The Factory Next Door
af Steve Duke
Seneste episode
57. The Bicycle Saddle
57. The Bicycle Saddle
Om denne podcast
What’s on your list of the greatest products made in Britain?
Join economics journalist Steve Duke as he criss-crosses the island to meet the people still making things in our factories and workshops. Hear the stories behind some of our most iconic products, told by the people crafting them.
“A gem of a series” – Podcast Rex
“Thoughtful and warm” – The Guardian
***** “A wonderful, life-affirming podcast”
***** “Important listening with a light touch”
2026 – Gold - British Podcast Awards
2026 – Gold - The Signal Awards
2025 – Silver - British Podcast Awards
2024 – Winner - Independent Podcast Awards
Have a suggestion for what needs to go on our list? Whatsapp me on 07767 888 319.
Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor
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Episoder
De nyeste 20 af 64 episoder
- 57. The Bicycle Saddle · 35 min.When Selle Royal, the world’s biggest producer of bicycle saddles, took over Brooks’ historic Smethwick factory, they imposed one golden rule – no robots. Ever. For well over…
- 56. The Rivet Stool · 37 min.It’s truly one of our greatest materials. We make shoes from it; clothes, books, bags and furniture. Leather is extraordinary. Over the millennia, we’ve become adept at using…
- 55. The Hand-Sewn Kilt · 36 min.For 500 years highland dress has been synonymous with Scotland, but these days there are more kilt-makers in India than within its home country. On today’s The Factory Next Door…
- 54. The Helter Skelter · 34 min.You never quite know what you’re going to find when you visit one of our manufacturers. On today’s episode of The Factory Next Door, we head to Avonmouth to visit a bespoke…
- 53. The Ceremonial Uniform · 32 min.When you need someone to escort the King’s crown to Parliament for the state opening, you call on his Majesty’s Gentleman at Arms – with their distinctive red and gold jackets…
- 52. The Propelling Pencil · 40 min.The epicentre of the global pen industry used to reside in Birmingham. Then the plastic biro arrived and everything changed. But in the city’s jewellery quarter, a team of…
- 51. The Remembrance Wreath · 31 min.Inspired by a poem about the horrors of war, the red poppy is worn by millions of people every year to commemorate those who have died in conflict. And every November, on…
- Most replayed moments. The greatest business strategy · 16 min.We’ve hit number 50 on our list of the greatest things we make here, so I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite moments, as well as your most replayed clips…
- Most replayed moments. Why I bought a British factory · 16 min.We’ve hit number 50 on our list of the greatest things we make here, so I thought it would be nice to share some of my favourite moments, as well as your most replayed clips…
- Most replayed moments. Stories from our makers that made me cry · 15 min.We’ve hit number 50 on our list of the greatest things we make here, so I thought it would be nice to look back at some of my favourite moments from the show, as well as your…
- 50. The Knitted Polo Shirt · 36 min.When you’ve been learning your craft for almost two and a half centuries, you can confidently call yourself ‘the world’s finest’. John Smedley have been making their knitwear in…
- 49. The Folding Bicycle · 39 min.Spend a day in any major city from Seoul to San Francisco and you’ll spot them weaving through the traffic – a bicycle with distinctive small wheels and arched top tube…
- Bonus Ep. Northampton. How to grow our shoe industry · 56 min.Over the past 20 years, the amount we spend on shoes in the UK has tripled. It now stands at £14bn. During the same period, our domestic footwear industry has dramatically…
- 48. The Wedding Tent · 31 min.Pitching a 24-metre-long tent is one thing. Manufacturing one requires a whole different set of skills, including cloth cutting, sewing, woodwork and a good understanding of…
- 47. The Surgical Clamp · 26 min.When the world’s best surgeons spread a rib cage or clamp a blood vessel, they rely on instruments hammered and filed by skilled hands in a Sheffield workshop. On this week’s…
- 46. The Luxury Lingerie · 32 min.Smalls are a big market. Annual underwear sales in the UK top £400m. Much of it used to be made domestically (with a thriving cluster in south Wales), but, in the past 15 years…
- 45. The Mechanical Watch · 30 min.What does it take to make a product so special customers will wait years to get their hands on one? In the world of horology, Rebecca and Craig Struthers have built themselves…
- 44. The Optical Glasses · 28 min.Every company has a lifespan. Some have two. Over the course of a century, glasses-maker Curry & Paxton went from pioneering new optical instruments, to becoming a key supplier…
- 43. The Premium Preserve · 32 min.The market for jams and preserves might seem… well, jam-packed, but get your recipe right and you’ll find space to grow. Number 43 on our list of the greatest products we make…
- 42. The Mountain Shirt · 40 min.There are somethings you can’t know about a company until you’ve bought it and had a riffle through the filing cabinets. In the case of clothing maker Buffalo Systems, it was…
