All Mix Blog

According to the Financial Times , a new 'Made in Britain' seal is being designed to help consumers identify products that are genuinely manufactured in the UK. The campaign is spearheaded by Stoves , a Merseyside cooker manufacturer. The FT article states that Stoves has found ' 40 per cent of Britons erroneously believe that HP Sauce is still made in the UK. In fact, HP Sauce abandoned manufacturing in Birmingham after more than a century in favour of the Netherlands five years ago.' M&I agrees that there is a need for an official 'stamp of approval' for UK goods. There is a distinct lack of promotion and protection for UK manufacturers. On a luxury level members of Savile Row created a Bespoke Association in 2004, similar to the Chambre Synidcale de la Haute Couture in Paris (founded in 1973.) If UK products are to help the country grow once again, this new logo needs proper consideration. A quick search however, provides some concerning evidence that ...

A piece in the Financial Times caught our eye today: ' MG, the Birmingham based carmaker will begin producing its first new car in 15 years, and from 2011 relaunch in the UK as a 'value' brand .' 'We've got to get across the ideas of having a great past with a bright, exciting future,' Guy Jones, MG Motor's UK sales and marketing director told John Reed of the FT. According to the FT, if the new MG6 model proves successful then production at the Longbridge site will be increased, giving new life to the site that was once one of Europe's largest car plants. Image from Old Classic Car

Two stories have caught the eye over the last week or so. The Financial Times reported that luxury goods houses are lamenting the lack of skills amongst workers. Meanwhile, Katie Allen in The Observer wrote about politicians competing to support the manufacturing sector . Allen's article touches on the lack of skilled workers in the UK today. Picture credit: Humphrey Spender/Getty Images (Employees at the Austin car factory in Birmingham in 1939.)

Paper making in Northfleet A furnace a t Dagenham Weaving in Derbyshire A great article on the photographer/factory worker, Maurice Broomfield by Nina Caplan in the Financial Times (20th February 2010) here . Mr. Broomfield's engaging photographs will be on display in Chichester and Derby later this year.

South Londoner James Bowthorpe cycled around the world last year. He completed the 18,000 mile ride across 20 countries in less than six months, beating the world record by 20 days. He also raised a sizeable amount of money for What’s Driving Parkinson’s, a research clinic at King’s College Hospital in London in the process. Obviously, cycling over 100 miles a day for half a year requires a quality saddle so it was no surprise to read this in The Financial Times (Weekend of 19/20th September 2009): 'I'm sitting on a Brooks saddle that I have had for about 10 years. If you have time to wear one in and are prepared to do a minimum of upkeep (rubbing in a spot of dubbin every now and then) they're unbeatable.' Image from the fantastic website of Mr. Jim Langley (although we do advise readers to turn the volume down when visiting).

' My clients want to know the provenance of a piece and who designed and made it. They’re interested in craftsmanship and the processes behind the making of a piece.' London-based interior designer Suzy Hoodless in the Financial Times.