Dashing Tweeds

[H.Johnson]

Amen to that, Creeping. I think Welsh, English and Irish tweed is often neglected. Let's big it up, dude (as I believe young people say). I'm a Derby man myself.

I was aware that in this instance LD was influenced by Leadbelly (ah, that 12-string!) rather than The Weavers, but I couldn't think offhand of anything else they had recorded and I didn't want to lose the joke...

Weaving is about as traditional a craft as its possible to practice. I'm all for independent weavers, wherever they work. Tweed's been woven all over the UK, including in other parts of Scotland outside the islands, for years and years.

Stating a preference for hairy Harris* is one thing, but the tweed tradition is surely bigger and wider than the collective urge/preference for a fabric with a very particular feel to it.

And speaking of tradition, where would Lonnie and The Weavers have been without Huddie "Leadbelly" Leadbetter, and possibly others as well, who they 'borrowed' "Rock Island Line" from?

* Apologies, this didn't come out quite how I intended...

 

[Creeping Past]

I was a little surprised you didn't seem to know about the Leadbelly link. I can be very literal sometimes in my reading/understanding. The internet always brings out the worst of my literalism...

Yes, like the pipes, the instrument of the people mentioned by Shakespeare that was somehow isolated from mainstream of 'folk' music and became synonymous with the north of the British Isles, tweed once flourished all over these islands.

Back to the DTs. And just to show my contrary side, again. I suppose I'd be even more in favour of an independent weaving outfit using all-natural lanolin-rich wool rather than luminous/teflon-y stuff.

 

[Edward]

As Harris Tweed has been mentioned... a few weeks ago, I saw a Beeb docusoap about Saville Row. Among other things, they followed one of the oners of one of the firms on a Harris Tweed buying expedition. There was some discussion of a controversy, whereby some rich person was buying up a lot of the eavers and trying to push the whole business away from all the traditional patterns to conentrate on only half a dozen variants - stack it high, maximise the profit margin. Anyone heard any more about this?

I enjoy Tweed myself. I have a jacket somewhere that I think, from memory, is a Harris; I also have a rather nice Donegal Tweed M&S blazer. Great jackets for the Spring / Autumn.

 

[cookie]

As Harris Tweed has been mentioned... a few weeks ago, I saw a Beeb docusoap about Saville Row. Among other things, they followed one of the oners of one of the firms on a Harris Tweed buying expedition. There was some discussion of a controversy, whereby some rich person was buying up a lot of the eavers and trying to push the whole business away from all the traditional patterns to conentrate on only half a dozen variants - stack it high, maximise the profit margin. Anyone heard any more about this?

I enjoy Tweed myself. I have a jacket somewhere that I think, from memory, is a Harris; I also have a rather nice Donegal Tweed M&S blazer. Great jackets for the Spring / Autumn.

There have been posts on this ...the story is true FWIW

 

[Creeping Past]

Yes, from what I've read it seems to be yet another case of a company restructuring to offer what it thinks people want (consistency, etc.) rather than producing unique items that change with the years and materials at hand. My take on the proposals for Harris tweed is that it's about making a standardised product that'll be easier to market globally. The result? One tweed fits all.

 

[Feraud]

I was aware that in this instance LD was influenced by Leadbelly (ah, that 12-string!) rather than The Weavers, but I couldn't think offhand of anything else they had recorded and I didn't want to lose the joke...

Any conversation that leads to Leadbelly and his 12 string Stella is a good one.

 

[Edward]

Yes, from what I've read it seems to be yet another case of a company restructuring to offer what it thinks people want (consistency, etc.) rather than producing unique items that change with the years and materials at hand. My take on the proposals for Harris tweed is that it's about making a standardised product that'll be easier to market globally. The result? One tweed fits all.

Which, as usual, will no doubt very quickly turn into "one size suits none," as is the way of these things. :eusa_doh: