An Interesting New Talk about the local Silk Weaving Industry - Oct2017

An illustrated talk in St Mary's Church was given by author Liz Trenow about her family's long involvement in Silk Weaving and what it involved

Peter Hill

The Events team of the Wivenhoe History Group organised another annual talk in St Mary’s Church on Friday 13th October 2017 at 7.30pm. It was attended by 80 people and was enjoyed immensely by everyone who came.  Following the talk, everyone stayed in the Church enjoying an opportunity to socialise over a glass of wine.

Liz Trenow, whose family has been engaged in the silk weaving industry for 300 years including at Sudbury, the last town in Britain to be producing silk, proved herself to be an engaging speaker with an easy style.  She spoke about her researches into her family and showed pictures of where they lived and of designs they were producing.

Liz said:   Sudbury has been a major centre of silk weaving, and is today the only place in Britain where silk is produced in any quantity. And yet hardly anyone seems to be aware of this. Four companies between them employ several hundred highly-skilled local craftspeople creating exquisite fabrics that are in demand from top end fashion and furnishing houses across the world. Representatives of internationally famous couturiers – among them Prada, Hermes, Hugo Boss, Liberty of London, Armani, Chanel – regularly beat a path to Sudbury’s door in search of special silks of exceptional quality and design to grace their next catwalk shows.

After her talk, she answered questions and then signed copies of her latest book, The Silk Weaver, her 4th book based on the silk weaving industry in this country. The Wivenhoe Bookshop had thoughtfully brought some copies over from the shop.

 

 

This page was added on 14/09/2017.

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