News of the Finns wish to visit the UK was relayed to me by Peter Eklund in February of this year. The visit was to last one week and they expressed a desire to visit factories, suppliers, schools and members of the Association. The visit was planned to take place towards the end of March and with so much to arrange time was against us. However, with a great deal of help and cooperation from members and suppliers a full programme of events was put together.

Scroll through this text and click on underlined links to view pictures.

Monday 27th April

Former AMU President and Past Chairman of The Association Michael Gilham was roped in to look after our friends on Monday 27th. Michael's knowledge of the City of London is unsurpassed so it was decided he would be the perfect choice as guide and host on this leg of the visit.

The first stop off was Brian Turner Trimmings. Turners are famous for their hand made trimmings which are ALL made on the premises using traditional techniques. Pictures are not yet available.

Michael Gilham took our friends to the Cavendish Club for Lunch

After lunch the delegation visited Henry Newbery Trimmings. Henry Newbery Limited was, until recently, managed by Carol Newbery, a familiar figure in the trimmings industry. Taking over from Carol is Jean Bennett the company's new MD. Jean was very pleased to welcome the Finns who found the archive and museum at Newbery's to be fascinating.

A further visit was planned for Monday afternoon but due to the interest shown in the two trimmings companies time was not available.

Tuesday 28th

The programme for Tuesday began early when I picked up the hired mini bus on the Monday evening. This was necessary as the cost of packing our visitors on the train would have been around £1000, simply ridiculous for such a short trip! Whereas the costs associated with the bus and getting our friend back to the capital was only around £300.

Accompanying me on my jaunt to London was Chantal. Chantal is from the Netherlands and is currently experiencing life at the Association's Head Office. Chantal hopes to tour the world when she completes her training in the tourism industry.

We were all up at 2.50am Tuesday morning and on the road for London by 3.30pm. We arrived in London at 6.00am but couldn't find the hotel (I really do hate driving in London!). We eventually found our passengers and began the trip to Castle Cary in Somerset where we were due to arrive at John Boyd's famous Horse Hair Fabric Factory for 10.00am. We stopped off briefly at Stonehenge and still made the 10am deadline.

We were met at Boyd's by MD Anna Smith who was kind enough to take time to show our guests around personally. Boyd's is steeped in tradition with all its hair being hand dyed using traditional methods but modern stable chemical dyes. Anna is seen here explaining the dyeing process.

The looms at Boyd's date back to the 19th Century and although mechanised nowadays the the advancements have evolved with bits being added here and there. Each loom can only weave around 3 metres of narrow cloth a day. It's narrow due to the length of the horse tails supplied from Siberia. (Don't worry the horse tails are taken from live horses, they are the best). Although many of our people have been to Boyd's before, the factory is always a great place to visit, the atmosphere is Dickensian and even though noisy - relaxed. Des Fanning, owner of Glover Bros: the West Country Upholsterers Sundriesmen found the tour of great interest. Des is a great supporter of the AMU and is always at Branch meetings.

Anna arranged a superb lunch at the George Pub in Castle Cary from where we made our way to Wellington and the Relyon Bed Factory. Chris Muggleton, AMU Director and former Branch Chairman had arranged a tour of this factory which claims to make the 'Best Beds in the world'. By the time we got to Relyon I was totally exhausted and so when the others went on their tour of the factory I snatched an hour in the van. We were not allowed to take pictures in Relyon and so there is no record of the visit. It's a pity, but they have their rules.

Following tea and biscuits at Relyon we all made our way to the Muggleton's where a hot fork buffet was waiting for 9 of the eleven visitors. Anthea Muggleton had slaved over a hot stove for hours to provide our guests with a hot meal before they were put on a coach for London.

