Continued from last month...

Many local residents will remember Sutcliffe Silks Ltd. which, after
its removal from Croft Street, remained in the Chapel Street area of the village until the late 1980's.

Around the 1950's commission weavers began to close and some of the previously regular qualities of materials were no longer available. The company bought from manufacturers, often in Lancashire and in 'loomstate' which was then finished by commission dyers.

The range of fabrics changed and was constructed mainly of acetate or nylon which was eminently suitable for manufacturing into sealed edge ribbons. This, in the 1950's, became the firm's largest market, the ribbon being sold under the name Coco Ribbons. Ribbon was produced from wide width fabric by heat sealing the ribbon edges as it passed under heated knives set to the required width. The special machinery for this process had been researched and then purchased in America.

Some of the uses for the various ribbons included the following:
Binding electric and domestic blankets, printed garment labels, chocolate box and Easter egg decorations, toys and teddy bears etc, rosettes, perfumery items, greeting cards and stationery, boxed handkerchiefs and napery and household linens.

At busy periods as many as fifty out-workers would be employed to make up bows etc. for use on gift packaging and as decoration.

In the early 1970's the firm was bought out but Robert Sutcliffe continued to be associated with the company until he retired in June1986. Production was subsequently transferred from Wibsey to Lancashire, in the new company's own factory.

Stella H Carpenter

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