Red Brick Building
CONTACT

Tanning

Paddles in the Columbia dye shop, 1960 Photo: John Morland
"We must have got hardened to it after a while."

Tanning

A paddle in the wet yard, Baily's Photo: Terry Gulliford
"It was graft, real graft. People wouldn't do it today, I'm sure of it."

Tan yard

'Oiling on' part of the stoving process, Glastonbury 1960 Photo: John Morland
"The smell is what I remember - awful, awful!"

Skins

Skins were also chromed while pegged out. Chrome salts are used in tanning and produce soft leather suitable for coats and gloves Photo: Alan Hooper
"They'd come look at your work: no that’s missed, that’s no good, that’s gotta be done again."

Skins

Tony Laver sorting skins at Morlands - according to their quality they would be used for different products Photo: Jane Laver
"You worked together, one each end of the frame. I think we done 680 skins a shift each couple."

Piecework

"If you've been on piecework you cannot go slow!"

Stitching

"We learnt our profession in the training centre then went on to the factory."

Atmosphere

Morlands employees, 1924 Photo: Sally Hill and Ann Morgan
"You felt like you belonged somewhere."

Atmosphere

Friends in the Baily's work room. Photo: Fran Truscott
"It was just - everybody joined in."

Office work

Women working in the office at Morlands, 1920s Photo: Morlands archive
"So they did their bit for me and the salary was really good."

Office work

This article explained a new system whereby maintenance men were better paid and work was more closely regulated. "The system has been given a flying start by all concerned." Photo: Morlands Magazine, Summer 1963
"It was a good training - shorthand, typing, accounts."

Wages

Clocking in Photo: Morlands Magazine, Summer 1965
"You had to be sure that everything was counted to the last ha’penny."

Wages

Preparing the pay slips and wage packets at Morlands Photo: Morlands Magazine, Christmas 1962
"It was fantastic because it was an environment I could work with - I knew numbers!"

Management

Visitors observing a stitcher at work in Morlands Photo: Morlands Magazine, Christmas 1965
"You should be there, you should walk through the shop floor. You should be part of it."

Pride in work

"So when you see somebody with a sheepskin coat and you see it looks like velvet, that’s what we created."

Travel for work

A shoe shop in Wiesbaden, Germany, displaying Morlands footwear Photo: Sally Hill
"We had customers all over Europe."

Travel to work

Philip Chedzey arrives at Morlands by bike Photo: Morlands Magazine, Summer 1954
"There were buses, yeah, bus loads of em."

Industrial relations

All Morlands employees were given this handbook which outlined standards and expectations
"There were quite a few people wandering around wearing white coats, bits of paper in their hand."

Popular

Feeling Social?

Find out more about what’s happening, or just drop us a message with a friendly introduction!

Contact Details

Red Brick Building Centre Ltd, Morland Enterprise Park, Morland Road, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9FT

Community Benefit Society

The Red Brick Building is a Community Benefit Society, which does what it says on the tin! We’re focused on creating exciting experiences and opportunities for all to share. Profits are not distributed among members, or external shareholders, but returned to the RBB community…for your benefit!