11 May, 2012

John Smedley factory visit – one and a half million stitches

I recently had the privilege of spending the day at John Smedley Ltd in Derbyshire. I’ve long had an affinity with this revered English brand, the first piece of quality clothing I purchased, aged 14, was made by John Smedley. Cream Sea Island Cotton, long sleeves, three buttons on a woven placket and no collar. It was, … Continue reading

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09 May, 2012

The Tweed Run 2012

A selection of our photographs from last Sundays London Tweed Run, beginning in 21st century colour and fading appropriately into grainy monochrome. Up early and fuelled by boiled eggs, strong coffee and a little later our 2011 vintage sloe gin we headed west to the start of this two wheeled parade. The Tweed Run is about bicycles, … Continue reading

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12 Apr, 2012

Festival of Britain Southbank Exhibition Guide

A Festival of Britain Southbank Exhibition Guide landed on my desk this week, I’m happy to say it is holding its own alongside Monocle, Port, Intelligent Life and the rest and will be finding a place in the reference archive soon. This is an interesting physical document of the exhibition and a reflection of the era. The central exhibition guide … Continue reading

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06 Apr, 2012

Newsletter Archive Easter : Everest equipment | British weavers | Nordic gastronomy

Spring is here in the British Isles and as the tree blossom appears our thoughts turn to outdoor activity, and then, on the eve of the Easter holiday the temperature drops and grey skies loom. Parts of Scotland, only last week basking in 23 degree sunshine are buried under a thick blanket of snow. Yet such … Continue reading

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05 Apr, 2012

National Geographic Everest Expedition

National Geographic are sponsoring an Everest expedition, 59 years after Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay’s original ascent. The 2012 team will carry iPad’s and iPhones and subscribers are able to follow their progress on the National Geographic app. Here on their website the magazine compares equipment from both expeditions. This has the potential to be a great … Continue reading

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15 Mar, 2012

Inside the Cherchbi studio: objects of use, beauty and curiosity

Our ‘no clutter = minimally efficient workspace’ rule has been broken not once but three times recently. In a paraphrase of the William Morris quote we have nothing in the studio that we do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful… or curious. A pair of forged steel sheep shears, originally unearthed … Continue reading

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29 Feb, 2012

Newsletter Archive Leap Day : Foundries | Esquire, GQ & Observer coverage | Canoes

Welcome to the first and undoubtedly very rare Cherchbi Leap Day Newsletter. One extra day in every 1,460. This fact alone is surely reason enough to allow a moment to read about the latest goings-on at Cherchbi. Visits Late last year we accompanied some clients on a visit to B.B Stanley of Walsall, one of the … Continue reading

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29 Feb, 2012

Visiting B.B Stanley, a foundry in Walsall

Late last year we accompanied some clients on a visit to B.B Stanley of Walsall, one of the oldest foundries in the country. Established in 1832, B.B Stanley is one of only a handful of companies carrying on traditional production of high-quality buckles, lorinery and other brassware items. The nearby Jabez Cliff & Co (aka Barnsby) produces world class leather … Continue reading

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