memory to the company and, since then, a dedicated space has been found for the collection.

A digitisation schedule has been implemented, and a budget set aside for purchases of Fortnum’s archives and artefacts.

From Salvatore Ferragamo shoes to a patented 1920s cocktail recipe calculator, eBay has proved an invaluable source of items. Sometimes the item is being sold by a family member who recalls the circumstances of the original purchase, and occasionally dealers get interested in the retailer’s pursuit of our past, and look out for items for the archive. Perhaps the greatest rediscovered treasure is Shackleton’s original 1914 order for the Endurance (pictured above) in which everything is listed, right down to the last bottle of bulls’ eyes.

ARCHIVES

EXPLORING THE ROYAL ARCHIVES Until the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, historic records of the Royal Family and the Royal Household had been stored in various Royal Residences, with no single appointed custodian to care for them. However, the legacy left by Queen Victoria’s 63-year reign, in the form of a voluminous collection of official and private correspondence, required a permanent home. Although it was Edward VII who appointed the first Keeper of the Royal Archives, a home for the collection was not found until George V’s decree that ‘All the Royal Archives shall be kept in a Strong Room or Rooms in the Round Tower’.

Since 1914, the Round Tower at Windsor Castle has held the papers of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII along with the then recently discovered papers of George III and George IV, together with other archive collections previously stored in the Royal Library. The Royal Archives grew rapidly in the following decades; Queen Mary encouraged relatives to deposit their papers in the Round Tower, while other collections were presented to the Archives as gifts to the Sovereign. Some documents were also acquired by purchase – including a list of jewels belonging to Edward I from the year

QUEEN VICTORIA’S REIGN LEFT A LEGACY OF A VAST COLLECTION OF OFFICIAL AND PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE

1297, which is the oldest item held by the Royal Archives.

Although the Royal Archives at Windsor is essentially a private family archive, research access is facilitated where appropriate, and a substantial number of enquiries are answered each year. In 2017 the Royal Archives received just over 1,100 queries, encompassing the eras of the Stuarts and Georgians through to the present day. A myriad of topics are covered by these enquiries, including ancestors in Royal Service, engagements and visits carried out by past and present members of the Royal Family, Royal Bounties, overseas Royal Tours, Royal Warrant holders, works of art, and Royal Residences and Estates.

A merger of the Royal Archives with the Royal Library, under the aegis of the Royal Collection Trust, has given the Archives additional direction and focus, particularly with reference to improving access to the papers in the Royal Archives. These include major digitisation programmes, the enhancement of services for visiting researchers, the creation of dedicated webpages for the Archives, and a strategy for ensuring all archival collections are catalogued comprehensively.

STANLEY GIBBONS LTD: STAMPING ITS ASSETS Although Royal Warrant holder Stanley Gibbons treats its archive as a treasured asset, past losses due to theft and wartime damage mean it is not as significant as it might have been. On the positive side, being collectors, customers of the world’s leading rare stamp merchant often save ‘paperwork’ that most people would throw away. So correspondence, price lists, invoices and the like may be carefully preserved by their recipients and then offered back to the company decades later.

Stanley Gibbons published his first stamp catalogue in November 1865. Although the company does not possess that edition (the two known to exist are both in important national libraries), it does have a good representative range of 19th-century catalogues and an almost complete run since 1900.

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The gems of the archive include a sadly damaged copy book in Gibbons’ own hand, with copies of letters sent to clients in the 1860s offering items for sale and (as still happens today) requesting overdue payments for goods supplied.

This is currently being transcribed.

Gibbons sold the business in 1890 and spent much of the rest of his life travelling. Pages from his personal scrapbook, also held in the archive, include handbills, theatre tickets, postcards and menus, providing a vivid picture of the life of the wealthy traveller at the turn of the last century.

Possessing such material brings home to us the importance of preserving today’s ephemera, regardless of the ever-present pressures of how and where to store it all and the constant demand to ‘declutter’.

