Austin Friar - The Furniture Makers Company

Austin Friar
The Newsletter of The Furniture Makers’ Company
No. 14 - Autumn 2014
Restoring a valued heritage – Windsor Chair story page 20
The Master writes ...
We have recently been proud to celebrate our second Royal Charter Dinner in the magnificent surroundings
of the Drapers’ Hall, courtesy of Master Draper Nicholas Bence-Trower. Our good friend and Honorary
Liveryman Lord Kirkham, who founded and built DFS, attended to re-present the Royal Charter to us,
following completion of the glorious illustration of the front page of the Charter by the College of Arms.
Our affiliation is now with 2 Rifles,
which is currently deployed in Kabul,
Afghanistan, supported by 7 Rifles.
We are proud to support our brave
soldiers and wish them a safe and
successful period of deployment and a
safe return. I look forward to attending
the homecoming parade at their
barracks in Northern Ireland next year.
I would also like to thank Peter and
Sue Kelsey, of Corporate Member
Designer Contracts, who very
generously sponsored a race called
Furniture Makers’ Stakes at the Rifles
Race Day at Goodwood recently.
The regiment was raising funds for its
“Care for Casualties” charity.
Welfare activities
With my Wardens and some of the major donors to the Royal Charter Dinner Welfare Fund, from
the left, Vince Linnane, Chimera Insurance; Billy Quinn, B&Q; and Peter Harrison, Furniture Village
Since Installation in May when I took
up the mantle from Immediate Past
Master Jonathan Hindle – whose
achievements and those of the many
other Past Masters meant I was given
large boots to fill – the six months
have flown by and I am finding it an
exceptional experience to be Master.
The recent Royal Charter Dinner
provided a good opportunity for me
to give my half-term report which may
interest those who could not be there.
Our livery is held in high regard and
we are welcomed at fellow liveries
great and small, ancient and modern,
open and closed.
Our membership continues to grow
steadily. I was delighted recently
to admit 12 new Freemen and 15
Liverymen, as well as Honorary
Liverymen Alderman Michael Mainelli,
and including Stephen McPartland
MP, who chairs the All Party
Parliamentary Furniture Industry
Group and is a constant champion
for all things furniture and furnishing
into government. The wide range of
experience these admissions bring to
our livery is a great confirmation of the
relevance we have to our industry, see
more on pages 27-30.
Our Corporate Members now number
19 and there is more about our
newest members on pages 28-30.
We are immensely proud to have so
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many major businesses as Corporate
Members. Their charity enables our
charity to succeed.
Fundraising success
Our fundraising is growing. A special
welfare appeal for the Royal Charter
Dinner raised a very welcome £10,000.
It has been most encouraging that
many Corporate Members, Liverymen
and Freemen have chosen to make
individual special donations on this
occasion, with some very substantial
donations from Chimera Insurance,
Furniture Village, B&Q, KI, and Panaz,
for which we are very grateful.
The development of our regions is well
underway. The North West has proved
the model and made a real difference
with great contributions from its local
fundraising events. Most recently the
Barker & Stonehouse Teesside golf
day raised a magnificent donation of
£8,000 for us. These regional efforts
are invaluable and we intend to build
active regions across the country, with
the next being established in the North
East. If you would like to help with a
new region, please let us know – we
need willing volunteers.
We continue to support the Rifles
with which we have been affiliated for
many years – until recently this was
with reservist 7 Rifles, which has been
paired with regular regiment 2 Rifles.
We now have 88 annuitants who
receive £1,000 a year, which is a very
significant help to those who qualify.
One-off grants are where our efforts
continue to grow – they are available
to anyone who has worked in our
industry for about two years.
It could be a pensioner with a
household need, someone from
our industry who has fallen on very
hard times and just needs a helping
hand, or it could be a respite grant
for someone who is looking after a
relative and desperately needs a break
to refresh so they can continue the
task. In each case we are making a
real difference to people’s lives.
Please spread the word – we are
here to help but need requests. Word
of mouth is one of the best ways
of people hearing about us but do
also use our posters which are freely
available via the office, or show people
our new video, on our website.
Driving excellence
As champion of the furnishing industry
we aim to drive high standards and
recognise excellence.
Our Bespoke Guild Mark continues to
recognise beautiful individual pieces of
outstanding quality and to support our
highly skilled bespoke makers.
Companies which hold our
Manufacturing Guild Mark
continue to grow in number and
it is so encouraging to see British
reality of the world of furniture and
furnishing design, manufacturing and
retailing.
Our student tours across the regions
and abroad have, once again, been
fully subscribed. And for the first
time we have run an intensive threeweek industry experience course
for those who are just starting out in
employment or business.
With Major James Gaynor, 2 Rifles, and Lieutenant Colonel James Bryant, 7 Rifles
manufacturing and retailing flourish.
Our Design Guild Mark continues to
thrive. At the 100% Design exhibition
held at Earls Court I was thrilled
to present 26 Design Guild Marks
to designers and manufacturers
before a large crowd. It is a joy to
support British designers who are an
invaluable part of our future and need
encouragement and recognition.
The Frederick Parker Foundation
continues to inspire the imagination
and remind us of our great heritage.
Our task is to make the very best use
of this wonderful collection.
We are now developing what we hope
will be a further Mark of Excellence
to our stable, to recognise exporting
excellence. This is to be granted to
those who are exemplars in how
to succeed in taking our British
manufactured products to overseas
markets. We have to encourage
the industry to export to repair our
industry trade deficit. I believe this
mark will raise awareness of the habits
of successful exporters, and will make
exporting less daunting.
Our education initiatives
Our design book project with schools
goes from strength to strength. This
summer 454 copies of Modern British
Furniture were presented as prizes
to the best Design & Technology
GCSE pupils across the country, with
the support of Corporate Members
B&Q, Brighthouse and DFS. Next year
we hope to deliver 1,000 prizes.
Our apprenticeship programme
continues to develop. We are
working with Proskills to deliver NVQ
level 1, 2 and 3 awards and are
delighted the industry has been given
Apprenticeship Trailblazer status,
substantially through the efforts of
Corporate Member Silentnight
working with Burnley College. It was
a thrill to open the Burnley College
student show this summer.
We now have our own NVQ level 4
and 5 apprenticeships which have
been established through the Livery
Committees Apprenticeship Scheme,
firstly in the North West where Burnley
College is supporting a group of
local manufacturers to
develop junior leaders
of the future. Having
established this as a
principle, we now plan
to roll out the model in
hubs around colleges
across the country.
Four young professionals visited 17
companies from our industry, gaining
an understanding of everything
from design to manufacturing to
retail; just a start and very high level
introductions but what an opportunity
we have given them to thrive in their
chosen careers. Now they will each
be given a mentor to help them with
the ups and downs of business life
and to thrive within our industry.
Young Furniture Makers
In early October we held our annual
Young Furniture Makers exhibition
at the Hall, which was very kindly
sponsored by Axminster Tools &
Machinery. It was bigger than ever
with exhibits by students from GCSE
to MA level, apprentices, trainee
designer makers, and student
We are delighted to be
providing two bursaries
at the Edward Barnsley
Trust for two talented
young furnituremakers,
David Williams in his
second year,
in memory of
Cherrill Scheer with Greg Jones, MA student at Bucks New University
Andrew Varah, and
Sam Brister through the
Olwen and Edwin Powell Award.
tour participants. The hall was
Help for students
Our student support at Foundation,
BA and MA level continues with 15
bursaries, competitions and industry
partnerships being held at different
colleges across the country.
Many companies from different parts
of our industry have supported these
efforts by encouraging excellence
in student effort, funding prizes and
broadening undergraduates’ and
postgraduates’ understanding of the
packed and the exhibits by all ages
were outstanding – it was a huge
compliment to all those who have
worked so hard to establish our wide
educational programme.
All this has happened because of
our members’ support – you have
sponsored books, provided bursaries,
funded competitions, opened your
doors to our tours, and supported our
fundraising events. We are so grateful
for all that you do and give – it really
does make a huge difference.
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Lifetime Achievement Award
Roger Hart Richardson RD, FRSA
Roger Richardson was almost born into Beaver & Tapley, the
furniture-manufacturing business started by his grandfather, and he
remembers being taken to the factory at the age of seven or eight.
After a brief spell at FIRA, he joined his father Justin in the firm at
the age of 25.
