DIGEST: MAKEWORKS DIRECTORY GOES LIVE, ERNEST WRIGHT, NEW CRAFTSMEN BRITISH SOUVENIR SHOP OPEN, ERNEST WRIGHT, OLD NEWS ROUND-UP

The Make Works Directory makes sourcing factories, fabricators, workshops and facilities simple, allowing you to find local fabricators, material suppliers and facilities.

We spend most of our time hunting out the best fabricators for artists and designers to work with. Then, we make films, take photographs and collect the practical information required and showcase them on the Directory. The aim is to enable the production of work locally.

A great resource and fascinating project (Makeworks)

(Photo of Jamieson's of Shetland from Makeworks)

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The Real British Souvenir Shop is open until 31st August 2014 at The New Craftsmen, 34 North Row, W1K 6DG

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At Work: Ernest Wright: The head of Sheffield’s remaining scissor-dynasty, Nick Wright talks to us about his family business, producing quality traditional scissors whose Edwardian designs satisfy a modern audience (Port Magazine)

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A film of The Making of a Globe-Trotter suitcase (Telegraph Luxury)
(for more on Globe-Trotter, see here)

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A visit to Barrington Pottery in Somerset (Foodie Bugle)

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Old news round-up:

Reinventing Scottish Knitwear: Decades of poor management and cheap overseas competition brought the once booming Scottish knitwear industry to its knees. Today, with a new end-consumer focus and artisanal manufacturing, there is also newfound confidence in Hawick and the border mill towns of Scotland. (Business of Fashion)

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Introducing Story Mfg: The UK denim scene is on the rise. Over the past few years a select number of British based designers including have been championing the “Made in England” stamp of approval on their proudly crafted jeans that are eagerly nipping on the heels of their US and Japanese counterparts. (WGSN)

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Harris Tweed weaver made 10,000 yards of fabric for Nike (FT)

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Cadbury's boss says 'Bournville lagging behind its European counterparts' (Birmingham Post)

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Brew Small, Think Big: Micro-breweries are booming and Londoners are thirsty for more craft beer. But is it possible to scale up and stay special? (Ico Design)

DIGEST: HOPS, VISIBLE MENDING, SILK WEAVING IN MACCLESFIELD, HORN BUTTONS, THE NEW INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION

"Present at each stage of production are the standards and inimitable know-how accumulated over the last 150 years. Over that time, a few things have changed — some faster than others — but it’s still the precise same product off the line, same portraits of the founders in the entrance-way, and the same name above the door."

A characteristically well put together piece on the last horn button factory in the UK, in the West Midlands, from S.E.H Kelly. I sometimes struggle to keep up with their output, so I suggest you peruse their site's 'Makers' section in its entirety.

(Picture above from S.E.H Kelly)

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"The project was inspired by an attraction to the aesthetics of these workplaces, but also by an interest in what the practices of fixing, mending, repair and renewal could reveal about the way people value things, and each other."

I came across this site, Celebration of Repair, a little while ago. Delighted to see the research is now available in book form, entitled Visible Mending

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Are British hops the new grapes? (SIBA)

Though, according to this excellent radio programme, there's only 60 hop growers left in the UK (BBC Radio 4)

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"In this two part series, Steph McGovern looks at both the bigger story of silk production, but also takes a close look at how silk shaped one particular town - Macclesfield in Cheshire. Here, silk has been processed, woven and printed for four centuries, and had a profound effect not just upon the built environment but also the social world in which its inhabitants lived."

Another great bit of radio here, on silk weaving (jump to 22.28 to hear about the goings-on at RA Smart near Macclesfield) (BBC Radio 4)

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"Sheffield is one of the best places in the world to get a sense of how new thinking allied with clever technology and global marketing can transform traditional industries"

An insightful article by Peter Marsh on The New Industrial Revolution (The Global Journal)

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An aptly named retail site that highlights where things are made (Provenance)

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An interview with Adam Atkinson of Cherchbi (Grey Fox)

DIGEST: GLOBEMAKING IN LONDON, A VISIT TO CROCKETT & JONES IN NORTHAMPTON, KENNETH GRANGE

Peter Bellerby - The Globemaker from Cabnine on Vimeo.

Above, a fascinating look into Bellerby & Co. Globemakers in Stoke Newington, north London (via Huh Magazine)

At the Kodak factory in Harrow (Marko & Placemakers)

A visit to Bespoked, a bike show in Bristol (Umbrella Magazine)

Canteen restaurant furniture makers Very Good & Proper interview (Port Magazine)

Behind the scenes at Linton Tweed in Carlisle (Jigsaw)

At Crockett & Jones in Northampton (Make it British)

A David Mellor day out, with biographic notes (Manchester Modernist Society)

A visit to Downing Street: is the government doing enough to support small British manufacturing businesses? (Make it British)

In discussion with Kenneth Grange, talking trains, TX1s and The Killing (Port Magazine)

A short documentary about the recovery of a Victorian press (Tom Stokes)

British made denim: Fallow, Albam, Hiut and Tender (The Chic Geek)

Events:

The New Craftsmen have a few events going on at London Design Festival, from the 17th - 21st September

A pottery trail in Cornwall, from mid-late September (Leach Pottery)

DIGEST: SHEFFIELD STEEL, A SCOTTISH TOUR, A NEW MAGAZINE ON BRITISH CRAFT

Photographer Andrew Smith has recently released a book documenting some of Sheffield's Forgemasters (one such image above). Entitled Steel Soul, the photos bring to mind the work of Maurice Broomfield

One to keep an eye on: Make Works, a Scottish based collective, is touring the country's factories this summer

The New Craftsmen: interesting new retail concept centred around British made luxury products

One of those brands is Doe Leather, which has a nice backstory and is hosting a workshop in London on 26th June

Margaret Howell's success in Japan (Telegraph)

Paul of S.E.H Kelly explains the background of the menswear label (Port Magazine)

The Anti-craft movement at the one man mill (S.E.H Kelly)

Interview with editor of new magazine on British craftsmanship, Hole & Corner (Cool Hunting)

Teaser for the next issue of drinks magazine Hot Rum Cow, which is whisky focussed this time around

A couple of audio pieces on Cambridge Satchel Company (from 18.25) and New Balance's Flimby factory (from 25.50) (Monocle 24)

Airfix reshoring some manufacturing (Guardian)

At Freed of London, ballet shoe makers (Spitalfields Life)

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)

TW ABLETT, SHEFFIELD

Click on the title for a pleasing article about the working processes employed by Mr. Trevor Ablett, who makes pocket knives in Sheffield.

Written by Mr. Jon Henley and published in yesterday's Guardian 'Work' section.

Thanks due to Mr. Mike Knight for nudging us in the direction of this informative piece.

Photo credit: Christopher Tomond