WEEKLY DIGEST

Short film on British Design in 2012, promoting the recently opened exhibition at the V&A (OEN)

Interview with Bristol based bike frame builder Robin Mather (Rapha)

Buying British (Guardian)

Olympic torch wins Design of the Year award (Creative Review)

Airbus and Boeing boosted by passenger jet boom (Telegraph)

Inside a Glaswegian letterpress (Form Fifty Five via It's Nice That)

Creatives are manufacturers (Computer Arts)

BT to sell off iconic K6 phoneboxes (FT)

Interview with furniture designer Michael Marriott (Spitalfields Life)

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Photo of Michael Marriott from Spitalfields Life

WEEKLY DIGEST

James Dyson (in Mini, above), David Bailey, Zandra Rhodes, Richard Rogers, Barbara Hulanicki and Ron Arad on their favourite British design objects (Observer)

An interview with Andrew Ritchie of Brompton Bicycle (City AM)

'Made in Britain' - on British brands (Make it British)

A video on the knitters of Inish Meain (One Trip Pass)

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Photo by Richard Saker for The Observer

JAMES CROPPER SPECIALITY PAPER : PULP-PAPER BOOK

Recently, I received a beautifully packaged book from Mark Cropper, chairman of James Cropper Speciality Paper.

The book is entitled Pulp-Paper and was launched in the summer of 2010. The book is the result of a question: "Can we see how your paper is made?" It is a joint project between James Cropper Speciality Paper, GF Smith, Generation Press and design studio KentLyons.

Over 128 pages, the authors explain how James Cropper makes some of the papers contained in the book. There are also ruminations on the joy of paper from a range of design folk, including Patrick Burgoyne of Creative Review and Nat Hunter of Airside.

Pulp-Paper is available from the Design Museum shop

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Further reading:

James Cropper in Monocle Issue 42, April 2011 (links to PDF which includes breakdown of paper making process)

James Cropper Plc - the development of a modern paper manufacturer by Duncan Hutt in The North West Mills Group Newsletter 45 (1995)

Book review: The Leaves We Write On. James Cropper: A History of Paper Making by Mark Cropper

THE OLYMPIC TORCH : DESIGNED BY BARBER OSGERBY, MADE IN THE UK

The Olympic torch, designed by Barber Osgerby, engineered by Essex based Tecosim and made by Coventry's Premier Group.

Image from Dezeen

KENNETH GRANGE IN MONOCLE MAGAZINE

There is a great interview with Kenneth Grange in the latest issue of Monocle. Here are a couple of choice quotes:

'When you have companies buying the best equipment and tools to make things as good as they can be made then you get the finest partners for designers to work with. When these things don't exist, when cost and quantity become more important than quality, as has happened in Britain, then designers look elsewhere for partners and the industry falls to pieces.'

'One of the biggest rewards as a designer is knowing how to make something. If I were Chancellor I would give big tax incentives to small firms providing a fantastic service or making something beautifully. In 10 years this would create a platform of makers again.'

We could not agree more.

The Design Museum in Bermondsey, SE1, will hold a retrospective of Grange's work this summer.

Image from Monocle

ERCOL - MARGARET HOWELL REISSUES

'It is the combination of quality and craftsmanship and a straightforward, yet elegant approach to the design that attracts me to this particular period of Ercol furniture and has led me to re-evaluate Ercolani's original designs' (Margaret Howell, 2004)

MADE IN BIRMINGHAM: THE EXHIBITION OF LOCAL MANUFACTURES AND NATURAL HISTORY

In 1886 Birmingham photographer John Collier documented the Exhibition of Local Manufactures and Natural History.

The selection of exhibits was limited 'to the leading manufacturers in their respective branches, or to any firm producing a speciality, with the view of showing the great variety of trades, and the excellence of work produced.'

We were very disappointed to learn that we missed a mini-retrospective of the original exhibition last year. However, the accompanying booklet, created by Brighton-based Studio Makgill, is enough to whet the appetite.

'INSPIRING AND DEPRESSING'

Before leaving work this evening I tore a piece from The Daily Telegraph. I believe it is by Rupert Christiansen but my clipping technique left me with only his forename.

In this sidebar piece Rupert (apologies to Mr Christiansen if it was not his work), talks of 'German industrial excellence' alongside the British manufacturing culture that 'is one of corner cutting and quick profit, which ultimately leaves the landfill sites full of broken down plastic rubbish.'

Rupert ends by stating that 'the best travel clock, the best food mixer, the best iron, with the clearest dials and crispest switches are German every time.' One would like to point him in the direction of similarly crisp and clear designs from the likes of British manufacturers Anglepoise and Dualit.

However, I do admit to having a large soft spot for the work of Dieter Rams and therefore am permitted to include the picture above.

PINCH DESIGN STUDIO

YVES DESK

JOYCE CABINET

IMO STOOL

CLEMENT COFFEE TABLE

SCRAPBOOK PT. 3

DESIGN IN BRITAIN

Published by Conran Octopus Ltd. RRP £45.00p

Thank you to Wallpaper Magazine (once again - a fine source of information.)