The Muggleton's home was invaded around 5.00pm by which time we were all getting on very well. I was to be found in the kitchen keeping well out of the way and trying to get to grips with my Dad's digital camera which I borrowed for the day and which allowed me to upload all these pictures. AMU President Graham Carpenter, his wife Margaret, Anthea and I all enjoyed a few glasses of wine and prepared ourselves for phase two the branch meeting. The main group were enjoying their meal in the lounge whilst planning a secret presentation. Group picture.

It was at the Muggleton's home that we decided to present the Finnish Principal of the Keskuspuisto Vocational Institute, Olli Daavittila with one of our Golden Jubilee Hammers. You may contact Olli direct by e-mail ( olli.daavittila@invalidisaatio.fi ).

Having enjoyed a superb buffet at the Muggleton's it was time to get our visitors to the coach station from where they would be whisked back to London. Nine of their number returned leaving Eila and Peter Eklund in Wellington as they had expressed a desire to visit the branch and to discuss matters of mutual interest in relation to planned exchange visits. Chris Muggleton and I took our party to the bus station, but having said our goodbyes the leader of the part presented me with a superb hand crafted knife as a token of their thanks for my assistance in arranging the visit. I was lost for words (A rare occurrence indeed) and I have no pictures as I had left the camera at Chris's. This was a very nice gesture on the Finns part and I will always treasure their gift.

The evening was spent with the Wales and West Branch who were kind enough to arrange for a meal for Eila and Peter.

During the evening Eila and Peter presented a number of gifts to Graham Carpenter as President of the Association, Phil White as Branch Chairman and to me in my capacity as Chief Executive. Graham also took the opportunity to present to Eila, the representative of the Helsinki Branch of the Finnish Association of Master Upholsterers another of our hammers, the very last in the set. Peter Eklund, Eila Eklund and our own Graham Carpenter. Our friends were so generous, they presented both Graham Carpenter and me with an Emblem of the Finnish association and two books, one on Antiques and the other on Upholstery Techniques.

The atmosphere at the branch was great and I truly believe we have formed a strong bond with our Finnish counterparts. Sue Spencer (My wife) and Chantal found the visit to be thoroughly rewarding though totally exhausting. Chantal could hardly stay awake the next day and so, not wishing to see her suffer, we gave her the afternoon off.

Wednesday morning we were up early to get Peter and Eila to the station; they had to be back in London for around 10am as they were due at the London Guildhall University by 10.30pm. Once again Michael Gilham was called upon to act as escort to ensure our guests were, where they were supposed to be at any one given time. Once at the college they were met by Malcolm Hopkins, Senior Upholstery Tutor. Malcolm escorted the group around the college where they were given the opportunity to talk to students and other members of staff. The tour was followed by a meaningful chat and a cuppa before the party left for a whistle stop tour of London, organised, once again by Michael Gilham.

The evening was spent at the New Cavendish Club where Peter, Eila and Olli were joined by Michael and Wynne Gilham, Malcolm and Jean Hopkins, Graeme and Chris Field (Highbury College) and Paul Coyle, Head of Department at the LGU. The group discussed the industry, training and the possibility of setting up a number of centres of excellence across the UK.

Thursday was was a free day for our party who had been subjected to a gruelling week of activity.

On Friday 31st March the group visited Lynplan Limited. Lynplan is owned and managed by our Chairman Andrew Vipond. Andrew has invested heavily in new technology and can now boast one of the most up to date factories producing loose covers in the UK. Of particular interest is the Lectra computerised pattern plotting and cutting system which was installed last year. during the visit Andrew was presented with a superb Gavel hand crafted by Peter Eklund.

As more picture are made available I will post them to the site. But in the mean time all that remains is for me to thank Anthea and Chris Muggleton, Andrew Vipond, Brian Turner, Jean Bennett of Newbery's, The London Guildhall University, Highbury College, Anna Smith of John Boyd Textiles, Relyon Beds and of course Michael Gilham who assisted greatly in looking after our guests in London. I would like to personally thank all the above for their assistance which made the visit such a great success.

Mike Spencer.