A STANLEY GIBBONS ‘PRICE LIST AND CATALOGUE’ OF MAY 1869. A USED PENNY BLACK IS PRICED AT 1D. THE 2018 EDITION LISTS IT AT £375

QEST

A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH CRAFTSMANSHIP QEST LAUNCHES A NEW BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS AND STORIES OF ALUMNI

ROYAL WARRANT HOLDER COLLABORATES WITH QEST SCHOLAR › ESTABLISHED IN 1888, PARKER CELEBRATES 130 YEARS OF HERITAGE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP with the release of its 2018 gift collection. Designed in collaboration with Mark Gizzi, QEST Leathersellers’ Scholar in 2013, the collection made the most of Mark’s expertise in making bespoke leather bags and satchels tohelp design two unique leather pen pouches for Parker.

From designing the pouch shape, to the tanning process, to the forming of the leather, Mark worked closely with Parker’s design team and offered guidance throughout the process to ensure the most suitable product was developed to protect the pen it was paired with.

MARK GIZZI, QEST LEATHERSELLERS’ SCHOLAR (2013)

It was a wonderful opportunity for Parker to support QEST, while promoting the preservation of traditional British craftsmanship.

“My collaboration with Parker involved designing a protective and attractive pen pouch as an accessory for its range of distinctive and world-famous writing instruments,” explains Mark.

“To design the pouch, I took inspiration from old tube-shaped cases where the leather is soaked and wet-formed around a mould, then dried to leave a perfectly protective shape. This method is so versatile that examples of wet-forming are found throughout history where it has been used for a diverse array of items, including bottles, masks, headgear and armour.” www.parkerpen.com www.gizzi-leather.com

RAISING FUNDS AT THE V&A › QEST WILL BE HOLDING ITS FOURTH ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER at the V&A on 13 March 2019, hosted by Vice Patron, Lord Snowdon. It promises to be a fantastic event, celebrating and supporting British Craftsmanship. Tickets cost £500.

To book tickets, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact Deborah Pocock at deborah.pocock@qest.org.uk

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QEST, 1

QEST

QEST

VERSION REPRO OP

A CELEBRATION OF BRITISH CRAFTSMANSHIP

SUBS

QEST LAUNCHES A NEW BOOK OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS AND STORIES OF ALUMNI

ART

ROYAL WARRANT HOLDER COLLABORATES WITH QEST SCHOLAR

PRODUCTION

› ESTABLISHED IN 1888, PARKER CELEBRATES 130 YEARS OF HERITAGE AND CRAFTSMANSHIP with the release of its 2018 gift collection. Designed in collaboration with Mark Gizzi, QEST Leathersellers’ Scholar in 2013, the collection made the most of Mark’s expertise in making bespoke leather bags and satchels to help design two unique leather pen pouches for Parker.

From designing the pouch shape to the tanning process to the forming of the leather, Mark worked closely with Parker’s design team and offered guidance throughout the process to ensure the most suitable product was developed to protect the pen it was paired with.

CLIENT

MARK GIZZI, QEST LEATHERSELLERS’ SCHOLAR (2013)

It was a wonderful opportunity for Parker to support QEST, while promoting the preservation of traditional British Craftsmanship.

“My collaboration with Parker involved designing a protective and attractive pen pouch as an accessory for its range of distinctive and world-famous writing instruments,” explains Mark.

“To design the pouch, I took inspiration from old tube-shaped cases where the leather is soaked and wet-formed around a mould and then dried to leave a perfectly protective shape. This method is so versatile that examples of wet-forming are found throughout history where it has been used for a diverse array of items, including bottles, masks, headgear and armour.” www.parkerpen.com www.gizzi-leather.com

RAISING FUNDS AT THE V&A › QEST WILL BE HOLDING ITS FOURTH

ANNUAL FUNDRAISING DINNER at the V&A on 13 March 2019, hosted by Vice Patron Lord Snowdon. It promises to be a fantastic event, celebrating and supporting British Craftsmanship. Tickets cost £500.

To book tickets, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact Deborah Pocock at deborah.pocock@qest.org.uk

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BLACK YELLOW MAGENTA CYAN

QEST SCHOLAR JENNY PICKFORD, CONTEMPORARY ARTIST BLACKSMITH

BOOK LAUNCH AT SADDLERS' HALL › AT A SPECTACULAR EVENT ON 29 OCTOBER 2018 at Saddlers’ Hall in the City, a book of photographic portraits and craft stories by Julian Calder and Karen Bennett was launched.

