THE BASKETMAKERS' ASSOCIATION
Chairman Barbara Maynard Vice-Chairman 'rom Lewis Hon.Secretary Joy Viall Asst.Secretary: Jill Drury Hon.Treasurer : Vavi Brinkhurst Editor Nancy Furlong ** ** ****************************
Committee: Norma Barwis, Brenda Langley, Tina Leith, Venice Manley, Fred Rogers, Jenny Sole, Susan Sykes, Meg Tapley, Albert Williams *** * **** **************** ********
NEWSLETTER No: 7. APRIL 1978
CHRISTMAS CARD COMPETITION
·le intend printing and selling an Association Christmas card this year, any profit to go to Association funds.
Please submit your ideas for designs on a greeting card size and send them to the Secretary, as soon as possible.
The winning design can then be printed and be offered for sale at the Annual General Meeting on October 28th 1978.
x xxx x x xxxxx x x x xxxxxxx • xxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx · x x x x x MEMBERSHIP LlST
Change of Address
Mr Michael M. Fr anks, 8 Wellington Court, Circus :Road, London NW8 9TA.
Mr John Galloway, 51 Murillo Road~ Streatham, London SE13
Miss Tina Leith, 37 Therapia Road, London S.E.22 .
. NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members to the Association:-
Mrs Edna I. Balder, Ashleigh, Coventry Road, Fillongley, Near Coventry.
Mrs Peggy D. Baker, 23 The Paddocks, Burwell, Cambs. CB5 OHQ.
Mrs Barbara Black, 35 Nidd Approach, Wetherby, Yorks.
Mrs June Campbell, 91 Green Hill, High Wycombe, Bucks.
Mrs Barbara Cross, 44 Starling Road, Radcliffe, Manchester.
Mrs M. Jacqueline Evans, New Barnes, Norton-Bromyard H.F.D.S. HR7 4PA.
Mrs Betty Fowler, Primrose Cottage, Langdon, Tewkesbury, Glos. Mr Geoffrey Garlick, 4 Highgate Avenue, Birstall, ..~ Leicester LE4 3JJ. '
Mrs Jean Glover, 6 Dringthorpe Road, Dringhouses, York, Y02 2NF. Continued/
2 NEW MEMBERS (Continued)
Mrs Jane Greening , Periwinkle, Old Rectory Drive, Dry Dayton, Cambs.
Mrs B. G. Hague, 113 Jackroyd Lane, Newsome, Huddersfield.
Mr A. S. Hawkins, Minnis End, Stelling Minnis, Near Canterbury, Kent.
Mrs M. Holden, 26 Lesney Park Road, Erith, Kent.
Mr Steven P. Johnson, 48 Harlyn Drive, Pinner, Middx.
Mrs Thelma Lamb, 186 Sunderland Road, South Shields, Tyne and Wear, NE34 6AH.
Miss Janice Levick, High Street Farm, Beckingham, Doncaster, s. Yorks.
Miss Judith Mcintyre, 6 Mead Manor, Claude Road, Chorlton-cum-Hardy, Manchester 21.
Mrs M. McCaskie, 67 Springwood Hall Gardens, Hu ddersfield, HD1 4HA.
Mrs M. Manning, 34 Whitby Av enue, Fartown, Huddersfield.
Mr s J . Mars den, 28 Lawrence Road, Marsh, Huddersfield HD1 42Y .
Mrs J .E. Masters, 50 High Street, Willingham, Cambridge .
Mr Toussaint Orsini, 2 Church Farm Cottages, The Lee, Chesham, Bucks HP16 9LZ.
... Miss Julia Rubin, Broadwaye Cottage, Highfield Lane, Cox Gr een, Maidenhead, Berks.
Mrs M. I. Stokes, 8 Ennerdale Crescent, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV11 6HZ. Continued/
3 NEW MEMBERS (Continued)
Mrs J. Turner, 6 Woodland Drive, Lepton, Huddersfield.
Miss Jacqueline Walker, 119 Victoria Park Road, South Hackney, E9.
Mr John Weiss, Head of Furniture and Interior Design Department, London College of Furniture, 41-71 Commercial Road, London E1 1LA.
