Home made

In December, Beijing was hit by red smog alerts, shutting down factories and schools as the toxic air reached 25 times safe levels. The finger of blame for the closure of Britain’s steelworks in October was pointed at China, gloomily thought to be sounding the final knell for manufacturing here.

News like this has for some time called into question both China’s prolific production of goods and the future of factories around the world. Has there been a backlash against cheap, disposal products, made at whatever cost to the environment, towards more sustainably made, lasting goods?

In Bristol, manufacturing rumbles quietly on, albeit on a small scale; for greener minds, this is the paragon of future sustainability. We have a rich variety of artisan traders plying traditional and modern business from small workshops: stonemasons in Ashton to window makers in Redland; weavers in St Philips to boat builders in Southville and ceramicists in Clifton.

Bristol Blue Glass was established in the 1980s as a bespoke glassmaker, reviving an almost-extinct industry that was once a city mainstay. Recently the company has made the inside of the Tardis, glass pieces for chandeliers and a water filtration system. “In a world of instant gratification, most people are out of touch with the idea that things have to be made,” says founder Jim Adlington. “90% of objects are made in China. When you make something with your hands, it’s magic.”

“It seems to be a growing market,” says Jim Sharples who makes kitchens and cabinets. He believes Bristol is a strong market for artisan products with a vein of ethical awareness and green principles running through the city. “People are more aware of buying local and sustainability. They’re prepared to pay more for products, aware that if a craftsperson is creating pieces it takes time.

“When I started in 2005 I quoted a Guardian article in my business plan that called Bristol the greenest place in the UK. I imagined that a growing proportion of people would feel that way, filtering into food and lifestyle.”

Tim Loftus makes traditional wooden boats in the Underfall Yard on the Docks. He describes the market as growing, noticing an increase in demand for artisanship crafts in his 10 years of operation. “People who buy traditional boats are people who value hand craftsmanship above all else.”

But are ethical considerations a luxury? “The company contracted from 2008 onwards,” says Jim; “people stopped spending money. Loads of small ateliers went out of business.” “If there’s a whiff of recession the market collapses straight away,” Tim affirms. “I describe it as a frail industry but at the moment everyone is busy.”

Contractions and expansions aside, most remain quietly confident. “There is always a market for artisan products because it’s bespoke,” says Jim. “Making things bespoke by hand is cheaper than using machines,” he says, explaining that the cost of tooling up a machine for mass production often requires runs in the thousands to make it cost effective. The same goes for boat building, the cost of a fibreglass mould making one-offs almost prohibitively expensive and hand built boats competitive.

“Bristol is strong for artisans, though it leans towards the artistic,” says Tim. “It’s a fertile place, big enough that cash is around for buyers plus nooks and crannies for people to set up [shop] in. It protects and nurtures small businesses.”

Main photo – Tim Loftus Boatbuilding 

Read about Bristol’s small ceramic business owners.