The book represents a journey of thousands of miles around the country, from a Cornish coppersmith to silversmiths on Shetland, willow and glass artists in Northern Ireland and a gem-carver in Norfolk, revealing a wealth of skill and knowledge and respect for traditions but with an abundance of innovative spirit.

The beautifully crafted book features 100 portraits of QEST Alumni at their work benches and places of inspiration, and with the tools, materials and finished pieces that define their practice.

BUY IT NOW To order your copy of A Celebration of British Craftsmanship, a 240-page hardback book (priced £60 inc. p&p) with a foreword by HRH The Prince of Wales, QEST’s Patron, go to: www.qest.org.uk/shop The net proceeds from sales of this book will enable QEST to support the next generation of craftspeople.

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91ROYOCT18111.pgs 30.10.2018 12:32

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RWHA EVENTS

EVENTS IN REVIEW RECENT HIGHLIGHTS AND WHAT’S COMING UP IN THE NEW YEAR

RWHA PRESIDENT LEADS PRIMARY FUTURES VISIT › Volunteers from 18 Royal Warrantholding companies and QEST Scholars joined RWHA President, Mark Henderson on a visit to Bordesley Green Primary School in Birmingham to meet the pupils and talk about their careers and the interesting and varied jobs they do.

The event was held in collaboration with Primary Futures, a charity that connects primary schools with inspirational and diverse volunteers from the world of work.

The morning started with a ‘What’s my Line?’ assembly where children tried to work out what the panel (pictured) did by asking them a series of questions.

This activity had a serious purpose – to challenge the stereotypes children often have about the people who do certain jobs; and to help broaden horizons and raise aspirations. Volunteers then went into the classrooms and chatted to the children in smaller groups about their jobs using a variety of props to help explain what they do.

Head Teacher Miss Harris said, “We are so grateful to Primary Futures and the RWHA for providing the

CLOCKWISE: THE ‘WHAT’S MY LINE?’ PANEL, WITH RWHA PRESIDENT MARK HENDERSON PHILIP COWARD, GRANTEE AT THE HILLBRUSH COMPANY

children of Bordesley Green a view into the world of opportunity that is open to them, if they are given the chance to grasp it. This will have an extremely positive effect on our pupils.”

To find out more about Primary Futures and how you can help inspire and broaden the horizons of young people go to www.primaryfutures.org

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CLUB

EXPORTING OPPORTUNITIES This collaborative event between the RWHA and the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council took place at historic Marlborough House at the end of October. The roundtable discussion, led by Richard Burge, Chief Executive of CWEIC, discussed the potential for small and medium enterprises to do trade within the Commonwealth, drawing upon experiences of SMEs

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exporting to the Commonwealth, with a key focus on Singapore and India. The Association was honoured that Her Excellency Chi Hsia Foo, the Singaporean High Commissioner, Linda Apelt, the Agent-General of Trade and Investment Queensland, and Philip Parham, the FCO’s Commonwealth Envoy, also took part in the discussions.

RWHA EVENTS

SPORTING ROUND-UP › IT HAS BEEN A BUSY SIX MONTHS, as ever, for the Association and we have an exciting programme of events in the first quarter of 2019, which we hope members will look forward to. Thank you to all members who participated in 2018, and we look forward to seeing you in 2019.

29 AUGUST RWHA Tennis Tournament at Queen’s Club Men’s winner – Matthieu Blanc, Pol Roger et Cie Ladies’ winner – Sue Pennington, Worcester Bosch Group 4 JULY RWHA Golf Day at the Berkshire Golf Club Winner – Steve Small, Champagne Moet & Chandon Winning team – The Champagne Moet & Chandon team (Steve Small, Nathan Smith, Joe Richardson and David Young)