Miss Yvonne West, Le Chateau 4'Arques, Arques, Couiza 11190, Aude, France.
* * * * * * * * CONGRATULATIONS To Fred Rogers, who on January 17th 1978, was granted through Trade Redemption, the Freedom of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers, in recognition of his many years of service to the Trade.
To Nancy Furlong, who has just won the Miss Russell award for the best modern design in any craft at the Essex Handicraft Association Exhibition held recently at Chelmsford. The piece which won was a modern version of the ancient Corn dolly Stack cockerel.
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Mrs Greenhaw of Otterton Mill, Otterton, Near Budleigh Salterton (Telephone: Colaton Raleigh 68521) would very much like to have baskets to sell in her shop. British made of all types.
This lady has a workshop which she would like to let to a basketmaker. • In addition, she cuts rushes from the river nearby and has a small surplus for sale.
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4 FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Our Summer Meeting this year will be held on 25th June 1978, at the home of Reg. and Joy Viall, Bierton House, Dean Way, Chalfant St. Giles, Bucks, from 2 p.m.
By popular request, Mr Karl Shawler of the Bee Research Association, will be demonstrating the actual making of Bee skeps. Also Mr Toussaint Orsini - a retired Corsican fisherman - will demonstrate the making of Corsican lobster pots. The three albums of photo• graphs of the Blind Workshop at Kilburn by Mr Michael Franks will be on show. Please bring along any new or unusual piece of basketry that you have for a small exhibition.
Any contributions of food for afternoon tea will be very much appreciated. Any remaining at the end will be sold and the proceeds will go to the Association funds, as will the 50p per person entrance fee (this includes tea) and the proceeds from a raffle.
To get to Bierton House from London, take the A40 to Denham R01mdabou t, take the right hand exit A40 to Oxford, about 2 miles further on at the 2nd set of traffic lights, turn right onto A.413 Amersham. 4 miles along A.413, at traffic lights by Pheasant Public House, turn Left down hill to Village, past pond and green, and the house is the 4th house beyond the Miltons Head Public House on the right hand side.
There is a large car park in the village, ent:rance opposite the public house, or it is possible to park on one side only of Dean Way.
If the weather is wet we can use the village hall for our meeting.
Please fill in details on the returnable slip at back and return it to the Secretary.
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5 ART !'..ND CRAFTS EXH IBITION
Saturday May 27th 1978 Gr and Hotel, Northampton. II July 15th Watersmeet, Rickmansworth. " July 29th ) Aug. 5th ) " -Windsor Castle " Aug. 12th ) " Aug. 19th ) These events are organised by David Moore , and As hley Ca.rpenter, 2 Beacon Way, Rickmansworth, 1-Ierts. (Tel ephone : Rick.mansworth 73232 ). If you are interested in any of these events, t elephone immediately for further details. * * * * * * * *
April 10th - May 13th 1978 a t the Sunderland Arts Centre an exhibition entitled "Craftsmanlike". For further details ring 0783 41214. ·
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April 25th to September 2nd 1978. Demonstrations and Exhibitions thrOughout the Summer, "Craftsmen in Action" · a t the Red Barn Gallery, Fermoy Centre, _Kings Street, Ki ngs Lynn. For further details ring Margorie Pringle at Kings Lynn 47 25 .
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A new member of our .Asso cia tion Mr J, Dunwell, Craft instructor, chair caner and author, will have a stand at the Living Craft 1978 Exhibition a t Hatfield House, Herts, from May 4th t o 7th 1978, and looks forwar d to meeting other members of the Basketmakers' Association.
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6 ADDITION TO BOOK LIST
"The Rural Industries of England and Wales - Osier Growing and .Basketry" by Fitzrandolph and Hay. First published 1926, Reprinted by E.P. Publishing Limited, in 1977, at East Ardley, Wakefield, West Yorkshire for £4. 95 pius postage and packing. ·
An extract from. the above which was a survey made on behalf of the Agricultural Economics Research Institute at Oxford states "Each of the three chief species of willow used for basketmaking has its own characteristics from the basketmakers and the growers' point of view. Viminalis, the Osier, grows on poor ground better than Triandra, and thrives under dry conditions. It is used for coarse work and also for 1 skeined' (pronounced 1 skeened') work - that done with split rods. Longskin, the best kind of Osier, is alternatively called Lonskein, and is often skeined or split".