Besides spending weekends in the 60s as the captain of a minesweeper, he
worked firstly with Robert Heritage and then Peter Weston to develop and
market a successful series of ranges of modular cabinets and shelving which
can be regarded as having enhanced the standard of British furniture design.
The last, Tapley 33, ran for 30 years.
As a child, aged five or six
Ever with his eye on the detail, Roger has shown great
interest in all aspects of the furnishing industry and
has helped to initiate several of the Company’s current
activities. With huge gratitude, we acknowledge Roger’s
53 years of dedicated service to The Furniture Makers’
Company with a Lifetime Achievement Award.
Salty sea-dog beginnings
Roger Richardson on board Erytheia
“If you ask me what were two of the most enjoyable
things I have done apart from running a successful
furniture manufacturing business, and being both
Master and in at the start of some aspects of the
Worshipful Company which have become ‘part of the
furniture’, I would have to say the first was spending
some RNR annual training fortnights and many
weekends as captain of a coastal minsweeper, leaving
the office on a Friday evening and being out in the
Channel in command of a warship by midnight,”
says Roger.
Roger was chairman and managing director of B&T
from 1975 until he sold the company in 1998. He was
a director of BFM Exhibitions Ltd and a member of
the BSI committee on glass doors in furniture. He is
a trustee of Woodland Heritage, and has also spent
time mentoring and helping younger people in the
furnishing industry.
A passionate champion
Roger joined The Furniture Makers’ Company in
1961. He was Master in 1988-89 and has served on
most of the committees, including the Guild Mark and
Communication committees, running the latter very
successfully for six years.
He was a Trustee of our Charity from 2005 to 2012 and
most recently was responsible for gaining the grant of
the Company’s Royal Charter in 2013. He continues to
devote himself to the Company’s cause, as its archivist,
and as an active member of the Wine Committee.
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HMS Thames, the minesweeper Roger captained
“The second is learning to fly. I knew when I had got
my pilot’s licence that I was not a natural and I allowed
it to lapse soon afterwards, but accelerating in a plane
on a runway and then having a third direction to choose,
i.e. up, and doing so, was an enormous thrill. Both
were 45 or more years ago but these memories
improve with age.”
Bespoke Guild Marks
BGM 453
Christopher Hughes
Tallboy for Christopher Hughes Furniture
“Made in English walnut and (old stock) ebony, with 12 doors and
drawers, the Tallboy’s position in a hallway suggested a curved front
with no handles. The combination of woods mimics the black and
terracotta colours of the floor. Cutting finger pulls with a curve on
two planes and taper to nothing presented some challenges. Its
main function is storage and the addition of three drawers gave it
added practicality.”
BGM Certificate of Merit
Tom Jarrold
Elixir Drinks Cabinet for Thomas Furniture
“The bowed front was inspired by the shape of whisky casks and
I loved the idea that the handles should be peeling away from the
cabinet but still concealing enough, as if to hide a precious secret.
The frame is American walnut, the panels sweet chestnut and the
inside rippled sycamore. Every component has been laminated on a
curve, including the drawer fronts inside. The handles proved to be
the trickiest part to make when trying to press brittle veneers to such
a tight radius, solved by dampening and pressing them.”
Festival of Silver and Clerkenwell Design Week 2015
The Furniture Makers’ Company in collaboration with Festival
of Silver has secured an exciting opportunity to exhibit at the
Goldsmiths Centre during Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW).
As in previous years the exhibition will feature the work of furniture
designer makers alongside that of silversmiths. The call for entries
went out in late October. One piece from the entries will be
selected to create the main centrepiece display.
Clerkenwell Design Week regularly attracts 50,000 visitors from
the international design community for this exciting three-day
festival and a series of events will be organised around the
Festival of Silver to celebrate and promote the very best of both
furniture and silver making.
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Design Guild Marks 2014
The 2014 Design Guild Marks attracted a record number of 56 applications, reinforcing its place as
one of the most prestigious marks of excellence in British furniture design today. The Guild Marks
recognise the highest standards of quality and visual appearance in the design of furniture for volume
production by designers working in Britain or British designers working abroad.
The criteria are for excellence in design, use of materials, manufacture and function, and the judges are
looking for outstanding design that shows new thinking, uses sustainable materials, represents value,
solves a problem, and is fit for purpose.
Our distinguished panel of judges are experts in their respective fields and they bring a wealth of
knowledge and experience to the judging process. Unique to this Award, entrants who meet the criteria
are asked to briefly present the piece in person to the judges, who really do try and test each piece.
The Call for Entries for the 2015 Awards has just gone out, with a closing
date of 20 February 2015.
On the following pages you can see all 26 designs from designers who
gained a Design Guild Mark Award in 2014.
DGM 96 Concave Bookshelf
Simon Pengelly
Joined + Jointed
“The things we put on shelves are more important to us than the shelving itself, but
shelving design often overlooks the need to both store and display a plethora of items
that differ vastly in shape and size. Concave was designed to provide compartments
that vary in width, depth and height so that large and small items can be stored or
displayed in a space appropriate to its size.”
DGM 97 Norse Chair
Simon Pengelly
Modus Furniture
“I wanted to create a comfortable and
beautifully-proportioned chair with
high-perceived value, utilising existing
manufacturing process and pushing
the boundaries of both material and
manufacturing characteristics. The quality
and richness of the chair needed to be
conveyed by the details of its construction
and combination of steam- bent solid timber
and ply-formed components, as well as its
comfort which was paramount.”
DGM 98 Fonteyn Dressing Table
Steuart Padwick
MADE.com
“I was asked to make a smaller version of my Pointe Dressing Table but
knew that its oval shape would be very tough to make smaller and still
have much usable space. So I used the same leg arrangement and while
the Fonteyn has a very different look it is still curvy and feminine, with
smooth opening and closing drawers.”
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DGM 99 Pembroke Range
Sarah Kay
Sarah Kay
“In 2012 I attended a bodging course where I made a chair inspired by the Welsh
stick chair. The appeal of this vernacular is its simplicity but also its strong character
and distinctiveness amongst so many Windsor chair styles. I wanted to design
a contemporary version that would retain a certain ‘folk’ quality but with elegant
proportions, making it more graceful than some of its rustic ancestors.”
DGM 100 Wireframe Sofa Group
Sam Hecht and Kim Colin
Herman Miller
“The Wireframe Sofa Group’s simple, external structure allows it to
be half the weight of a typical sofa, making it easy to manoeuvre in
any space. Soft, contoured cushioning coupled with Herman Miller’s
unique super-set suspension technology offer comfort and even
weight distribution among sitters. By separating the upholstery from
the structure, the Wireframe Sofa Group is enduring and adaptable.
Cushions may be easily cleaned or updated, to match an everevolving set of functional or environmental demands.”
DGM 101 Windsor Rocker
Katie Walker
Katie Walker Furniture
“Inspired by traditional Windsor chair-making techniques, the Windsor Rocker is
an evolution of my design for the Ribbon rocking chair – in which the arms and
runners are one continuous piece – creating a visually and structurally strong and
fluid form. The resulting form echoes the original wheelwright’s craft from which the
Windsor chair is derived.”
DGM 102 Sandur Chair
Mark Gabbertas
Oasiq
“When I was young I would play a game called Cat’s Cradle, where two people
would make patterns with a single loop of string. What proved interesting
during the development of Sandur was the ability of the weave to follow a
different profile than might be expected from the frame itself and to create
an independent three-dimensional shape within the skeletal steel structure.
This gave us more freedom to allow the frame to express itself and take on
a character of its own, and at the same time allow the weave to provide the
support in key ergonomic areas. It is the nature and degree of interdependence
between frame and weave that fascinated and inspired us in this project.”
DGM 103 Lovebird Sofa
Je-UK Kim
MADE.com
“It’s inspired by the Victorian chaise longue, expressed
through the proportions of the seating and back cushions.
The quality achieved in period furniture through the use of
veneer and inlays was replaced with upholstery in different
colours and textures. The vivid colours found in Luke
Stephenson’s series The Incomplete Dictionary of Show
Birds was the reference point for the colour palette. The
abstraction of the chaise longue is expressed by the horizontal
or vertical planes of the timber frame, combined with a strong
asymmetry of the arm rest. The contrasting proportions of the
two back cushions express asymmetry of the design.”
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DGM 104 Brompton Collection
Katerina Zachariades
Morgan Contract Furniture
“I started with a brief to expand Morgan’s offering of
classically influenced contemporary sofa collections.
