‘Here Forever’

Local Industrial Heritage Exhibition

An exhibition celebrating work, community and change at Morlands and Baily’s

Opening Dates & Times:

Friday 9th June: 10am – 5pm

Saturday 10th June: 10am – 5pm

Sunday 11th June: 10am – 4pm

Entry is free

Did you know the Red Brick Building used to be a sheepskin factory known as Morlands?

Renowned for quality, their flying jackets and sheepskin boots were made for RAF pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain!

The Red Brick Building is delighted to be hosting an exhibition focusing on the town’s industrial heritage, celebrating the experiences of people who worked at Morlands and Baily’s. This is one part of a larger project based at the Red Brick Building, funded by Historic England, which is researching and sharing material linked to our “Everyday Heritage”.

At the heart of the exhibition are the voices of local people who have been interviewed and recorded talking about their memories of their roles at the two companies, both of which employed huge numbers of people across the area in all aspects of the sheepskin processing and manufacturing industry.

Visitors will be able to listen to recordings of these voices as well as looking at the many photographs, press cuttings and documents linked to the companies. These all testify to the significance of the sheepskin industry and the importance of skilled craftsmanship on a local, regional and international scale. There will also be a range of vintage artefacts produced at the factories and loaned by local people – seeing sheepskin coats and boots in an exhibition might make you appreciate them in a fresh way!

Project co-ordinator Alison Horgan says “It is the culmination of a lot of research and many fascinating conversations with people of Glastonbury, Wells, Street and beyond. There is such a rich history in the area and we are really pleased to be able to bring this together and share it with the community.” Visitors will discover the gruesome details of jobs such as ‘rounding’ and the physically exhausting work which went into treating the skins. They will also hear of the camaraderie among workers and how the companies provided for their workers with sports clubs, Christmas parties, inter-factory skittles contests and a long-running works magazine.

The project has been supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, Strode College and local youth groups have also played their parts in making the plans come to life. We hope you will enjoy a look back in time and also learn about the journey of the Red Brick Building from Industry to social enterprise and what the future holds for these important buildings.

For more information about this exhibition, please email [email protected]