The book makes interesting reading and although published originally more than 50 years ago, with the revival of interest in cottage crafts it has relevance today .
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MARITIME MUSEUM, EXETER
Anyone interBsted in boats using basketry techniques should try and visit this interesting museum; in the collection there are several types of coracles, used on the We lsh rivers for fishing , 2 Reed boats, one from Lake Titicaca, similar to the one burnt in protest by Thor Heyerdahl recently, a small truncated version from Corfu, and a small Qufah from Iraq.
They have a coloured postcard of the large reed boat on sale; if you ask permission perhaps they will allow you to photograph the others.
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7 ANCIENT CRAFTS
A.P.Williams
The Basket Makers Fraternity being one of the earliest crafts of the City of London, does appear to have existed for very many years by ancient right, long before the establishment of the Company by the Court of Mayor and Alderman in the year of 1569. Unfortunately for us, the minute books, writings and other various records were destroyed in the Great Fire of London in the year 1666. . An entry to be found in the existing books of the Company written on the 10th January 1667, contains a brief reference to the Great Fire of .London. It there records that in one of the rooms of the Guildhall, where the basketmakers used to hold their meetings, many chests with carpets, cushions, books and writings etc., were consumed by the fierce flames to the great loss and detriment of the Fraternity.
BASKETS BEHIND BARS
A.P.Williams
Further to the article of same title in the last News letter, concerning the "carryings-on" in the basket shop; there was a similar occurrence when we had a large consignment of stone jars for wickering. These were the famous Navy rum jars which were sent in for casing. (Ed. Note. One of these jars is on display at the Naval Air Station Museum at Yeovilton).
After the first week of checking out finished work, we found that of the 100 or so booked out only about 60 could be found. On rechecking, we were forced. to the conclusion that as they were booked out, one of the prisoners was working them back into the workshop to be booked out again! Continued/
8 To get over this, we decided that as we booked them out, we would give them a dab of- black paint on the bottom of the j ar, to make sure that they did not work the same trick again.
On the next check up we found that again we had booked considerably more than had been completed, and on closer examination and investigation, discovered that some one had washed off the paint with white spirit!
Such Enterprise!
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Some comments on a leaflet entitled "Baskets into Battle" (Ed.)
Recently I saw an illustrated leaflet of the Second World War showing Land Army girls on a Suffolk farm, cutting, grading, boiling, stripping and drying, bolting up and loading bolts of withies, and their subsequent use in the manufacture of airborne panniers. These panniers were then packed with stores, and fastened with parachute belting by the men of the Royal Army Service Corps, before being pushed complete with parachute out of the aircraft over the selected delivery area. The panniers had to be made accurately so that they would fit inside each other thus providing a double wall for strength. From the pictures the work was of very high standard of workmanship, though the young lady posed working on one looked as if she had put her best skirt .. and blouse on specially for her photograph! And I always thought withies were cut in the Winter when the leaves had dropped ! The wholesale price for these panniers was £4, and a great many were made, with the result that after the war ended they were being sold off as surplus at 4/6d each, and I understand that the Dutch farmers around Arnhem still use them to store bulbs in!
9 Tyne and Wear Area
l;! e have had a request for information from the Museum Service of the above area~ They wish to know if any swill baskets are still made, and the names of any traditional basket-makers in the area whom they could visit. Please let our Secretary have any information you can offer.
****** * * RESIDENTIAL COURSES
The Basketmakers' Association proposes organising residential instruction courses in Basketry during 1979. Probably next Easter and Sumnier. We we·lcome members' views regarding specific aspects of Basketry for which instruction is required and whether weekday or weekends would be more popular. Please fill in the slip at the back, and from your comments and suggestions we will work out details. ******** RUSH MATS AND KNEELERS Laura Richardson I read with great interest the article on Rush mats and kneelers by Muriel Baines in No.6 of the Basketmakers' Newsletter. I wonder whether tbe mat is in fact made of field rushes. This small rush is found in every badly drained field and is in fact the rush of which rush lights were made. I have in the past used these quite a lot, and found them much tougher than the giant rush growing in water. They must be used when only partly dry, as they are almost impossible to soften once they have really dried out before use.