The Brompton Collection marries classic generous
proportions and upholstery stitch detailing with the
beautiful feature of a show wood outside back frame
and subtle inset leg design.”
DGM 105 Pimlico Chair
Morgan Design Studio
Morgan Contract Furniture
“Morgan Design Studio’s self initiated brief centred around
the demand for a unique fully upholstered bedroom chair
with a compact footprint. Lean manufacture with low set-up
times and working within production’s existing limitations
were key design considerations. The Pimlico has developed
the recognisable form of the slipper chair to create a
modern bedroom chair.”
DGM 106 Finn Lounge Chair
Oliver Hrubiak
John Lewis
“The chair was designed to be functionally and aesthetically long lasting. This meant
it needed to be physically strong but also be adaptable and fit within changing interior
trends. It was designed to be comfortable yet compact in size in order to serve the
ever-decreasing size of rooms in the British home. The chair also features an underseat shelf to store books, magazines, i-Pads etc.”
DGM 107 Deploy Table Range
Broome Jenkins
Boss Design
“Deploy is a flip-top table with a difference. Aimed
at training and meeting applications, the single table
version is available with either static or flip top, with
or without castors. The family then uniquely extends
to create large tables for work and boardroom
applications from the same frame components. The
aim of the design was to create an intelligent table
programme, with a very clean minimal structure that
was mechanically reliable and efficient.”
DGM 108 Romana Large Sideboard
Dylan Freeth
Ercol Furniture
“Simply flowing lines were used throughout the
design of the Romana. Key details include the
curved junction between all tops and table legs/
cabinet ends, the flowing line running around legs
and rails which defines where flat meets partialradius cut, and the fluid line of the integral door
and drawer handles. With production batch sizes
and related costs in mind, Romana was designed
to create the maximum number of pieces from the
minimum number of common parts.”
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DGM 109 Focused Work Table
Jones & Partners
Thinking Works
“We have designed a table for task-driven activities as well as for
personal work and formal meetings. Simple business relationships have
been replaced by complex ones, enabled by legal, financial and social
change. The impact of hard and soft technology on the workplace
continues. The workplace and working styles that need to be supported
are more diverse than they have ever been. The product has been
designed using a methodology taken directly from automative design.”
DGM 110 Hat Tree
Ben Fowler
Marque Furniture
“Inspired by hanging clothes on twigs protruding from a hedge, the Hat Tree is
made from repeated components. Whether fixed individually or together, the Hat
Tree forms a sculptural and highly practical wall hanging system with provision for
hats, coats, shoes, letters, keys etc. Beech was chosen for its sustainability and
underuse, and references to Windsor chairmaking and woodland bodgers.
The result is a highly manufacturable, cost efficient and affordable
product that remains organic.”
DGM 111 SixE Chair
Pearson Lloyd
HOWE
“The ambition was to produce the
most efficient, comfortable, refined and
long-lasting solution to the ubiquitous
archetypal modern shell chair. Extensive
effort resulted in a shell that offers
superior comfort, informed by a soft
returned edge and elegant lines. The
name is derived from the core aspects
which informed the project, and this is
unified in the six Es: ergonomic, efficient,
elegant, environmental, economic and
easy, which are what is so innovative
about SixE.”
DGM 112 Riya Chair
Pearson Lloyd
Bene
“Instead of concealing levers under the seat, the chair boasts visible orange
controls that enable workers to effortlessly change ergonomic settings with unique
and intuitive controls. The high back acts as an acoustic shield, enclosing workers
from noise behind them and creates a sense of privacy. Riya’s simple form and
clean lines present a relaxed design language.”
DGM 113 Olly Stool
David Lord and Ben Frost
Junction Fifteen
Following successful careers in product design over 20 years, the duo
established Junction Fifteen to champion British manufacturing and to
create unique pieces with character and playful charm. “The Olly Stool is a
contemporary take on the traditional tri-symmetric stool, with three identical
steel legs welded together to appear self-supporting, creating a continuous
closed loop structure. The stool top features three bowling-ball style finger
holes for ease of positioning and carrying.”
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DGM 114 Slope Desk
Leonhard Pfeifer
Müller Möebelwerkstätten
“With a sleek design and minimal footprint, the Slope Desk is
characterised by functionality, essentiality of form and purity of materials.
Conceived for apartments and small living spaces, Slope is designed
to rest against a wall in a hallway or living area where space is limited.
Slope incorporates the functional aspects of a workstation into a
compact form. Superfluous elements such as drawers were removed,
creating minimal composition. The proportions of the desk allow it to sit
comfortably within a living area.”
DGM 115 Desk Three
Marie Dessuant
Another Country
“Desk Three is inspired by utilitarian workshop furniture. With two distinct
parts, the solid top and the base, it can be flat-packed for effortless
transportation. The joint where the top meets the base is a working detail
and has been left visible in celebration of the desk’s careful construction.
The slimline depth of this desk is designed to accommodate a laptop and
allows ample working space. The centrally placed drawer features solid
wood runners and echoes the gentle sloping angle of the legs. A splash of
colour if you choose it is the only decoration that this
essential piece of furniture needs.”
DGM 116 Alex Hellum
Jot Desk
Joined + Jointed
“My observation was that with laptop computers we tend to use our dining
table as our home office. This indicated to me that a domestic desk would
benefit from being made out of timber, with minimal storage, and aesthetically
sit halfway between domestic and office furniture. The result was Jot, a desk
that takes both domestic and office scenerios into consideration. One end
is angular and formal, the other is more like a dining table, recognising the
importance of domestic comfort.”
DGM 117 Oxbow Chair
Namon Gaston
Benchmark Furniture
“The Oxbow Chair has been designed to address comfort as
a priority, allowing the user to sit for long periods of time. The
geometry of the frame is scaled to provide an ergonomic sitting
position for dining or working. The innovative sling seat and back
components are captured by internal lengths of dowel housed
in profiles within the frame, resulting in a durable lightweight
upholstery solution.”
DGM 118 David Adjaye
Washington Collection
Knoll
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“There are two chairs in this collection, the Washington Skin, a nylon
cantilevered chair, and the Washington Skeleton, an aluminium chair.
The collection transforms London-based architect David Adjaye’s
architectural and sculptural vision into accessible objects for the home
and office. The chairs balance on a cantilevered stand, suitable for
outdoor use. The lattice design of the Skeleton Chair is constructed
from die-cast aluminium, while the Skin version is made from
injection-moulded nylon.”
DGM 119 Library Sofa
Michael Sodeau
Modus Furniture
“Library is a large piece of furniture with a footprint that is light
compared to its size. The moulded foam gives the sofa a sculptural
quality not seen in many high back sofas and chairs. It has quite a
shallow seat for a sofa, more like a comfortable chair. Its high back
means two people can hold a confidential conversation with ease, or,
thanks to its noise reduction properties, one person can get away from
it all and get down to some concentrated work.”
DGM 120 System Supporto Task Chair
Frederick Scott
Zoeftig
“Designed to be used in a multitude of working environments including offices,
boardrooms, drawing offices, meeting and conference rooms, the Supporto Task Chair
was a product for every man or woman. The chair forms are based on ergonomic
studies of how people actually sit while working. In the late 70s the use of large
pressure die-castings for the seat and back pans was an industry innovation, one
which led to its trademark aesthetic.”
DGM 121 Span Dining Table
Wales & Wales
Joined + Jointed
“Span is fundamentally a very simple, almost vernacular design, with references to oriental joinery, especially in the detailing of
the joints between round section legs and rails, as well as the radius of the table edge. While we have always taken inspiration
from Japanese, Chinese and Korean artefacts, we tend not to simply transfer features from those directly to our work.
For instance the detail of the half-lap joint, worked into a circular section of wood forming the angled strut which braces the
whole underarm structure, seems to us evocative of those traditions.”
DGM 122 Radar Tables
Wales & Wales
John Lewis
“The Radar range is based on a contemporary iteration of a
classic pedestal table using tapering laminated leg sections and
a uniquely veneered top. It is a KD construction and for such
a visually sophisticated object is manufactured and sold at an
extremely competitive price.”
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Manufacturing Guild Mark
In order to maintain the consistency of standards and quality of our Manufacturing Guild Marks,
each year there is an audit of existing holders. We are delighted that Multiyork, Burgess Beds and
REH Kennedy are the latest holders to have emerged through this rigorous process successfully.
