Textiles

Where, (if anywhere) in Lancashire is still making towels?

I decided to buy a bale of new towels.

Found 'Lancashire Textiles' offer UK manufactured, but I have got no answer from them to my question of where in UK they are made.

i had a drive to there a few years ago when i was over in Ashton to buy a Duvet i remember the guy telling me some was made in their factory and some were imported.... i was so surprised that in such a predominantly Muslim area running though the middle was a road called Hebrew
in the end we bought in Cheshire Oaks

Does this help, Ena:

Lancashire Towel Co Ltd, 2 Springfield, Blacko, Nelson, BB9 6PL.

Tel: 07742 450030.

I do not doubt that the businesses are located in Lancashire.

'Lancashire Textiles' are in Burnley and Blackburn.

That does not mean that they are not retailing stock manufactured in China, India, and such like.

My suspicions are raised when I get no answer to enquiries concerning location of manufacture!

I am looking to buy Turkish Towels: usually, they are not manufactured in Turkey. The best ones were in the past made in Lancashire: made from Turkish long fibre cotton, and with a characteristic very dense weave. They are far more absorbent than American cotton, though Egyptian Cotton is even more absorbent.

I will probably end up buying the bale from Lancashire Textiles. I just wish I had been able to establish that they were not imports.

I have searched too. From what I have read I doubt you will be able to find many, if any textiles that are produced in the UK.

Yes,
searching reveals that last spinning in Blackburn was in 2006.

'English Fine Cottons', Tower Mill, Dukinfield claim to be the only commercial cotton spinner still producing in UK.


Not had time to research weavers, let alone specific towel manufacture, but will return to it if I get a spare mo.

I am wondering if Lancs Textiles' made in UK is a fiction.

On line sales do seem to get away with regularly flouting the trades description act. You only have to look at articles on Amazon labelled as leather: deep down in the fine print, or worse- when you get the article home- turns out to be 'PU Leather', ie polyurethane!

Researching further, I find that English Fine Cottons spin yarn from their own cotton fields in California, so I guess they are not the source of cotton going into Turkish Towels.

Did however discover that they have open days when public can visit and be conducted on explanatory tours of mill.

At least they did prior to Covid constraints.

Shall get my name down if they resume. Last time I saw a cotton mill in action was mid 1970's. Ring spinning at Ellenroad Mill, Milnrow. You may have seen it, right next to M62 motorway.

Ena

These days towels, apart from the luxury end of the market, are a commodity item.
There’s still a lot of textile manufacturing in Lancashire and Yorkshire particularly Worsted suiting and mid to upper end fabrics.

Fabric

I bought Ian Mankin curtain fabric a couple of years ago. First class products.

Fabric

Thanks gaffer, as I said, not yet got round to researching weavers.

In your links, it says they are using yarn from English Fine Cottons, so that will not be the source of the alleged made in UK Turkish Towels.

Why not just nip anywhere and buy a towel? A towel is a towel.

Ena, I don’t know if Bill Beaumont textiles in Chorley make towels.

Does M&S not stock towels or Boundary Mill Ena Mill or Dunhelm Mill

Well, yes, about half of my current towels come from supermarket or those brand name linen shops.

The other half are once well known make such as 'Christie'.
(Christie no longer manufacture in UK)

The latter are about 40 years old, and are in better condition than the former which are only a couple of years old.

So, yes it would be convenient to buy such junk, but I am not happy to.

The Turkish Towel bale which I found offered by the supplier I mentioned may well be good quality, even if they are imports. But they state made in UK. They do not reply to my question concerning whereabouts.

Currently I am avoiding buying anything made in India or China for reasons which should be apparent.

If the seller is mis-describing goods, again I am not happy with that. I have been stung that way in the past.

Half the world is facing war or famine and you have time to spend checking out the origin of towels. A funny old world.

No more so than, as you so often describe to us, your trivial time spending activities.

I do not have to justify myself to you.

I do not do online feuding, so I will not communicate with you any further.

Ena,all my towels are made in Turkey..but I've had them that long I've forgotten where I bought them.

Sounds like they might be the genuine article.

Bought my (Lancashire made) Turkish Towels in 1973, and only now are they reaching end of life.

Turkish towels made in Turkey

Yes, I guess it makes sense that Turkey now chooses to get the higher added value of completing manufacture there, rather than simply exporting their cotton crop to spinners elsewhere.

(I will admit to slight 'heritage' considerations being in play: would have liked to be buying Lancashire made.)

Ena, TJ Hughes in Preston sells towels.

It's odd what you come across whilst researching fabrics.

Discovered reason why RAF uniform is blue.

The material was woven by, (or for) ' Hainsworth', who are big in military uniform provision.
It was intended for use in the uniforms of Czarist Russian imperial cavalrymen before the Russian Revolution occurred. It could not be delivered owing to the ensuing turmoil.

" Hainsworth bosses suggested the unique shade of blue as a perfect match for the fledgling service, and luckily the RAF agreed, taking the cloth off the company's hands."

Some on line articles dismiss this as a myth, but the current ' Hainsworth ' maintains that it is in fact true.

I also researched and saw that over 90% of Turkey are Muslim which by association means their religion is Islam. That means they look upon us as Fakirs ( non believers ) and we all know what their ultimate aim is. So why would anyone attempt to support their economy over a couple of towels?

Living up to that nickname of yours again eh William.

ZZZZZZzzzzzzz

are you supporting ours wideboy .

I do buy IRISH linen from time to time Paddy. Left the house yet?

Posted by: Stardelta (9617)

Living up to that nickname of yours again eh William.

ZZZZZZzzzzzzz

doesn't he always

Oh no. I crave forgiveness. I had been looking for a small grey towel and saw one today for $7.99. Bought it and when I got home it said “ Turkish Cotton” on the label.

ena malcup,
I'm with you ... I do try to buy British whenever I can and English made if possible. It is quite difficult and you do have to research things quite a lot.

Broady:

"Why not just nip anywhere and buy a towel? A towel is a towel"

I agree, I go to Asda, and have a feel at the towels

If they 'feel' alright, I will buy them, but I will say in defence of Ena, that Asda towels I bought a couple of years ago, are now disintegrating, but towels I have from some 40-50yrs ago, 1970s towels, and I don't know who made them, but they are still going strong, nowt wrong with them