The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Vintage Machines => Topic started by: Manuela on May 05, 2019, 01:26:56 AM
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https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/entertainment/17618558.bbc-scotland-documentary-reveals-how-singer-created-clydebank/ (https://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/entertainment/17618558.bbc-scotland-documentary-reveals-how-singer-created-clydebank/)
It airs on Wednesday...
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Wow it's amazing to think that so many sewing machines were once made in Scotland. I believe there's still a railway station called Singer.
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It airs on Wednesday...
on BBC1 SCOTLAND ... Awwwwwww
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@Manuela
Thanks for posting this info. as I’d have missed it otherwise.
DH is from Glasgow so he always enjoys any of the history programmes centred around that area and points out various trivia along the way. So, I’ll probably get to see it in real time instead of recording and watching later on my own, like the Sewing Bee. ;)
Also, its on BBC1 Scotland. BBC Scotland is a new and different channel to BBC1 Scotland, which is just a regional BBC1 Channel. Anyone with Sky or Freesat in the UK/Ireland can get BBC1 Scotland. You just have to search through the different BBC1 channels to find it. Sorry, don’t know about other TV options.
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For those not in Scotland BBC1 Scotland can be found at:
Sky: Channel 951 (HD), 977 (SD)
Freesat: Channel 960 (SD), 973 (HD)
Virgin Media: 862
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darn - i dont have any of those - maybe it'll be on Iplayer...
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darn - i dont have any of those - maybe it'll be on Iplayer...
I hope so too.
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Thanks for the info @Manuela, I'll set the recorder.
There was a documentary about Coats on a couple of months ago, 'The Town that Thread Built'. It was fascinating, but I only saw it by chance. It's well worth watching if it's ever repeated. Unfortunately it's not available on iplayer, but there's some info here (https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08tl9nr) on the BBC website.
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Wish they would appreciate that these programmes are of appeal to a wider audience and put them on player, at least. I'd love to watch both.
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I've found it in the schedule and set Record :)
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There is a surprising amount of footage about Clydebank on YouTube. The Beeb however, have access to the original footage, I hope they remaster it.
Looking forward to watching it, along with my 99k and 28k from 1918.
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have set my Humax up to record it!
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I've a feeling this may be a repeat. If it's not, it's either a reworking of older material or the independent channels did something very similar a few years back. I'll see if I can find it lurking on the YouView box EPG.
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You can certainly get BBC Scotland on iPlayer
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Im rootling about in the ether and have got BBC Scotland TV guide (https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/guide/bbcscotland/20190508) on Iplayer up but where this programme should be ie 9pm, or if you will 21.00, is a thing called The NINE ... Does any of our peeps north of the border know if this is the programme???
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@Iminei It is not on BBC Scotland, it is on BBC1 Scotland. I'm not sure if the regional variations of BBC1 and BBC2 are available on iPlayer.
Edited: This is the link to the program on iPlayer. Hopefully it will become available once it has been broadcast.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00051z7
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Ive found it BUT cant tape it from my tv guide onto my Plex player and dont know, until after the fact, whether it will be available to view on iplayer ... Grump!
Thx for the linky !! :)
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I mentioned the fact that the two channels are completely different in my previous post but no-one has corrected the thread title yet. Just in case anyone is still looking for it.
@Manuela
@Iminei
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I've just edited the thread title.
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If you go into BBC1 on iPlayer, it will default to your local region, but if you scroll down to the bottom of the page, you can change your region.
It’s allowed me to change to Scotland, but the programmes at the moment are the same across all regions. Fingers crossed it works.
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I've just watched this documentary and found it very moving, very sad how the factory came to be shut down. I had no idea of the enormity of influence Singer had and the sales around the world :loveit: I'm particularly impressed that the reconditioned vintage machines end up in Africa helping women set up their own wee business and are able to use their creativity productively.
I also loved the parts where they showed footage of the gala days the factory held, it reminded me of the gala's that our steelworks held when I was a kid in the 70s :)
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Brilliant programme. Lots of fascinating insights into a time gone by and I felt very moved when the older chap narrated his poem about the old clock being dismantled. It’s a real shame they didn’t slap a preservation order on it.
As expected, we watched it last night with DH reminiscing about areas around Glasgow when he was a boy in the 50’s/60’s. Also, his maternal granddad was a tailor and he remembered him using a singer sewing machine etc. so I ended up listening to tales of his childhood which I always enjoy. :D
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Brilliant programme. Lots of fascinating insights into a time gone by and I felt very moved when the older chap narrated his poem about the old clock being dismantled. It’s a real shame they didn’t slap a preservation order on it.
I gasped when I saw how it was knocked down, I expected to see that it had been placed somewhere else, what a shocker. I'm sure the people of the town would have loved to have seen it in the town centre :(
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Hope it's going to be on player, I really want to see this!