This prestigious award is available only to the top 50 furniture and furnishing manufacturers in the UK, demonstrating
excellence in furniture manufacturing. The requirement for an independent audit was introduced in 2013 and all existing
MGM Holders have had to undergo the audit process, as well as all new applicants for the award. The audits are carried
out by FIRA International on behalf of The Furniture Makers’ Company.
The MGM is awarded to the company, not just an
individual product or range, so the auditors are looking
for high standards across all aspects of the business
including manufacturing, design, product quality,
marketing, finance, commitment to training, employment
conditions and sustainability.
Adrian Iles, left, and Mark Duff, right, with the Master
Mark Duff, Manufacture and Logistics Director at Multiyork,
comments: “We are thrilled to have passed our first
audit and celebrate our newly awarded Manufacturing
Guild Mark certification. With nearly 40 years’ of British
manufacturing behind it, Multiyork is a leader in its field
and takes great pride in offering a furniture collection that
not only reflects authentic British craftsmanship but also
offers fantastic choice.”
“It’s a great honour to be recognised for our consistently
high standards in every aspect of our business by The
Furniture Makers’ Company.”
The Manufacturing Guild Mark provides an assurance to
customers, as well as retailers, specifiers and distributors,
that not only has the furniture they purchase been made
with the upmost integrity and care but that the company
has achieved the highest standards throughout all of its
operations. The award of a Manufacturing Guild Mark also
recognises the efforts of both management and workforce
in achieving such standards throughout the business.
Erratum
In the summer edition of Austin Friar we wrongly stated that
Vi Spring had won the National Bed Federation Manufacturer
of the Year Award 2013, when in fact Burgess Beds were the
winners. Our apologies and congratulations to Burgess Beds!
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The Sustainability Award 2015 –
call for entries
The annual Furniture Makers’ Company Sustainability Award recognises improvements in furniture
manufacturing sustainability in its widest sense, looking at all aspects of business management –
waste and energy management, design/process/product improvements, packaging,
transportation, procurement, end of life management, client relationships, supplier management,
employee engagement and corporate social responsibility.
The Panel of Judges for 2015
Paul von der Heyde, Master of the Worshipful Company
of Furniture Makers
Nick Hill, Head of Innovation and Quality, M&S
Alan Marshall, Liveryman of The Furniture Makers’
Company and environmental advisor to the industry
Chairman, The
Furniture Industry
Sustainability
Programme
Steering Committee
The Sustainability Award is based on the foundation
provided by the Furniture Industry Sustainability
Programme, FISP, administered by the Furniture
Industry Research Association, FIRA, with a rigorous
audit of members’ activities. All FISP Full Members who
manufacture in Great Britain are eligible to apply.
“Sustainability is no longer simply about energy and the
environment but also how a business focuses on clients
and involves its staff, suppliers and the local community,”
said David Walton of FISP.
FISP Certificated firms are invited to submit case studies
for consideration by a panel of judges who will select the
manufacturer deemed to have made the best contribution
to sustainable manufacturing in the previous year. The
size of the business concerned will be taken into account
so that the relative importance of their progress can be
measured to equalise opportunities.
Premiere Furniture received the award for 2014 and Steve
Barton, Production Manager, said: “The Award means a
great deal to us and shows that sustainability is not only
achievable but is morally and financially the best approach
for all our futures.”
The judges will
be assisted
and advised by
James Bell, FIRA’s
Environmental
Consultant.
The Organising
Co-ordinator for
the award is
Phil Reynolds of
FIRA.
Closing date for entries
The closing date for entries is 27 February 2015 and
judging of the shortlisted companies will take place at
Furniture Makers’ Hall on 26 March 2015.
The application form and crieteria are available on our
website furnituremakers.org.uk
Sustainability is also one of the criteria used when
assessing eligibility for the award of The Furniture Makers’
Company Manufacturing Guild Mark, limited to the top 50
British furniture manufacturers, and FISP certified firms are
encouraged to apply for this as well. Details can be found
on our website furnituremakers.org.uk
13
Industry Experience course for young professionals
VIPs, Liverymen and
representatives from the
companies involved.
The four are:
Simon Attard, Graphics
and Marketing Assistant
at Panaz, having
completed an MA
Painting at University of
the Arts London, and
a BA Hons Painting
at University College
Falmouth, Cornwall.
Simon Attard, Kelly Baker, Manon Martel and Thomas Winfield with the Master, Paul von der Heyde
As the furnishing industry’s charity, our mission is to
provide leadership to the industry and a framework of
support with which to inspire excellence, educate for the
future and support those in need.
As part of our expanding education programme, this
summer we ran a pilot course to give four of the brightest
and best young professionals starting out in the furnishing
industry an intensive three-week experience where they
had an unrivalled opportunity to learn about all aspects of
the furnishing industry supply chain. Only The Furniture
Makers’ Company, with its unique network of contacts,
can provide such a course.
Over the three weeks the group covered components
and raw materials, the complexity of manufacturing,
testing, buying criteria, pricing, marketing, merchandising,
customer service, consumer law and after sales.
Seventeen companies all over the UK hosted tours,
presentations and seminars for the group, including:
Corporate Members – Axminster Tools & Machinery,
Blum, CD (UK) Ltd, DFS, John Lewis Partnership and M&S
14
Kelly Baker, Specialist
Sales Business
Development at
Axminster Tools &
Machinery. She has
a BA Hons degree in
English Literature and
Media Communications
from Bath Spa
University.
Manon Martel, Supply Chain Co-ordinator, Ercol Furniture,
following a BScSoc in Management Sciences and French
from the University of Southampton, with an Erasmus
year abroad at L’Ecole de Traduction et Interprétation,
Université de Genève.
Thomas Winfield, Sales Administrator for Blum UK,
following an NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration at
Aylesbury College.
The Master, Paul von der Heyde, said: “I am thrilled to be
celebrating a successful pilot of our Industry Experience
course with all those who have made it happen. We have
received so much generous support from all sectors of
the industry.
Opportunity of a lifetime
“The four young professionals, who have enjoyed learning
everything from design to retail and from fabrics to fitted
kitchens, have had the opportunity of a lifetime. I am sure
it will stand them in good stead for great careers in our
growing industry.
Supporters – Burbidge, Cabinet Maker, Crofts & Assinder,
Ercol, FIRA, The Furniture Ombudsman, Halstock,
Hypnos, Panaz, Rack Systems and UBM.
“We owe huge thanks to everyone involved for making
this possible and look forward to developing the course
further for the future, so we can offer this opportunity to
more talented young people who will help our industry to
flourish for many years to come.”
Nominated young professionals
Course for 2015
The four young professionals were nominated by their
own companies to attend the course, which culminated in
a presentation at Furniture Makers’ Hall to a group of
The course is now being planned for 2015 and will
expand to give eight young professionals the chance to
learn about their industry.
Apprentices – key to the future
Many companies in our industry are seeing increased turnover and can now see real growth in
British furniture manufacturing in the future. With this growth comes the need for highly-skilled
young people to work at operational level and to become the supervisors and managers of
the future. This area had traditionally been filled by the apprentice and The Furniture Makers’
Company has been looking for ways to support this area for some time.
Due to the interest in the scheme a ninth apprentice joined
the group from Burgess Beds and took out a student loan
in order to take advantage of this pilot scheme.
All nine apprentices are now engaged in training at their
employers’ premises and obtaining valuable theoretical
and practical education at Burnley College in modules
created jointly by the college, their companies and with
support from Proskills UK, the charity which provides
training and education for people working in the material,
production and supply industries.
The opportunity came with the proposed Government
change in funding for apprentices, a pilot scheme
organised through the Livery Companies Skills Council
and the setting up of the Livery Companies Apprentice
Scheme (LCAS). This scheme placed the money for
training with the companies and the funds for the academic
part of their apprenticeship to be agreed between the
company and their local college. In the case of the pilot
scheme £10,000 per year per apprentice was available.
Working with LCAS, three companies in the Burnley area
and with the support of Burnley College, the Company
has put in place a new apprenticeship framework which
meets the needs of modern furniture manufacturing.
There was a target of 52 new apprentices to be put in
place through the LCAS scheme across 13 livery
companies. The Furniture Makers’ Company took on eight
apprentices, more than any other company – five with
Nathan Furniture, two with Corporate Member Silentnight,
and one with Senator Office Furniture.
As a follow on to the various pilot schemes, the
Government, through the Department for Business
Innovation and Skills, has launched the Trailblazer initative,
the forerunner of new apprenticeship programmes in
England and Wales. This scheme had to be employer-led
and Silentnight took on this responsibility and applied to
be a Trailblazer for the furniture industry. With tremendous
support from the industry, including many of our members
and representative organisations, Trailblazer 3 status has
now been confirmed for the furniture sector.
