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Article: Where the future looms bright
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- November 19, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1995 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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A REPETITIVE whir, clickety-clack and thump fills the air of
the Humphries weaving mill in Braintree, Essex. But the sound -
beguilingly like the sound of so many other British factories - is
irregular, abruptly shifting into a new rhythm - clickety,
clickety, clack, clack, thump, thump. To the eye, if not the ear,
the reason is clear. Where shining, computer-driven weaving
machines should be stand antique wooden frames, tangled string
harnesses and a slowly elongating ribbon of precious, hand- made,
silk cloth.
Humphries is the only remaining British mill that makes silk on
hand looms. Some of the equipment bears the initials of founder
Daniel Walters, dating back to 1806 when the mill was ...