The rush bearing traditions in Ambleside and Grasmere churches would certainly use field rushes to strew on the floor, as they used them to thatch their stacks.
********
10 SOMERSET Now that the holiday season is approaching it is a good time to remind members that Mr & Mrs Philip Geers of Turkey Cottage, Curload, Stoke St. Gregory, Taunton, Somerset, Telephone Burrowbridge 571, wiil be pleased to provide Bed, Breakfast and Evening meal if it is your intention to visit the willow-growing area of Somerset this year. * * * * * * * * G. Musgrave The recent bad weather and flooding experienced in Somerset reminds me of two incidents in earlier floods.
This district is very flat indeed, we have various moors around here. In Somerset moor means marsh. Years ago before drainage improvements were made and pumping machinery set up, they used to be very badly flooded indeed, by tides up on top of freshwater coming down in the Winter. There was a man living quite near here on the moors. He used to do a bit of work and then drink some cider, and sleep it off in the afternoon. On this particular occasion he .got in a boat and pushed it in under a culvert, which is a bridge over a rhine, and went to sleep. Later that afternoon, a friend of mine heard somebody call and he went and stood on the bridge and shouted "Is anybody calling?" and a voice came from under his feet, "Yes, Charle under this bridge" and he was so startled that he jumped nearly 3' off the ground! Apparently after Charle had settled down to sleep, the floodwater had risen and jammed the boat tightly under the bridge, trapping him under so that he couldn't get out!
..' If my friend hadn't gone out to see how fast the water was rising, he wouldn't have heard the cry for help and Charle would have drowned. It was quite a job getting him out anyway. Continued/
11 On another occasion a funny thing happened to me, After 6 weeks continuous rain and gale, the f orce of the westerly winds broke the banks of the River Tone in two places, this was in 1929, and the whole of the bottom part of the village was flooded, The highest part in Stoke St. Gregory is only 75 feet. I had a flat bottomed boat and I used it to get in to my place here. For a time I had to move and live with my brother at the top of the hill, You can hardly call it a hill, but it was out of reach of the water.
Well, the first day when I was trying to get out the water was right up to the window of my nei ghbour's house across the road; at the time there was a terrific storm blowing, and I couldn't control the blessed boat, and made a beeline for my neighbour's bow window, Fortunately I managed to stop the boat, the front of which just missed the glass in the window. Next day he boarded up the window with the remark "I don't mind you coming up to the door anytime, but I don't particularly want you coming in my front room through the bow window"!
However, I gradually got used to this flat-bottomed boat and we used to go up and down the road taking visitors who used to come in their hundreds from Taunton and other places to see the floods.
It was possible to take the boat across Stanmoor over the tops of the withies. At that time there was no way of getting the water away and when the floods eventually went down, our houses were full of awful mud and it took many years to get rid of the damp. Fortunately with improved drainage we don't get such bad flooding nowadays".
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12 ED. NOTE: The beehives covered in mud for the series on Television about Iron Age living were made in Mr Musgrave's workshop, and the participants in the series were taught to make baskets there.
* * * * * * * * ON THE PLANK Fred Rogers
Question: What advice can you give for making hampers, particularly the sturdier types?
Answer: A hamper base is stronger if the base sticks are put in cross-wise rather than longways. In addition leagues (any number up to four) should be put across bottom sticks and brought up to form stakes.
If the base is worked in whole cane, e.g. Palembang, it will be stronger; also using cane in the upsett - 1st round cane, then three or four rounds of willow, and the last round in cane waling.
The siding is usually worked in English Randing either medium or close, but when rapping down, care must be taken not to draw in the stakes.
The square corners of the hampers should have liners of extra thick stakes inserted, and it is important to keep the corner stakes close together and not placed too far apart, in order to have strong sharply defined corners.
A Laundry hamper of size 27" x 18 11 x 12 11 should have stout stakes 2" apart.