Steering group meetings have already been held
and working groups are being set up to cover all the
occupational areas of the furniture industry from CNC
technician through to fitted furniture to bed manufacture,
so that standards are in place by the middle of 2015.
If any company would like to be involved with a working
group to ensure that appropriate modules are developed
for their particular sector please contact:
Lisa Williamson
Apprenticeship and Qualifications Development Manager
Mobile 07500 086599 Tel 01235 432030
Email [email protected]
proskills.co.uk
proskills-academy.co.uk
15
Young Furniture Makers exhibition
How we are encouraging new talent with our education programme
This year the exhibition was sponsored by Corporate Member, Axminster Tools & Machinery.
There were exhibits from students at all levels, from FDA to BA to MA, and from the numerous
colleges and universities The Furniture Makers’ Company supports, including Birmingham City
University, Bucks New University, Burnley College, De Montfort University, Edward Barnsley
Workshop, Leeds College of Art and Design, London Met, Plymouth University, Rycotewood and
Warwickshire College.
Alan Styles of Axminster Tools and Machinery with Young Furniture Maker of
the Year, Alex Stewart, De Montfort University
Weissenhof by Tom Foulger, Warwickshire College
Stacking Tables by Michael Connor, London Met
Bedside Cabinet by Lily Hawkes, Oxford High School
16
Stem Table by Joseph Kennedy, Plymouth University, Winner of the
Blum prize for Best in Show
David Lane of Willis & Gambier with Agnete Linikaite, De Montfort University
Reveal Bedside Cabinet by Sam Bolt, City of
Oxford College
Ying-Yang Chair by Martin Clegg, Burnley College
Models from Lago visit, Bucks New University
Also on show was work from the
winner of the Proskills/MakeIT
competition for schools, as well as
projects by secondary schoolchildren
as part of our Schools Book Prize
scheme, sponsored this year by
Corporate Members BrightHouse,
B&Q and DFS.
Awards were made for numerous
industry partnerships, where
companies such as Burbidge, Ercol,
Hands, Gordon Russell, Crofts
& Assinder, Willis & Gambier and
KI Europe worked with university
students on specific projects.
Stephen McPartland MP with Evie Butler, winner of the ProSkills MakeIt! Competition
17
Bursaries and awards
Olwen and Edwin Powell Award
Sam Brister has been awarded the first Olwen and Edwin
Powell Award to study at the Edward Barnsley Workshop.
He competed in the SkillBuild competition at local and
national level and was chosen as one of three on the final
shortlist to represent the UK in furniture making at the
World Skills competition in Sao Paulo in 2015.
He tried out for an apprenticeship at the Edward Barnsley
Workshop late last spring and really impressed James
Ryan, designer manager at the workshop.
“Sam did very good work on his trial day with us in
June. We are delighted to have him starting with us as a
Foundation Apprentice,” said James.
The award was established by Dr Sue Powell in memory
of her parents. “Both my parents were brilliant teachers
and as a family we have been dedicated to all the best
aspects of education and study. Both professionally and
in their leisure time my parents studied, participated in
and enjoyed a wide range of fascinating subjects and
activities.
Dr Sue Powell, Sam Brister and the
Master
Sam, who is 20 years old and from Newport Pagnall,
started out studying carpentry and joinery at Moulton
College and progressed to Furniture Design and Making.
“My father was a skilled and creative craftsman both
professionally and in his own time with a lifetime’s love of
design and craft work, especially in wood. His own studies
were at Shoreditch College – hence my approach to The
Furniture Makers’ Company about creating an award.”
Andrew Varah Bursary
This bursary, given in memory of Andrew Varah, has
been awarded to David Williams for a second year of
apprenticeship at the Edward Barnsley Workshop.
“David has made fantastic progress and I am really
pleased he is able to stay with us for a further year of
training,” said James Ryan, designer manager at
Barnsley Workshop.
“He is currently helping us on an important commission,
a set of 110 dining chairs for Magdalen College, Oxford.”
The Master with David Williams and
Skolnik Prize
A new prize has been created to reward the best first-year
students at The CASS School. The Furniture Makers’
Company will award the prizes to three students each
Helen Varah
year for the next five years, in the name of Stephen
and Lisa Skolnik, for work that shows the most original
thinking and for the most commitment throughout
the year.
“We wanted to give a prize to students who share my
love of the wonderful world of furniture making,” said
bespoke designer maker Steve Skolnik of 944 Furniture.
“I remember waiting until I had enough money to buy the
best tools and equipment, and would be delighted if the
prize helps a student to do the same.”
Steve Skolnik in his workshop
18
Dr John Cross of London Met University said: “The
Skolnik Prize will give our furniture students confidence
by recognising their hard work in the first year of their
studies, but more practically gives them funds to purchase
either learning aids, tools or materials to enable them to
continue to be enthusiastic and ambitious for their coming
academic year.”
School prize
As the furnishing industry’s charity, one of our main
aims is to nurture young talent and help to build a
workforce for the future. We want to work directly with
schools to build the foundations of confidence and
aspiration in young people and inspire them to consider
a future career in the furnishing industry.
Earlier last year The Furniture Makers’ Company
launched the book Modern British Furniture by Lesley
Jackson, published with the V&A Museum. Focusing
on design ingenuity, the book pinpoints the most
inventive British designers from 1945 to the present
day.
Corporate Members B&Q, BrightHouse and DFS
have enthusiastically supported the project to award
the
th book as a
prize
for the best
p
GCSE
Design &
G
Technology
student
T
in over 450 schools
around
the country.
a
The
T feedback we
have
received
h
from
schools is
f
outstanding and
o
we are thrilled they
w
have been inspired
by the prize. Some
of the pupils who
won exhibited their
work at the Young
Furniture Makers exhibition in October, and their talent
and expertise was impressive.
Joel Smith, PCSA School
The project continues for 2015, where, with the
ongoing support of our members, we hope to give over
1,000 books as prizes. You can sponsor just 10 books,
up to as many as you like, and you can nominate
specific schools if you wish.
For more information contact Amy Gibson on
0207 562 8527 or [email protected].
Charlotte Redfern, Oxford High School
19
Restoring a valued heritage
Experts restore original tables and chairs to their full glory
Golden Lane Estate
In the early 1960s, Sir Ralph Perring had recently
become Lord Mayor of London and was involved in
the early development of the Barbican area of the City
of London, which includes the Golden Lane Estate. He
was instrumental in establishing a community centre,
known as the Ralph Perring Centre, within the Estate,
to enable residents to meet and interact.
furniture fully justifies restoration over replacement,” said
Sir John. “After 50 years hard use this furniture looks as
good as the day it was first installed and fit for another
50 years.”
Golden Lane is very much the sister complex to the
Barbican, with a shared history and similar architectural
approach. Pre-dating the construction of The Barbican
by 10-20 years, this 1950s housing estate was
architects Chamberlin, Powell and Bon‘s initial project
to renew this area of the City which had been almost
obliterated by the Blitz during World War II.
Chairs and tables donated
At the time Sir Ralph was great friends with Lucian
Ercolani, founder of Ercol Furniture, and when talking
to him one day about the formation of the Centre,
Lucian offered to provide tables and chairs from Ercol’s
Windsor Collection as a gift.
Structure of meeting tables
Expert conservation
Restoration expert Ludovic Potts, who has worked
with Ercol for many years as well as on many major
conservation and restoration projects, took on the task,
part funded by Sir John and part from his own
The Sir Ralph Perring Centre today
Today, 50 years later, the Sir Ralph Perring Centre is
alive and well, fulfilling the same purpose of proving a
warm, clean and flexible meeting space for all manner of
groups and activities for residents on the Estate.
However earlier this year, after so many years of constant
use, the furniture had reached the stage where it
needed attention. While it could so easily have all been
replaced with new pieces, in truth the furniture was
still robust, the wood still beautiful and the mid-century
design still highly relevant.
Restoration over replacement
Sir Ralph’s son, Sir John Perring suggested having the
pieces restored to bring them into the 21st century
and offered to sponsor it. “The beauty of solid wood
20
Edward Tadros of Ercol with Sir John Perring and an original
Windsor chair
company. “The project involved removal of all the
original finish down to the bare frame, full structural
repairs throughout, and applying splices using
reclaimed matching timber (beech wood and elm) to
retain all the original chairs and tables.
