We’re very pleased that they decided to feature us on their entry page. You can see us on http://www.hotbrandscoolplaces.com
Viewing entries in
News
Recently an American friend tweeted with an image from the last episode of REV with Tom Hollander where the Reverend is having a really bad time and is taking comfort from his God and a stack of our cushions.
This reminded me that he’s not the only TV character to turn to our products in their hour of need. On Wednesday (this evening) BBC3 are repeating the episode of Dr Who where the Doctor shows that he has the good taste and foresight to keep a selection of Melin Tregwynt throws on board the Tardis; ideal for an episode where the time travellers are threatened by a very cold star.
So the new Doctor and friends saved from a freezing death by the warmth and comfort of some Melin Tregwynt blankets. We now cover all time and space - even the Tardis has to have a throw or two - comes in handy in a cold snap.
The Crown, Thoroughfare, Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 1AD
t. 01394 384242 mailto:info@thecrownatwoodbridge.co.uk
I promise this is the last word on hotels for a while, but here are some more images of lovely rooms complete with throws from Melin Tregwynt.
The Crown’s bedrooms have been created by award-winning interior designers Bentheim, and have been transformed into a lazy bolthole, making a calm retreat from everyday stresses and the buzz of the bar and restaurant downstairs.
Ten very individual bedroomswith plump goose-down pillows, mattresses fit for royalty (they have the warrant to prove it), crisp cotton bedlinen and melin tregwynt blankets in charcoal grey and pinstripe.
http://www.thecrownatwoodbridge.co.uk/
The Arch London, 50 Great Cumberland Place, Marble Arch, London, W1H 7FD
T: +44(0)207 724 4700 (hotel) info@thearchlondon.com
Another stunning hotel, that just happens to use our products, the Arch London is a luxury lifestyle hotel just a stone’s throw from Marble Arch. Spanning seven Georgian townhouses and two mews homes, this urban hideaway offers a unique combination of English heritage and contemporary style. www.thearchlondon.com
With 82 individually designed guestrooms and an inspiring restaurant and bar, it provides the best in comfort and service. It’s use of rich fabrics and colours displays the current trend of a return to pattern and the move away from minimalism in hotel design.
Our Mondo throws in use
I hope you’ll enjoy these images from one of the hotels we’ve supplied. The Boundary, Redchurch Street, 2-4 Boundary Street, Shoreditch, London E2 7DD
Tel +44 (0)20 7729 1051 info@theboundary.co.uk
Located in a converted Victorian warehouse, Boundary opened last year and includes 3 restaurants and bars, 12 guest bedrooms, 5 suites, a bakery and a food store.
Each of the rooms has a different design that has been inspired by legendary designers or design movements that the owners admire.
Our blankets in use
Boundary Rooftop includes a large bar with seating arranged around an open fireplace, a 48-seat grill restaurant and a garden. There are 360-degree views from Canary Wharf to the City’s Gherkin and Barbican to the rooftops and spires of East London. The space is replete with a large sail-like canopy, heating, festoon lighting and Welsh blankets from Melin Tregwynt
Boundary is a joint venture between Terence and Vicki Conran, in partnership with Peter Prescott. http://www.theboundary.co.uk/
Whilst we don’t have a group photograph of all of you, we’re very grateful for your continued support of all of us here at Melin Tregwynt (see picture below).
I’m pleased to say that despite all the economic gloom, around at the moment, our retail sales were up 25% over the last year, thanks to you and all our other customers.
Just a quick update on the year so far. Our blankets and throws are now being sold in John Lewis and are doing extremely well. We’ve produced a new range of traditional doublecloth bedspreads, designed by Donna Wilson, which is being launched at Milan furniture fair and then sold exclusively through SCP in London. Despite the recession we’re selling well in Germany and Japan and have a number of large hotel projects to complete. Later this year we’re doing more joint projects with other manufacturers like Healthy Back Bags, Innermost, Birkenstock, Tolbiac and others.
Let us know what you think about these new products when they arrive; and what else you’d like to see us selling. We couldn’t do it without you.
