DIGEST: SCISSORS MADE IN SHEFFIELD, INDUSTRIAL PHOTOS IN DERBY, BROOKS AND RCA, LABOUR & WAIT

An informative short video on Ernest Wright & Son, scissor makers based in Sheffield. Many more clips from the series "Paul Martin's Handmade Revolution are available here (BBC)

A photo of the production line at Leys Malleable Castings Company. An exhibition of manufacturing photos is taking place at Format International Photography Festival in Derby, where Leys was based (Guardian)

A refreshing initiative between Brooks, the Midlands based bike saddle maker, and the Royal College of Art. The video is worth watching to see some of the solutions that the students propose (Brooks)

Retailer Labour & Wait is posting a short feature entitled 'Tools of the Trade' each month, in relation to its 2013 calendar. January sees printer Harrington and Squires in the spotlight, February's focus is Creamore Mill and in March, Welsh weavers Elvet Woolen Mill is the subject (Labour & Wait)

DIGEST: CRAFT - BURNGATE STONE, WELSH WEAVING, MUCHELNEY POTTERY, CHAIRMAKING

Nos Da & Bora Da Collection by Donna Wilson & SCP from SCP on Vimeo.
 
At the Burngate Stone Carving Centre (Cos)

The potters of Muchelney (OEN)

On the connection between chair makers Philip Clissett, Ernest Gimson, Edward Gardiner, Neville Neal and Lawrence Neal (Traditional Crafts Blog)

DIGEST: CLOTHING - A LEICESTERSHIRE FACTORY, A DERBYSHIRE MILL

John Smedley Factory Tour from Gavin Bush on Vimeo.

The tale of a clothing factory in Leicestershire that closed and reopened (S.E.H Kelly)

DIGEST: WHISKY - DEWAR'S AND GLENGOYNE

A history of Dewar's, the Scotch whisky, including detail on the brilliantly outlandish marketing ideas employed by Tommy Dewar (Class Magazine)

A photographic essay of production at The Glengoyne whisky distillery in Killearn, Scotland (Port Magazine)

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Photo by Emli Bendixen for Port

DIGEST: LAST UK BUTTON MANUFACTURER CLOSES, MOULTON, SIR KENNETH GRANGE, FACTORY VISITS

Great designers in the news:

Alex Moulton, engineer and designer, passed away earlier this month (Dezeen)

Kenneth Grange knighted (BBC)

Factory visits:

A visit to the Gloverall factory in Wellingborough (Proper Mag)

Inside the Private White V.C. factory (Cool Hunting)

At bicycle component manufacturer Royce, in Hampshire (Headset Press)

Steve Salter visits the Sunspel factory in Long Eaton (Port Magazine)

News items:

The shock collapse of the last British button manufacturer (Halesowen News)

Why are British factories turning away business? (Make it British)

Raspberry PI and the UK manufacturing resurgence (Wired)

On livery companies: British institutions (FT)

On skills shortages among young workers (Economist)

A piano maker tells of Thatcher's impact on UK piano manufacturing (Port Magazine)

Ale and cider:

The history of cider in the UK (Hot Rum Cow, ps 13-16)

Britain's lost breweries and beers (The Good Stuff)

Event:

David Hieatt (of Hiut Denim) to talk in London on Tuesday 15th January (YCN)

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Photo of Moulton bike from Dezeen

DIGEST: TEXTILES, WELSH WEAVING, SCOTTISH TWEED, BESPOKE BICYCLES

An interview with Matthew Sowter and Ricky Feather, the team behind 'Made in England', a book on bespoke bike making (Port)

An audio slideshow of Donald John Mackay, a Harris Tweed weaver (Guardian)

An essay by Daniel Miller on the Power of Making (UCL)

A textiles magnate predicts the resurgence of the UK industry (FT)

Beautiful photos of the work at a Pembrokeshire mill/melin (Cherchbi)

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Photo of Pembrokeshire mill from Cherchbi

DIGEST: LONDON CLOTH, RALEIGH, BOOKBINDING, BEER & SPIRITS

Lots of things coming in twos:

Following on from the London Cloth post, here is a beautiful two-parter on the work of SEH Kelly with the one man mill

On the rise and fall of Raleigh, the Nottingham bicycle company (The Bike Show - audio)

Another two-parter: good in-depth article on the boom in British breweries and how gin, wine and whisky are also faring well (Huffington Post)

Bookbinding: At the Wyvern Bindery in Clerkenwell, London and at Shepherds on Rochester Row (Port / Boat Magazine respectively)

and some other odd bits:

Chanel buys Scottish knitwear manufacturer (NYT)

A feature on Marwood, the London based tie company (Style Salvage)

Dove Street Pottery in Yorkshire (OEN)

Not UK based, but interesting to note: Dayjob, a new magazine focusses on the joy of the everyday job (via Protein)

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Image of the London Cloth Company from SEH Kelly

RECENT DIGEST

A nice film on Irish craft from Makers & Brothers

A short article on the London Cloth Company (Hackney Citizen)

On furniture assembly at Ercol

A review of The Trebor Story, a book on the famous sweet company with origins in Stratford (Londonist)

TIM LITTLE AND PATRICK GRANT ON BRITISH CRAFTSMANSHIP

"In the past we’ve talked about moving our manufacturing away from Northampton, but if I was to move the factory to London, not a single person who makes our shoes would come, too. It’s the people who make the factory what it is; they are true craftsmen with years of experience. You can’t afford to lose them and you can’t recreate them, so we’re in Northamptonshire for good."

Tim Little of Grenson

"British people don’t appreciate how great their manufacturing is, unlike people in Japan or Korea, or even Italy and France. We overlook it because we’ve been fed this story that Italian manufacturing is amazing for so long that it’s deeply ingrained in our psyche. The difference is that while the Italians are very good at telling you how good things are, we’re very good at making things but terribly British about not saying how great they are."

Patrick Grant of E. Tautz

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Taken from a recent article in the Evening Standard

Photo of Grenson factory from Tenue de Nimes British Issue

DIGEST: PRINGLE, BEER, PAUL SMITH, CHRISTOPHER FRAYLING, LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL

J.W. Evans silver factory, acquired by English Heritage in 2008, is now open for tours

A promotional video from Pringle in 1961: The Cashmere Story (Pathé)*

Beer drinkers in Britain have never had it so good: over 1,000 breweries now in operation (Guardian)

Paul Smith on Jaguar and Land Rover: "They are British brands that are doing well because of their commitment to design and craftsmanship."(Telegraph)

Christopher Frayling (author of 'On Craftsmanship') interviewed on Desert Island Discs in 2003 (BBC Radio 4)

Deborah Meaden on the state of wool in the UK from earlier this year (BBC Radio 4)

At the London Design Festival 2012 (Sight Unseen)

And finally, this Thursday (27th September) there is a free talk on 'The New Industrial Revolution' with the FT's Peter Marsh at the RSA in London.

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*No doubt many hours could be spent viewing some of the excellent videos in the Pathé archive

RECENT DIGEST

A great feature on barley and brewing, preceded by a story on tea harvesting. Fantastic stuff from Farming Today. (Radio 4, note: only available until Friday morning)

Where Thomas Heatherwick's Olympic cauldron was made: Stage One, Yorkshire (Telegraph)

If you're in Edinburgh anytime soon you might like to visit the Dovecote Studios where Douglas Grierson is master weaver (Department of Small Works)

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Photo of Olympic cauldron petals from the (rather good) Olympic Opening Ceremony tumblr

MOULTON BICYCLES: MADE IN ENGLAND