Two of the restored chairs
Restoration team
“The furniture was re-finished in the traditional style,
followed by hand waxing. A team of five restorers
carried out the work, with our latest trainee Thomas
Holmes, the youngest member of the team, fully
involved.”
The end result is stunning – original English elm, now
gone forever from our woodlands, restored to its full
glory across a range of chairs and tables.
Stuart Shearman of Ercol Furniture, Ludovic Potts, Sir John Perring,
and Edward Tadros of Ercol Furniture
Fine fabrics
Edward Tadros, grandson of Lucian Ercolani and
Chairman of Ercol Furniture Limited, provided new
cushions in a fine fabric from their current range for
the chairs.
New upholstery for all chairs
He said, “Ercol is really delighted to be involved in this
project to restore our furniture after more than 50 years
of regular use in the Ralph Perring Club. I am sure that
it will now provide many more happy years of use.”
An original English elm table
The lucky residents of the Golden Lane Estate now
have a gleaming set of Ercol furniture for many events
and activities to come. You can’t ask for better value
than that!
21
Sporting events, raising funds for our charity
Big Shots at E J Churchill Shooting Ground ...
Furniture Village team led by Peter Harrison
Taking aim
A crack shot at the clays
Fun with the Blunderbuss
Great fun for beginners and expert shots alike
22
Glorious setting for a fine day’s shooting
Five-a-side Football ...
Homefit Heroes and FC Homefit teams
Thumbs up for a great day’s play
National Golf Day at Brocket Hall ...
Teeing off
Getting out of trouble
The splendour of Brocket Hall
Driving into the distance
Into the swing
Hole in one?
23
Regional fundraising
Earlier this year, with the support of Liveryman Mike
Clare, we established a North West Region Committee,
chaired by our Charity President, Tony Attard of Panaz.
The aim is to help develop fundraising activity in an
area that has traditionally been known as the heartland
of the furnishing manufacturing industry.
Tickets for the region’s first dinner dance in January
2015 at the Blackpool Hilton are selling fast. Our North
West fundraiser Louise Hicks can help you secure your
tickets – contact her at:
[email protected] or call her on
07442 012216.
Our inaugural Northern Big Shots in April was a great
success, attracting over 70 guests and raising a
fantastic £15,000, while the first Northern Golf Day at
the marvellous Preston Golf Club raised £800.
Such is the success of fundraising in the North we are
now establishing a North East region, with specific
events to fundraise within that area – further details will
follow shortly.
Northern Big Shots ...
24
Team from Malmo guns
Expert guidance on hand
Top Lady Gun Claire Harrison from Breasley, left
Team from Benson Beds
Golf at Preston Golf Club ...
... and in Teesside
Team from Turveys Fine Furniture
The Master ready for the off
● We received over £1,300 from the Manchester
Furniture Show
Committed volunteers
We are lucky to have so many fantastic volunteer
supporters raising money for our charity during the year
throughout the UK. We are tremendously grateful to
the many supporters who have contributed to making
these varied regional events such a success, helping
us to help more people in our industry.
● Independent Bury St Edmunds department store
Glasswells very kindly donated £2,000 following
the successful East Anglian Golf Day in June
● The annual golf day organised by the
Kidderminster Carpet Manufacturers raised a
generous donation of £5,000
● The Teesside Golf organised by Barker &
Storehouse raised a fantastic £8,000
● And a generous donation of £2,088 at the
National Bed Show Gala Dinner
These donations to our charity are invaluable to us
and show just how generous people within our industry
are – we are immensely grateful and delighted to
receive your support.
Thank you!
If you would like more information on setting up your
own fundraising event in support of The Furniture
Makers’ Company charity please contact us at
[email protected] for information,
or for details of your local fundraising committee.
Bed Show Gala Dinner ...
Charity President Tony Attard of Panaz
A game of Heads and Tails
25
Master’s Outing to Berlin
by Gil Carter, Web Editor
Berlin is a city of great contrasts between old and new, East and West, bustling life and solemn
remembrance, efficiency and eccentricity ...
for the journey to the Sanssoucci Palace at Potsdam.
Crossing the iconic river border where Cold War hostages
were routinely exchanged we observed that this would
make an interesting venue for the transferring of the furs
at Installation.
Frederick the Great
The Sanssoucci Palace was the summer residence of
Frederick the Great. After lunch in the Palm House we
were taken by entertaining guides on a tour of the grand
gardens and the sumptuous apartments. Our guide
managed to condense a lifetime of Frederick’s history and
anecdote into an all too short tour. We saw Frederick the
Great’s writing desk – for why else would The Furniture
Makers’ Company visit Berlin?
The stunning Reichstag dome
The Master’s Outing in September 2014 gave members of
the Company the opportunity to enjoy a mix of organised
events and free time in a city where the Master, Paul von
der Heyde, had some family roots.
The weekend began on the Thursday evening when a few
people joined the Master and his wife Lotta in a nearby
restaurant where we were able to acquaint ourselves with
the traditional Berliner CurryWürst, a dish invented in 1949
when a careless chef dropped some curry powder over a
ketchup-smothered sausage and it subsequently became
a staple of the city’s inhabitants. We also dined on the
biggest Schnitzels known to man, which defeated all but
Peter Kelsey.
Friday morning was free time and individuals and groups
made their choice of museums, architecture, bars, river
trips and bus rides, the public transport system being a
cheap and easy way of making acquaintance with Berlin.
Any who had been to Berlin in recent years since the fall
of the Wall were amazed at how the city was changing
in a short time, with new buildings already blurring the
distinction between the architecture of old East and
West Berlin.
By mid afternoon all 40 participants had arrived and our
first organised visit was to the Reichstag. Knowledgeable
guides introduced us to the history of the building, now
the most visited Parliament in the world, and pointed out
the juxtaposition of art and politics, creating an impressive
visual environment. A climb up the equally impressive
dome designed by Norman (now Lord) Foster rewarded
us with a spectacular view over Berlin in all directions.
From the Reichstag the party made their own way to the
Gerichtslaube restaurant, a former medieval courthouse,
for a traditional German supper of yes….. sausage and
sauerkraut, accompanied by a fine selection of German
beers or wine. All agreed the sausage outshone most we
experience at home.
26
Saturday morning we awoke to another bright day.
Following more free time we were collected by coach
On our return to the city it was time to dress for the
Master’s black tie dinner at the famous Adlon Kempinski
Hotel by the Brandenburg Gate. The original Adlon Hotel,
which like so many Imperial buildings in Berlin was
finally demolished as late as the 1980s, was one of
the most famous hotels in Europe before World War II,
hosting world monarchs, politicians and celebrities. The
current hotel, built in 1997 and loosely modelled on its
predecessor, aims to recreate the opulence of that era.
Here, following a champagne reception, we sat down
to a first class meal served by attentive staff in luxurious
surroundings.
Speeches were
suitably brief
and Roger
Richardson,
echoing the
feelings of all,
thanked the
Master for his
choice of venue,
the Clerk for
keeping us on
track during
the visit, and
Sally, the Events
Brandenburg Gate
Manager back
at the Hall, who had put in so much work during the
preceding months to ensure a smooth visit.
On a balmy night we were then able to sit outside in the
shadow of a floodlit Brandenburg Gate enjoying a
stirrup cup.
Sunday dawned and everyone was again free to spend
time how they wished. Some were heading back to the
airport early while others had a day to explore further.
A walk around Berlin provided many moments for reflection
as one is frequently confronted by memorials and evidence
of upheavals in the city, now reviving and providing so much
opportunity for residents and visitors alike.
This was indeed a memorable visit in the company of
good friends, old and new.
Our growing membership
Our mission is to support those in need from our industry, educate the next generation of young talent for the
future, and insipire and drive excellence.
None of this would be possible without our members – they underpin everything we do.
All are connected in some way with the furnishing industry, and bring a wealth of knowledge, experience and
contacts they are keen to share. Some are still forging their careers, while others are building and running
major enterprises. What they have in common is their passion for the furnishing industry, great energy and
drive, and a wish to give something back. They understand the importance of developing strong businesses,
creating job opportunities and helping those in need.
We are delighted to welcome the new members detailed on these pages and look forward to involving them in
our many activities, helping us to help more people in our industry.