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Thanks so much @Manuela for telling us about this programme and @Holly Berry for how to find it on iPlayer. I watched it last night with OH and a friend. We really enjoyed it. Highly recommend to anyone who's not seen it.
So many interesting things and even the graphics were Fab.
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I had seen most of the old footage, but they had cleaned it up quite a bit. So glad it was more than a re-hash of old stuff.
First I had heard of the charity. Sending those beautiful machines away, and for free, it's an outrage! Mind you, I guess they just don't get used here in the UK.
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I enjoyed the programme. I recorded it and watched it today.
I have a vintage singer but it is stashed underneath the sewing table and I don't use it regularly.
Anyone know how I can find out how old it is and whether it was made at Clydebank?
Its the traditional black sort but I'd have to get it out of its lovely travelling case to see any more detail.
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I have a vintage singer but it is stashed underneath the sewing table and I don't use it regularly.
Anyone know how I can find out how old it is and whether it was made at Clydebank?
Its the traditional black sort but I'd have to get it out of its lovely travelling case to see any more detail.
There is a comprehensive serial number database at ismacs.net (http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-sewing-machine-serial-number-database.html)
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@Radiofan, that's wonderful thank you.
I now know that mine is a 201K from 1952.
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@SewRuthieSews that is a great machine you have there!
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Found it on the iPlayer (via the search function) - will watch it tonight :)
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So will I. I went to visit it for an amazing display in their museum. Such lovely people organised it.
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I found it fascinating, sad and hopeful all at once. The charity Tools for Self Reliance is a fantastic thing - they also have a gift scheme where you can make a gift to Equip a Tailor (https://www.tfsr.org/product/equip-a-tailor/) for £10.
I've donated in the past and thought what a great charity it was but it was only seeing this programme that its historical relevance really occurred to me. The machines that gave women in this country life-changing opportunities to support families and develop their independence 70+ years ago are now doing the same in their second lease of life all these years later in other parts of the world.
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I really enjoyed the documentary, it was sad and hopeful at the same time. Tools for Self Reliance have branches allover the UK. When we’re over, we always pop in to their Bristol branch. Last time we met a colleague of Mr Manuela’s #2 son there, a young naval engineer repairing sewing machines :)
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I haven't seen the programme but as for the charity, we have an off-shoot here called Tools for Solidarity. I emailed them when I accidentally pulled the tension knob off my old Singer and they do repairs.
I know you folks on 'the Mainland' are spoiled for resources but some outliers might find a charity close by if they're stuck for parts or repair.
A donation goes a long way (cash or kind). They accept habby and bits and bobs too. 0_0
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Looks like my link to the Equip a Tailor (https://www.tfsr.org/product/equip-a-tailor/) gift didn't complete properly so I've redone it here and in my reply.
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Ah ha! Managed to watch it on laptop, but not on iPlayer TV - Still, enjoyed it immensely but was very moved by the chap and his poem about the clock. So pleased to see the old handcranks being put to good use elsewhere too!
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Excellent programme..Listening to the ladies reminded me of my mum talking about working at Cadburys in Birmingham.
My first machine was a Singer in the 1970s but it was very poor. Mother-in-law had an older one but quite recently gave it away and can't remember where to!!
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Having recorded it I finally sat down and watched it this morning. Absolutely fascinating.
They were right, Singer did have a monopoly, I remember being surprised that the 'new' names I saw advertised had been in business for years - you just didn't think of anyone other than Singer.
I suppose though that it is inevitable that if you are the first with a product when other companies come along and set up new factories with new equipment you are going to have to take the decision to spend the money and modernise or lose out.
I wish they could have found out the story behind the decision to demolish the clock when they did. It sounded as if they didn't want Clydebank to have the chance to campaign to retain it.
Lovely ending though with all those machines having a new life and giving a new life to the women who will be using them.
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There is much more to the rise and fall of the Singer Manufacturing Company. There is a great book by Jack Buckman titled "Unravelling The Threads: The life, death and resurrection of the Singer company".
At first, the 4 principal patent holders formed a patent pool, preventing anyone else from entering the market. This is illegal today, it's effectively a cartel. As they innovated, the founding companies created new patents, keeping a grip on the market.
Then came the end of World War 2. In order to prevent the sort of economic collapse that lead to the war in the first place, as part of a redevelopment initiative, Germany was given car manufacturing and Japan was given sewing machines. Both countries did well out of it. This is why many of the early Japanese sewing machines look like Singers.
Then came mass consumerism resulting in a much reduced demand for sewing machines. Diversified corporate culture (conglomeration) axeing the least profitable product lines. Bad CEOs and a hostile takeover in the 80s, breaking the company into little pieces. Some of the pieces were picked up by the newly formed Singer company that we know today, which due to market contraction, also owns Pfaff and Husqvarna Viking.
Very little of this is mentioned in this in the programme, I guess they focus on the Kilbowie part of it. I highly recommend the book.