We Yorkshire folk are proud of our culture, history and their beautiful surroundings every day. But on 1st August each year, we really celebrate “Gods Own Country”. Whilst Yorkshire can boast many world achievements one key aspect of the region is its long tradition in the textile industry.
In the late 18th century the woollen trade accounted for 33% of all of England’s export. Yorkshire, with its countless cotton and wool mills, was once at the heart of that trade. Merchants in the four cloth halls of the city of Leeds handled a sixth of England’s cloth exports.
The city’s mills were enormous; Armley Mills was once the world’s largest woollen mill, and Temple Works accommodated grazing sheep on its roof. Temple Works, with its distinctive façade of columns, was also famous worldwide for its innovative flax production technique.
By the 19th century, Bradford became (and still is) a key wool trading city. Mill owners employed child labour, workers worked long hours and were poorly paid and had a short life expectancy due to pollution and squalid living conditions.
On the city’s outskirts, where the air was cleaner, Sir Titus Salt built a new mill with the aim of improving conditions for workers.
Titus was another textile innovator, having made his fortune successfully experimenting with alpaca wool to weave a very fine cloth. His efforts also earned him a humorous article by Charles Dickens.
Alongside Salts Mill, Titus constructed the village of Saltaire for his workers. Titus’s working and home life measures (including his ban on alcohol) improved the lives of textile workers immeasurably. The village is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Sadly the industry has greatly declined. Many surviving mill buildings have been converted into blocks of flats, while a few others are preserved nearer their original state. Armley Mills is a fascinating industrial museum, and Salts Mill now houses art galleries, cafes and shops.
Now that we’ve revealed our refreshed brand identity @InfinityIncHQ, we’ll be closing down this Twitter profile in… https://t.co/Mee9lWGkWG
@uniformsbyCOur new year has got off to a great start as we raised over £300 for our nominated charity, Physcap in the raffle w… https://t.co/LBZ5tc2SF6
@uniformsbyCPantone’s 2020 colour of the year is Classic Blue. Does it give you the blues, or highlight your “desire for a dep… https://t.co/sp9zewa3Np
@uniformsbyCA major obstacle to textile recycling is that the fabrics are often made from blended materials. A Swedish forestr… https://t.co/XAW04JgD3L
@uniformsbyCWe’re not just a dab hand at workwear; our wonderful workforce cooked up these national dishes for our first food f… https://t.co/9DHY5qyeLt
@uniformsbyCHP has committed $200m to developing water-based ink technologies for digital textile printing to help tackle water… https://t.co/wgg7CCcjPM
@uniformsbyCWe take a look at how technology has improved the functionality and sustainability of textile and garment production. READ MORE
Finnish company produces first clothing made from wheat straw which is normally discarded or burned in the fields.… https://t.co/j27DoVV4pW
@uniformsbyCThe German government launches a sustainability label and Diesel & Coca-Cola are making clothing from plastic bottl… https://t.co/CLg0zwnks3
@uniformsbyCWell done to our CSR Committee for rocking the PPE and raising £135 for our nominated charity, @PhysCapUK, by using… https://t.co/cM3PoP8eNu
@uniformsbyCWe’ve have had lovely feedback this week on our “amazing t-shirts” and “brilliant customer service”. Thanks to… https://t.co/PDxJSq74cF
@uniformsbyCSo far in 2019 we’ve delivered over 99.7% of orders on time to our two biggest uniform clients. As well as efficie… https://t.co/L0azVtlD4z
@uniformsbyCHow to achieve an eco-friendly uniform. READ MORE
A new All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) has been formed to analyse sustainability in the clothing and textiles i… https://t.co/JTR1No4yFC
@uniformsbyCWe look at PPE under the latest EU Regulations, the scale and cost of PPE violations despite employers’ best intentions, and how to avoid them and get reluctant employees to wear their PPE. READ MORE
Textiles don’t have to cost the earth. Our polyester suits each keep 45 plastic bottles from landfill or our ocean… https://t.co/UsD6pmP3KJ
@uniformsbyCUniforms have been bringing people together for hundreds of years. Here we look at how they help individuals to put differences aside and go the extra mile to achieve common goals for their organisation. READ MORE
There are lots of different reasons to create a uniform, from tax exemption purposes to the prestige it gives a business. READ MORE
Although the concept of the ‘uniform’ has remained consistent for decades... READ MORE
For many decades, India has had the major leg up on the textiles industry. However, it is starting to struggle to maintain itself as foreign customers start to look to invest in alternative solutions closer to home. READ MORE
How do you engage customers through the medium of uniform? READ MORE
Are you having headaches over leadtimes? Read our interview with a manufacturer. READ MORE
Comments
Leave a Comment
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.