Before bordering down, 2 rounds of cane waling will strengthen the top edge.
The lid should be made longways and not cross-wise as the base, but put in extra sticks with a space of 3 finger tips between. 13 Report on 1977 of the Worshipful Company of Basketmakers
The following item on our Association appeared in this report, and we have the permission of the Clerk to reproduce it here. 11 Basketmakers Association
This Association has recently been forme d by enthusiasts, principally craft teachers, and the Apprentices of the Company have been encouraged to join, the Company paying the first year's subscription. Past Prime Warden Hipkins and the Clerk attended the Annual General Meeting on Saturday 29 October taking some of the Egyptian and other pieces to be shown to those a ttending and this was greatly appreciated.
The Company representatives were greatly impressed with the strong craft f eeling of the Members of the Association who with guidance from Trade expert, Mr F.W. Rogers (London Association for the Blind) and others were making a really professional entry into a reviving home produced supply for the market. Much of the work was of a very high standard and well worth realistic prices. They were satisfied that the modest support given by the Court towards the production of the Association Journal was fully justified.
The Chairman, Mrs Barbara Maynard, has been entertained at the Banquet and the Honorary Sec. Mrs Joy Viall and the Honorary Treasurer Mrs Vavi Brinkhurst were invited to the Reception at Stationers Hall in early December.
Bob art's and Perrin' s "Records of the Basketmakers Company" is out of print and Past Prime Warden Ronald with the Clerk are making a study in preparation for a revised issue brought up-to-date. 11
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14 SKEINING TOOLS
The cost of a set of new hand-made skeining tools consisting of cleave, shave and upright will be £30 + VAT + Eostage and packing to members, and £35 + VAT + Postage and packing to non-members.
There will only be a limited quantity of numbered sets made, so if you require a set, don't delay, order them now, using the returnable slip on back page.
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CANE SEATING CHARGES
In response to the question frequently asked, we feel that allowing for the increased cost of materials and the many hours needed to complete cane seating e.g., Standard 6 or 7 way, 12p per hole plus material cost is a rGasonable charge to make. Variation of pattern and any special problems would need to be taken into account how• ever when estimating.
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NEW CRAFT SHOPS
Cne shop in Wetherby, Yorks, and another in Stranraer requi:ce all types of basketry including cane and rush• craft. Consult Secretary for further details.
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SUBSCRIPTIONS
If you have not yet received a membership card for 1978, this would indicate that you have forgotten to send your subscription which is £2 for individuals, and £5 for firms. See slip at back of Newsletter. Thank you. * * * * * * * * 15 STRAW HATS AND BONNETS Sylvia.Chilman We felt those members who work with straw to make Corn Dollies, would find the following Edited extract from 'the History of the Salvation Army' of interest.
"When cadets assembled in London in May 1880 for the opening of the training honie for women officers, so great was the divergence in their headgear, that Mrs Booth determined to devise something that would be suitable for uniform wear, cheap, strong and large enough to protect the heads of the wearers from cold as well as from brickbats and other missiles.
Black straw bonnet shapes were collected; then Mrs Booth and her daughter Emma, .the training principal, acting as both designers and subjects, chose the "Hallelujah bonnet".
The first model favoured by Mrs Booth was so crude that Emma exclaimed, "Oh, Mama, I cannot have my girls made to look like work-house inmates!".
The next step was that Cadet Annie E. Lockwood (Mrs Commissioner Richard Wilson), who was by trade a milliner and another cadet set to work to trim bonnets for the ten cadets who were then in the home - the trimmings were a plain pleated band of black silk placed round the crown, and black strings. As the cadets increased in number more bonnets were trimmed.
The officers who with Captain Mrs Reynolds opened the first few corps in Ireland wore Hallelujah bonnets - and when they got away from London were feminine enough to add white ruching inside the fronts!
The first appearance of the bonnet en masse in public was when twenty-five cadets marched from Hackney. to the People's Hall, Whitechapel, on 16th June 1880 for the celebration of the silver anniversary of the Continued/
16 wedding of the General and Mrs Booth.
