In 1912 Melin Tregwynt woollen mill was purchased by my grandfather Henry Griffiths for £760, and has been in our family for the last one hundred years.
Celebrations: As the date for our centenary grows closer (it’s May, June or August depending on whether we take the date of the first payment of 10% deposit in May, or the final payment in August) we have various events planned to celebrate. We’ll be telling you more about these events as they occur but here are a few highlights.
Water Wheel: We’re restoring the old water wheel here at the mill and planning improvements to the visitor experience: more information, old pictures, more explanation about the weaving process and some video footage for weekends when the mill isn’t working.
100th Birthday Party: Our local centenary event will be a pig roast and twmpath (it’s a welsh dance/party) in a marquee here at the mill, on Saturday June 16th. More details will appear on our website and facebook pages soon.
Blanket Coverage: Welsh tapestry and Tupperware Tea Party: On July 1st the people of Swansea and beyond will be invited to bring their own retro Welsh tapestry blankets and packed Tupperware for a communal picnic. This picnic will take place around an aeroplane whose fuselage will be completely covered in a specially created blanket based on our signature Madison design. This retro-inspired geometric pattern was influenced by a lime-green maxi skirt owned by my mum in the 70s.
The event is part of Adain Avion a project being organised by Marc Rees for the Cultural Olympiad in Wales. Blanket Coverage is Adain Avion’s unique take on the iconic artwork by Christo who famously covered the Reichstag in Berlin with silver fabric, transforming it into a social sculpture and immensely popular gathering point. Click here for more information about Adain Avion.
EISTEDDFOD: We’ll be participating in the Adain Avion event at the Welsh Eisteddfod 2012 in the Vale of Glamorgan, 4th - 11th August.
LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL: From 15th - 22nd September we’re the featured company in Heals for the London Design Festival. We’re producing a range of special colours and designs for the store and they will have Melin Tregwynt pop-up shop for this period and a special design talk/drinks event on 18th September.
LATER THIS YEAR: We’re also doing special designs for John Lewis and participating in the Prince of Wales’ Campaign for Wool. We’ll be also exhibiting in the U.S. and Japan later this year. More details about all these events will appear soon. We also hope to publish a book on the history of our family’s involvement with the mill from 1912 to the present day.