FROM TOP: TENNIS TOURNAMENT WINNERS; TAKING AIM IN THE CLAY PIGEON SHOOT; WINNING GOLFER, STEVE SMALL; FUN AT THE TENNIS

27 JUNE RWHA Clay Pigeon Shoot at Holland & Holland Men’s top gun – Matthew Brown, Arnott & Mason (Horticulture) Ltd Ladies’ top gun – Katie Brickle, Tom Smith Group Ltd Winning team – The Holland & Holland Ltd team (Daryl Greatrex, Jason Clarke, Jason Schofield, Miles Tennent and Scarlett Marshall)

DATES FOR 2019 30 January

Private View – Royalty and the Romanovs The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, London

7 February

Meet The Team 1 Buckingham Place, London

28 February

President’s Annual Reception Gieves & Hawkes, 1 Savile Row, London

27 March

AGM St James’s Palace, London

4 June

RWHA Annual Luncheon Hilton on Park Lane, London

FIND OUT MORE

Further events will be added in the coming months, including a seminar on archives and sustainability workshops.

For dates and details, go to the members’ area of the website at www.royalwarrant.org/events

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CHARITY FUND

SADDLING UP FOR SUCCESS

THE RWHA MEMBERS’ CHARITY CONTINUES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES

› ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN THE DIFFERENCE animal-based therapy can make to adults and children with disabilities will understand the value of a charity like the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA). Its horses and ponies provide therapy, achievement and enjoyment to people with disabilities all over the UK through organised activities such as riding, carriage driving, vaulting and showjumping. The RDA organisation has carried out its life-changing activities for almost 50 years, with the help of 18,000 volunteers across 500 centres.

RDA groups can be found all over the UK, in both urban and rural settings, and two of its centres have benefited from Charity Fund awards this year.

At Moray RDA, in the north-east of Scotland, an award of £2,000 was made to fund new mounting facilities, and was facilitated by Stephen Byrne of Johnstons of Elgin. More than 90 disabled adults and children currently benefit from the therapy, enjoyment and sense of achievement gained from riding with Moray RDA, and their time in the saddle makes a real difference to these riders’ lives. While horseriding may appear simply to be a fun activity, it actually provides physiotherapy on the move. The warmth and three-dimensional movement of the horse is transmitted through the body, helping riders to relax.

They become stronger and more supple, and gain better posture, balance and co-ordination. The therapeutic benefits of riding are truly amazing and one can see visible improvements week by week, while the communication skills of the riders also improves, as their confidence increases.

However, Moray RDA had one big challenge: as some of its young riders grew older, taller and heavier, it was 24

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ABOVE: MORAY RDA WAS GRANTED £2,000 FOR NEW MOUNTING EQUIPMENT. BELOW: EAST PARK RDA RECEIVED £1,350 FOR A BESPOKE SADDLE AND BRIDLE

“The RDA organisation has carried out its life-changing activities for almost 50 years, with the help of 18,000 volunteers across 500 centres” becoming increasingly difficult to get them mounted onto the horses. Riding is the highlight of many of the riders’ lives and, without help, the charity would have had to tell some of them that they could no longer ride. It was a heartbreaking prospect for the staff and volunteers so the RWHA grant could not have come at a better time. The funds enabled Moray RDA to upgrade their mounting facilities and extend the ramp so that everyone can now mount easily.

The response of one parent sums up the riders’ gratitude: “Getting Ross on the horse used to take a long time and a lot of people. Now you blink and he’s on. It’s made him so happy.” www.morayrda.org.uk Specialist saddlery

› FURTHER SOUTH, at Little Brook Equestrian Centre in Newchapel, Surrey, East Park RDA Group were delighted to receive an award of

CHARITY FUND

MUSICIANS IN THE MAKING › In September, guests enjoyed a Recital at the Queen’s Chapel in aid of the RWHA Charity Fund to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Alan Britten Bursary. It was the first major fundraising event to be held by the RWHA Charity Fund in several years, and it celebrated a very worthwhile cause – the development of talented musicians.

The Aldeburgh Young Musicians Bursary was created when the late Alan Britten CBE was President of the RWHA in 1998 and it has run consistently over the intervening years. Alan Britten was later to serve as Chairman of the Charity Fund, from 2013 until his untimely death in 2016, when the Bursary was both renamed and increased in value in his memory. From 2017 onwards, the Bursary evolved again: now, two musicians are supported each year, enabling them to attend

£1,350 for a bespoke saddle and bridle, thanks to Katie Giddings at Milborrow Chimney Sweeps.