Some of the cadets had objected to wearing such "old-fashioned bonnets", but when l"'irs Booth met them and explained how important it was that Salvationists shculd wear headgear that was neat and distinct from mere worldly fashion they accepted them. By September regulation bonnets trimmed with black silk. alike for priv.ates or officers, were advertised for sale - at 6s each!
Mrs Commissioner Railton was the first in 1884 to wear a Salvation Army band tucked into the pleats of the bonnet trimming.
In July 1895 the Army in England began to manufacture it's own "hallelujah" bonnets at 29, Melson Street, Luton, noted for its straw-plaiting. The prices now ranged from 1/- untrimmed for the Junior Soldier's bonnet shape, to 8/6d for Model No. 5 which was a very superior Pedal Bonnet shape.
In 1889 Summer caps in straw for the men (trimmed according to rank) were on sale, the cheapest was 3/• and the best 4/9d.
By 1914 the Salvation Army supply stores also advertised a Regulation hat for women at prices up to 11 / -, and were selling a delightful range of fancy trimme d straw hats for children including the 'Jack Tar' for Boys and Girls, which was fawn coloured or white straw, trimmed with a fawn or white satin ribbon bow at side, for 2/- ~ ·
In 1930 a Regulation. Hat (undress) for Women Officers of all ranks, Local Officers and Soldiers, was made in Navy Pedal straw, Tagal, or Chip Plait, Description : Slight Tam Crown, Mushroom brim, bound with navy ribbon, trimmed Salvation Army Red band and Crest according to rank. Continued/
17 Renovations to this hat, i.e. reblock, New band and Crest for 4/9d. This hat could not be worn by officers when conducting meetings.
The Salvation Army bonnet case which was specially invented for the preservation of the Army bonnet was available in three qualities from 18/3d to 35/-". Even though the bonnets seem incredibly cheap to us now, it was thought that the cost of the box would quickly be saved in the lengthened service of the Bonnet!
* * * * * * * * Comment on Craft Expo 1978 Lilford Hall Eileen Norman
This was an experience which will not be easily forgotten! S~eing was believing how many stalls could be got into a small space; demonstrations were virtually impossible, However, we were lucky being in the main entrance hall, and after enduring two very cold days we were rewarded by a very good day on the Monday. The crowds came, and it was nice to hear them say that the 1Ji2 hours wait to get in had been well worth while.
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NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE ASSOCIATION FROM THE EDITOR
PLEASE will those members who have already promised material on various subjects for the Newsletter send it in NOW, and will those that .have not yet considered contributing please give it serious thought and act on it.
The continued success of this Newsletter depends on YOU, don't leave it to others!
THANK YOU.
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18 RETURNABLE SLIP SHEEI'
To the Secretary: Mrs Joy Viall, Bierton House, Dean Way, Chalfant St. Giles, · Bucks.
Please return this sheet immediately, deleting those sections which do not apply to you. If you do not wish to deface your copy of the Newsletter, please copy out the information onto another sheet, and send that to the Secretary.
My name is
My address lS ••••••••••••••• .- •••••••••••••. .••••••••• ......
I enclose my subscription for 1978
(£2 Individual Membership, £5 professional and Commercial Membership)
I require set(s) of skeining tools and enclose
£ ••.....•••••••••. • ..•••••••.
I will be attending the Summer meeting on 25th June 1978 and will bring guests.
I can offer a lift to people. I I 1 from ~------I! I 1 I need a lift from ~------!I I I can/cannot arrive early to help with preparations I I I I ~------~ l 19 I I I I enclos e my design for the Christmas Card Competition / I I I I I I I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~, I I I enclose information about swill baskets, and the I I names of traditional basketmakers in the Tyne and I I Wear area. I I I I I I I 'I I I I ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1 I I Residential Instruction Courses I I I I I would like to attend a residental instruction I I course on
and would pref er weekdays
weekends
FURTHER COMMENTS:
I would like more information on the new craft shops in _Wetherby, Yorks and/or Stranraer which require all types of hasketry.
I can offer (types )
I enclose an article, or item of information, or request to be printed in future Newsletters.
If you r equire a reply from the Secretary, please enclose a stamped a ddressed envelope. 20