Welcome to our
new Honorary
Liveryman
Michael Mainelli
Michael co-founded Z/Yen, the City of
London’s leading commercial think-tank
and venture firm, in 1994 to promote
societal advance through better finance
and technology. In 2013 Michael
became an Alderman to promote the
City and to enhance Broad Street Ward.
Welcome to our
new Liverymen
James Burleigh
James has been designing and
manufacturing furniture since the early
1980s, specialising in high-quality tables
and benches. James’s focus since
launching the brand in 2002 has been
to create products that are functional,
aesthetically pleasing and sustainable.
From left to right - Michael Mainelli, Donna Bellingham, Stephen McPartland, Mike Storey,
Timothy Gosling, Vince Linnane
products. He is a determined and
goal-oriented strategist, with proven
leadership and motivational skills that
inspires both teams and individuals
to achieve corporate and personal
objectives through major growth and
change management programmes
Hugh Elliott
Hugh is the Director and Owner of
Alchemede Ltd, providing living/dining/
bedroom ranges for Marks and Spencer,
John Lewis and Laura Ashley, as well
as Design Management for Nathan
Furniture and children’s furniture ranges
in China and the US.
Timothy Gosling
Rob Hodge
Rob is the Director and Designer at
Evoni Design, which was established
in 2011. The ethos of the company is
to produce innovative, functional and
beautiful British-made luxury furniture
that can be customised to suit any
interior.
Tim is the Director at Gosling. He
has built up an impressive portfolio
with furniture interiors commissions
worldwide. Commercial projects include
the Goring Hotel and the Nell Gwynn
Hotel on Sloane Avenue. Private client
commissions include a number of
country homes worldwide as well as
many London residences.
Mike Kann
Alistair Gough
Mark is an MD at Cambridge Park,
with showrooms in Clerkenwell and
operations, design and warehousing
in Wimbledon. Its core products are
Alistair is the Managing Director and
Shareholder of OCee Design Limited,
manufacturer of commercial seating
Mike Kann is a furniture designer
specialising in the design and delivery
of projects for private clients and
exhibitions, working at the intersection
of traditional design and manufacturing
techniques and cutting edge
technologies and materials.
Mark Langston
boardroom and meeting room tables
and credenzas.
Vince Linnane
Vince owns Chimera Insurance, a
Financial Conduct Authority authorised
insurance firm. He works closely with
the Trustmark scheme and the Office of
Fair Trading to develop and implement
insurances. He also works with The
Furniture Ombudsman (TFO) and
Homebase in the development of a
Trading Standards Approved Code for
the furniture industry.
Stephanie Marsh
Stephanie was formerly Learning
Support Co-ordinator, School of
Surveying & Planning at Kingston
University. In 2008 she became
a trustee of The Frederick Parker
Foundation, which has now merged
with The Furniture Makers’ Company.
Stephen McPartland
Stephen is Member of Parliament for
Stevenage and also chairman of the All
Party Parliamentary Furniture Industry
Group, APPFIG. In July 2014, Stephen
was appointed Parliamentary Private
Secretary to the Minister of State for
Trade and Investment, Lord Livingston.
27
Our new Liverymen continued
Derek Morley
Derek is Managing Director at Delnet Ltd,
mainly working with blue chip clients and
local government, supplying and installing
contract and corporate-based furniture
projects. Derek is Deputy Chairman for
Broad Street Ward Club, and an active
member of the Lord Taverners.
Bob O’Neill
Bob is the Commercial Director for
Adam Crease Shipping which is
a specialist shipper of furniture,
antiques and fine art. He undertakes
work for interior designers, furniture
manufacturers, retailers, furniture
dealers and action houses. Adam
Crease is a prominent member of the
British Institute of Interior Design.
Louise Pardoe
Louise is the Head of Sales at Restall
Brown & Clennell, a small well-organised
workshop producing the highest quality
furniture, both traditional and art deco
in style. She also works closely with
many top end designers and architects
to produce bespoke and custom made
pieces as well as traditional models.
Jake Phipps
Jake is the Founder and Director of Jake
Phipps Ltd. Jake graduated from John
Makepeace’s furniture design school,
Parnham College, in 1999. He began his
career as a cabinetmaker, designing and
making one-off pieces to commission. In
2005 he set up his own desigh studio.
James Pybus
James is a website marketing expert
and is currently Online Marketing
Manager at The LongestStay, Marketing
Director at First Impressions Furniture
and CEO and owner of Emarketing
Strategy. He is a member of the
Bespoke Guild Mark Committee.
Peter Sefton
Peter is Principal of his own furnituremaking school, the Peter Sefton
Furniture School, delivering leadership
and quality training to students aged
18-70. He is a qualified and experienced
furniture designer and maker, lecturer and
master craftsman with over 30 years’
industry experience.
Alan Stanton
Alan is Managing Director at Viasit
International Ltd, with a combined
role as MD of the UK and International
Business Development outside of Europe
in the company’s emerging markets.
Paul Stackhouse
Paul is the Curriculum Manager at
Burnley College, where he has taught
since 2008 and manages the workbased learning provision for construction
and furniture studies. Prior to teaching
Paul was a Team Leader/Programme
Manager of Furniture Studies at North
Lancs Training Corp Ltd.
James Vickers
James, now retired, studied and
attended a course at the LCC Technical
College for the Furnishing Trades, also
qualifying as a City & Guilds cabinet
maker. In 2012 he was Master of
The Worshipful Company of Joiners
and Ceilers.
Lisa Williamson
Lisa is a Manager for Proskills UK
Group, the standards setting body,
covering building products, coatings,
extractive and mineral processing,
glass, print, paper, furniture and
furnishings, wood, ceramics and
cross-sector health. Lisa is also a
Board Member of the National School
of Furniture.
David Woodward
David has been owner and Director
of his family company Celtheath since
1988, having also been Director of Sofa
Workshop until 2013. In his early career
he worked for Waring & Gillow and
Allied Carpets.
Welcome to our new Corporate Liverymen
Increasingly companies within the furnishing industry want to give something back to our industry and we
are delighted that so many want to be involved with The Furniture Makers’ Company. The following new
Corporate Liverymen come from either new Corporate Member companies, or from member companies.
Our Corporate membership now includes: Axminster Tools & Machinery,
B&Q, Bisley, Blum, Brighthouse, CD (UK), Chaucer Furniture Logistics,
Designer Contracts, DFS, Fully Furnished, Furniture Village, Herman
Miller International, Howdens, John Lewis Partnership, KI, M&S,
Parker Knoll, Silentnight and Willis & Gambier.
Mark Lynch
Kevin Morgan
Kevin is an experienced Installation
Services Leader with over 25 years’
experience specialising in installation
of multi-home-improvement and
energy-saving measures within the
DIY and home-improvement market.
Earlier in his career he completed a
joinery apprenticeship and City & Guilds
qualification in Retail.
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Mark has over 20 years’ retail experience
across multi-channels in numerous
product areas. For the past eight years
he has been with BrightHouse, the
biggest rent-to-own retailer in the UK
and is currently Director of Supply Chain.
Michael Devine
From left front row - Peter Kelsey, Sue Kelsey
and John Dalton from Designer Contracts,
with the Master and Wardens
Designer
Michael is Divisional Controller, in charge
of retail in the South. He has been with
BrightHouse for over 17 years.
Contracts
Dene Hamill
Peter Kelsey
Dene is TV Audio & Furniture Category
Manager with BrightHouse, which he
joined in 2007. Over 80 per cent of his
furniture suppliers are UK based.
A former Master of The Furniture
Makers’ Company, since 2004 Peter
has been Managing Director of Designer
Contracts, leading suppliers of show
Front row from left - Kevin Morgan, Stephanie Marsh, Sarah Rigby, Lisa Williamson, Louise Pardoe. Back row - Alistair Gough, Ray Greening,
Alan Stanton, Hugh Elliott, Peter Sefton, David Dewing, Paul Stackhouse, the Master, Jake Phipps, Ben Burbidge, Bob O’Neill, James Vickers,
Rob Hodge, Mark Langston, Mike Kann, Derek Morley
home, floor-covering and curtain
packages to the house building industry.
Sue Kelsey
Sue joined The Furniture Makers’
Company as a Freeman in 2009,
progressed to Liveryman in 2010, and
also sits on the Events Committee. She
began Designer Contracts with her
husband Peter in 2004.
John Dalton
John is Company Secretary, joining
the business at its inception following
a career as a chartered accountant,
specialising in insolvency and corporate
recovery, and in commerce/industry.
high-volume manufacturing industries,
in various global locations. A qualified
metallurgist, he has eight years’
experience in heavy industries (steel and
chemical) in Production, Test and R&D.