East Park RDA Group runs six riding sessions a week during the school term for six children at a time, all with learning and physical disabilities. The charity is entirely self-funded and relies on fundraising events, donations and grants to cover the running costs and the care of its six ponies.

Katie, who is also a volunteer instructor at East Park RDA, said, “We are extremely grateful for the RWHA Charity Fund donation, which was used to purchase a bespoke wide-fitting saddle and specialist bridle for one of our new ponies. Correctly fitted tack is essential for the ponies’ comfort and wellbeing as our riders are often unbalanced and may sit heavily on the pony’s back.”

The organisation’s value is summed up perfectly with the following story.

JAMES WAY (TENOR) AND GARY MATTHEWMAN (PIANIST) PERFORMING AT A RECITAL IN THE QUEEN’S CHAPEL

the Britten-Pears Young Artist Programme at Snape Maltings in Aldeburgh. The RWHA Charity Fund has now supported some 23 musicians of varying disciplines over the past 20 years, several of whom have gone on to forge famous international careers.

The evening programme was sponsored by J. Barbour & Sons Ltd

and included a beautiful recital in the Queen’s Chapel at St. James’s Palace by distinguished bursary recipients including James Way (tenor), Matilda Lloyd (trumpeter) and two accomplished pianists, Gary Matthewman and James Cheung. After the recital, guests enjoyed a black-tie dinner at the nearby Royal Automobile Club.

“We are extremely grateful for the RWHA Charity Fund donation, which was used to purchase a bespoke wide-fitting saddle and specialist bridle for one of our new ponies” For many months a very shy, autistic teenage lad came to ride with his classmates. One day, Katie asked him what he did at school.

“His quiet answer was one I’ll never forget,” says Katie. “He said, ‘Mostly, I look forward to my Monday riding lessons.’”

Commenting on these awards, the Charity Fund’s Chairman Bill Gunn

said: “I have always had a very high regard for the RDA, which we support as a family through our local Herefordshire branch. I was delighted when these two applications were approved unanimously by our trustees, and it has been gratifying to see first-hand some of the benefits the awards have brought.” www.eastparkrda.org.uk

APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS WELCOME Please make your employees aware that they can apply. For future application deadlines, guidelines and the application form, please contact Claire Anderson at charityfund@rwha.co.uk

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A DAY IN THE LIFE

24 HOURS WITH …

JEN JONES

RESCUING ANTIQUE WELSH QUILTS AND BLANKETS HAS BECOME A WAY OF LIFE FOR THIS FORMER ACTRESS

7am The first thing I do every morning, before I even have breakfast, is let my 26 ducks out. I live in Ceredigion, a beautiful part of Mid Wales, in a converted barn opposite my cottage shop. I ended up in Wales by accident, really – I trained as an actress in the US, then met and married a Welshman [TV scriptwriter Elwyn Jones] when I came to London. We moved here in 1971 and it was just when the Welsh people were getting rid of everything they owned that was old – particularly their textiles, because they were considered to be heavy and impractical.

9am Hazel arrives around now and we get started on the day’s work.

Hazel has been with me for more than 20 years, and I couldn’t run the business without her. My business has always been a small team – before Hazel, I had a lady called Janet who did the most wonderful restoration work. For very special projects, we still go to Janet. The business was never really planned, though. Originally, I noticed these incredible textile pieces disappearing and I just couldn’t help myself: it started as a salvage operation, and then it took on a life of its own.

10am On Thursdays and Saturdays, I work at the Welsh Quilt Centre in nearby Lampeter, which usually opens around 11am. It was set up in 2009 in The Old Town Hall, restored by my late husband [conservation architect, Roger ClivePowell], and it mostly contains my personal collection of antique Welsh textiles. We’ve decided to close it this year, but the upside is that we will be able to do more exhibitions and seminars elsewhere in future. I don’t sew at all, 26

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sell the pieces in mixed packs for other people’s own quilting projects. They’re very popular and I love knowing that these wonderful quilts are living on in an entirely new way.