I thought you might like to see the faces behind our fabrics. This picture was taken about a month ago when we said goodbye to Kath and Irene, two of our staff who were retiring.
Kath (3rd from right in front row) had been with the company for 40 years (she joined us in the 60s). She began by recording our sales by hand in an old ledger and by her retirement she was experienced in the dark arts of Sage accounting and computers. Amazing changes in one working life.
Irene looked after all the administrative duties and paperwork that make small business life such a pleasure. She was also a great source of doggy chews for our three labradors.
We’ll miss them both but we now have two new staff, Peter and Maria. (on the right in the top row) who have taken up the challenge of working here.
If you want to know who everybody else is and what they do, then go to our staff page and see more pics including some archive pictures from 50s onwards.
I thought I would show you some more of the amazing things that people have made using our fabric.
These jackets, waistcoat and cap were made from our spice multicheck blanket fabric by a Japanese company called ThisisFew for their Melin Tregwynt 2008 Winter Collection. I’m sure that the winters are very cold in Hokkaido but this combination would keep you very warm indeed. The model on the right looks as if he’s realised the early September may be too soon to wear this outfit.
Update on 2009-03-18 14:39 by Eifion Griffiths
Looking at the clothes above, I was reminded of a photograph one of our visitors to Pembrokeshire sent us of an alternative use for purchase he’d made earlier that day. The picture is taken at Strumble Head about three miles away from Melin Tregwynt.
Despite the obvious sunshine it was winter and very cold and blustery so he took our teacosy out of its bag and used it to keep his head warm.
I’ve lost his contact details, so if anybody recognises this resourceful gentleman, please let me have a name so I can let him know that his fashion flair and inspiration has not gone unrecognised.
Update on 2010-05-10 23:43 by Eifion Griffiths
Again on the subject of things that other people have made from our fabric, these are some very sweet lavender scented hearts made by Clems Daughter and despite the missing apostrophe I think it’s a really nice site. We make hearts ourselves but I like the delicacy and the string bows add a nice touch.
We’re obviously fans of Welsh tapestry fabrics so it’s fantastic to see how IlseCrawford has used classic Welsh tapestry blankets in her design for the restaurant at the Olde Bell Inn, draping them over high-backed settles from Labour and Wait and fastening them with bridle leather belts. By the way ours is the one by the window.
She has covered the floors with handwoven rush matting, installed Bestlite wall lamps, and furnished the bedrooms with Ercol Windsor rocking chairs, and added a dash of red to the neutral color scheme with a Roberts Revival radio.
For a closer look at her work go to the wonderful Remodelista blog where you’ll find lots of other interesting articles and fantastic inspiration.
Update on 2009-03-17 15:59 by Eifion Griffiths
I’ve just found another image from the Olde Bell Inn showing more of the interior and another of our Knot Garden fabrics.
I’m glad to see that this interior is has been shortlisted for the Restaurant & Bar Design Awards in the category Best Restaurant Interior. This is the UK’s first and only restaurant and bar awards dedicated exclusively to project and product design with an award going to both designer and operator
Awards Ceremony - Monday 27th April 2009
Well I hope they win.
ITV1 is showing a documentary tomorrow (Friday 18th July) at 8.00pm. about the making of the Waitrose picnic blanket.
They filmed the blanket being woven here at Melin Tregwynt but they also visited Schofields, our finishers in Scotland and then went to South Africa to show the finished cloth being sewn together and filmed. I’ve seen clips taken from the documentary and it looks fascinating, particularly the actual filming.
Unfortunately we never got to go to South Africa ourselves, but it will be great to see how they put it all together. Just weaving it was difficult enough, but to actually sew all the strips together, put a backing on it and then carry it up a hill and roll it down again (again and again) during filming was truly heroic. It took 40 strong men to actually lift it.
The advert was only planned to run for four weeks so if you missed it take a look here. If you want to win a smaller version Waitrose are running a competition with 30 picnic blankets to be won (see below) and click here.