Sarah Rigby
Sarah leads the programme to develop
systems and processes for growth,
especially business planning, demand
forecasting and risk management.
She is also a developing new appliance
after-sales solution and is involved in
exploring possible international markets.
Kevin Geeves
Sales Director – Education, Kevin’s team
creates exciting learning environments
through providing well designed, durable
seating to schools, academies, colleges
and universities.
Jeremy McWhinney
Jeremy has been Operations & Finance
Director since 2001, overseeing all
aspects of the supply chain, customer
service and finance.
David Venables
Sales Director since 1999, David is
responsible for growing sales of KI’s
Workplace portfolio, an expanding,
locally designed and manufactured
programme of workstations, seating,
storage and third space furniture.
Jonathan Hindle
Ray Greening
Ray is Head of Quality at Howdens
Supply division. He is a quality
assurance professional with 26 years of
QA/QC experience in automotive and
Group Managing Director since 1993
and Immediate Past Master of
The Furniture Makers’ Company,
Jonathan is responsible for founding
and building the EMEA operations of
KI, which is a global leader in the
manufacture of contract furniture with
turnover of £1bn.
Paul Tanner
Furniture Buyer & Developer since 2012,
Paul has previous experience with
numerous furniture retail brands including
MADE.com, Lombok and Habitat.
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Our new Corporate Liverymen continued
Donna Bellingham
Donna is a commercial director with
extensive brand management and
retail expertise, gained from business
development, buying, manufacturing
and commercial management. She is
currently Brand Director at Parker Knoll
where she has worked since 2005,
developing the relaunch of the Parker
Knoll brand.
Mike Storey
Mike is Sales and Marketing Director at
Parker Knoll with combined sales of £20m.
Mike joined to help relaunch the company
and has built independent sales to £6m.
He established distribution to top
furniture groups, including John Lewis
and Furniture Village, and has taken a
lead on direction of the new product
development plan and fabric selection.
Adrian Fawcett
Chairman of the Silentnight Group, Adrian
is an experienced chairman, CEO, NED
and business investor with a track record
of significantly accelerating business
performance.
His objective is to grow Silentnight to
be the number one super brand in its
sector, developing outstanding, relevant,
sustainable lifestyle product.
Steve Freeman
Steve has been Managing Director of
the Silentnight Group since 2011, having
joined the group in 2009 as MD of Sealy
UK, following 17 years’ experience
working in the USA, Europe and the
UK with the Scwan Food Company. He
sits on the national Bed Federation’s
marketing committee.
Richard Logan
Chief Operations Officer, Richard
is responsible for the company’s
purchasing, manufacturing and
distribition, plus HR and Health & Safety,
and has over 36 years’ experience in
the furniture and carpet industries.
Welcome to our new Freemen
Jon Coulson
Tony Kehyaian
Jon has been Marketing Consultant with
Corporate Member B&Q since 2012,
and MD of Blue Crush Communications
since 2007, with prior experience as
Director of Corporate Affairs at MFI
Group.
Tony is the Managing Director of Lelievre
(UK) Ltd, which is a UK subsidiary
of Lelievere Paris, the high-quality
furnishing fabric company, which has
been a family business since 1914.
Mark Elphick
Adrian works for Cimitree Furniture Ltd
and is responsible for the running of the
workshop and the design studio. Prior
to setting up Cimitree Furniture Ltd,
both Adrian and Chris Thorpe (below)
were cabinet makers working at a host
of high end furniture workshops.
Mark is the Consultant/Director of
Orchard Safety Services Ltd. His
background is in general safety
provision – civil engineering, construction
and building maintenance.
Niall Head-Rapson
Niall is the Director and Principal at
McDaniel & Co Solicitors in Newcastle
upon Tyne, a niche practice to service
the merging technologies market using
his background in Intellectual Property
and Life Sciences.
Kelly Hudson
Kelly is a senior solicitor at McDaniel
& Co Solicitors, specialising in niche
Intellectual Property (IP), Commercial
Litigation, Commercial and Family Law
practice.
30
Adrian King
David Knight
David is the Managing Director at
Crest Contact Interiors Ltd. He takes
full responsibility for the running and
management of the business, promoting
high-quality and design furniture ranges
for the dealer and specification markets.
David Lyall
David is Director at OPM Furniture Ltd.
He was one of the co-founders of
Osiris Furniture Makers in 1985 and
in 2004 Osiris and PMFM (Peter Milne
Furniture Makers) merged to become
OPM Furniture which continues to thrive
today.
Chloe Macintosh
Chloe is co-founder, investor and
Creative Director at MADE.com, which
began in 2010. Previously she was
Head of Design with Mydeco and an
Associate Partner Architect at Foster &
Partners.
Will Self
Will is a designer maker with his own
company William Self Furniture, which
he started in 2005 following previous
experience with HB Design Group and a
BA Hons degree in furniture design and
making at the University of Manchester.
Chris Thorpe
Chris is the founding Director of
Cimitree Furniture Ltd. The company
was established with business partner
Adrian King (above) in 2006, with a
view to making bespoke freestanding
furniture. The designers have been
awarded two Bespoke Guild Marks over
the past three years.
The Frederick Parker Collection 16th Annual Lectures and Dinner
Every year, we hold two lectures, followed by an enjoyable dinner, as an important
way of raising funds for the Frederick Parker Chair Collection, now incorporated
within The Furniture Makers’ Company. The event has become an important
fixture for furniture designers, makers and historians, and those interested in the
conservation and study of English furniture.
This year we were lucky enough to secure two outstanding speakers: Sarah
Medlam, distinguished furniture historian and former Deputy Keeper of the
Department of Furniture, Textiles & Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum;
and Clive Stewart-Lockhart, the Managing Director of auctioneers Woolley
& Wallis – already known to many of us from his appearances on the BBC’s
Antiques Roadshow.
Frederick Parker (1845-1927)
Sarah’s scholarly talk focused on Augustus III of
Saxony’s magnificent writing cabinet, made in
Dresden during the mid 18th century. We
discovered how conservation not only preserves
furniture, but can also be a vital element in its
investigation. Examining a piece of furniture
under studio conditions reveals new evidence
concerning its construction and life story, even
when archive resources are unavailable.
Clive then gave us a witty appreciation of his
distinguished great-aunt, the furniture maker
and designer, Betty Joel (pictured right). As an
innovator operating in the inter-war period, Joel
was one of the first women to run a furniture
business, which enjoyed a huge success.
His highly entertaining talk was illustrated with
fascinating slides, showing Betty Joel’s many
commissions for private individuals,
businesses, hotels and banks.
The two lectures were followed by a dinner at the Hallam Centre in
London’s West End. As always, this was accompanied by the famous (and popular) annual draw for the Friends of
the Frederick Parker Collection, giving a lucky supporter the chance to win two cases of Veuve Clicquot champagne.
Luke Honey, Custodian, Frederick Parker Collection
One of Betty’s commissions
The Betty Joel delivery van
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Would you like to join us?
Do you have a passion for the furnishing industry?
Would you like to give something back?
If you are part of the furnishing industry, be a
part of us
We are the furnishing industry’s charity. Our mission is
to champion the industry by educating for the future,
supporting those in need and driving excellence.
All our members are connected in some way with the
furnishing industry, and bring a wealth of knowledge,
experience and contacts they are keen to share. Some
are still forging their careers, while others are building
and running major enterprises. They could be designers,
manufacturers, distributors, craftsmen, retailers, suppliers,
lecturers, PRs, journalists; individual and corporate
members, men and women, young and old.
What they have in common is their passion for the
industry, great energy and drive, and a wish to give
something back. They understand the importance of
developing strong businesses, creating job opportunities
and helping those in need.
Members volunteer their time and expertise, helping to
steer our activities and grow our remit. They support and
sponsor our many fundraising events and educational
programmes. They provide many opportunities for us to
grow and expand what we do, telling the world about us
and furthering our aims and objectives. And they enjoy
having the chance to get involved, to meet each other, to
hear other points of view and widen their knowledge.
Members underpin everything we do, helping us to do
more to help our industry.
The Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers
incorporating the Furnishing Trade Benevolent Association founded in 1903. Charity Number 1015519.
Furniture Makers’ Hall, 12 Austin Friars, London EC2N 2HE. 020 7256 5558
[email protected]
furnituremakers.org.uk