2pm

ABOUT HER BUSINESS: Jen Jones Welsh Quilts and Blankets evolved from Jen’s passion for conserving and restoring historic textiles.

In 2016, she was granted a Royal Warrant to HRH The Prince of Wales.

which is a great joke to everyone who knows me. Sometimes, people who visit the Centre ask me if I’ve made everything myself, which always makes me smile.

11am On good weather days, I wash quilts by hand in an old bathtub on stilts.

Some textiles can be washed; others go to a specialist cleaners. They’re very heavy when wet and it often takes several pairs of hands to hang them up to dry. We try to avoid using chemicals wherever possible, and we don’t waste much, either.

The restoration process entirely depends on the condition of the piece but it can be costly, so we’re very selective about which textiles we restore. If a quilt is too damaged to repair, we cut it down and

There’s no real rhyme or reason to our busy periods, but most days the telephone rings often. People call us for advice and we also have regular customers who contact us when they want to source something in particular. I like that because I don’t get as much opportunity to track down pieces these days. In the beginning, I loved the detective work involved – I would find quilts and blankets in barns and under mattresses, or being used to lag water tanks.

I once found a quilt on a sick cow! A lot were burned, or simply thrown onto the rubbish tip. Even at auction, they were never truly valued.

3pm Lots of visitors to our shop bring in antique textiles for us to look at.

When people pop by with their quilts and blankets, I usually end up inviting them in for a cup of tea and I listen to their stories.

We have drawers of information, including family photos, about the provenance of the quilts we’ve restored. I find those memories endlessly fascinating.

6pm I try to end every working day with a walk before supper. In the milder months, I’ll walk as far as three miles. Sometimes, I would like to sit down more often, but I would hate to have a business where I sat down all day.

I love variety because that’s what makes life interesting. The transformation of a beautiful quilt or blanket still gives me so much pleasure.

NEXT ISSUE

LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS

YOUR LOCAL ASSOCIATIONS

TO JOIN, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT THE RELEVANT HONORARY SECRETARY › THE WINDSOR, ETON & DISTRICT ASSOCIATION Visit www.wedrwha.org or contact Honorary Secretary Douglas Hill at douglas.eton@me.com

‹ THE ABERDEEN ASSOCIATION Visit www.aarwh.org or contact Honorary Secretary George Alpine at galpine@burnett-reid.co.uk

SHARE YOUR NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANNIVERSARIES Please tell us your own stories, events and special anniversaries.

ADVERTISE WITH US

› THE EDINBURGH ASSOCIATION Visit www.erwha.org or

We welcome enquiries from members who would like to advertise in the magazine.

contact Honorary Secretary David Lees at

GET IN TOUCH

honsec@erwha.org

‹ THE SANDRINGHAM ASSOCIATION Visit www.sarwh.org

To share your news and views, or to enquire about advertising, please email magazine@rwha.co.uk

or contact Honorary Secretary Ray Luck at sarwh@abels.co.uk

› THE HIGHGROVE ASSOCIATION Visit www.hrwha.org or contact Honorary Secretary Rosemary Vigus at hrwha.sec@gmail.com

CONGRATULATIONS to John Horrell, Grantee, Dodson & Horrell, who was elected as the new President of Sandringham Association at the AGM in King’s Lynn Town Hall on 19 September.

Royal Warrant Holders Association 1 Buckingham Place, London SW1E 6HR Telephone 020 7828 2268 warrants@rwha.co.uk www.royalwarrant.org The team at No 1 Buckingham Place CEO & Secretary Richard Peck Warrants & Communications Russell Tanguay Development & QEST Executive Director Deborah Pocock LVO Events & Marketing Samantha Judge Events Louise Rains Finance Ivelina Ishtenko Administration Christopher Johnston Published by Think www.thinkpublishing.co.uk R W HA MAGAZINE

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By Appointment to HM The Queen

By Appointment to HRH The Duke of Edinburgh

W W W . R O Y A LW A R R A N T . O R G

By Appointment to HRH The Prince of Wales