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Search forProud to still be made in Britain
Tuesday, September 09, 2008, 08:00
The company has been creating hand-made glass wear for 20 years, so fits the bill for the Civic Trust's "Made In Britain" promotion.
The campaign is intended to showcase manufacturers who are keeping alive a long tradition in their respective fields.
It will include a series of heritage open days across the country, with businesses opening their doors for people to watch the experts at work.
The launch took place at the Bristol Blue Glass premises in Whitby Road, with special guests.
Among them were BBC Homes and Antiques presenter Natasha Goodfellow, and the Lord Mayor Christopher Davies, who took a turn at glass blowing.
The family-run company boasts it can produce anything made of glass in a range of colours, although locally it is best known for its Bristol Blue products.
It employs about 20 people to produce £700,000-worth of glass every year.
Owner James Adlington said: "We're so proud of what we do here, everything is completely hand- made.
"To still do that is rare in the whole world, let alone England.
"Our glass makers are leaders in their field.
"We're all proud Bristolians, even those of us who weren't born here."
But Mr Adlington also raised concerns about the level of support given to the manufacturing industry.
He said: "It's good to have things like this, it's fantastic, but you have to make it a level playing field.
"British manufacturing has been in recession for 30 to 40 years and now the rest of the economy is catching up.
"It's difficult competing against cheap foreign imports and cheap labour, and many governments have done nothing to help British manufacturing.
"We take a very cheap raw material, basically sand, put some heat on it and 10 years of training and make something out if it worth more than £100.
"But VAT is a tax on manufacturing that takes 17 per cent of our turnover.
"Other countries in the EU give beneficial rates to manufacturers and that needs to be looked at."
Peter Bembridge, managing director of the Civic Trust, said: "Manufacturing locations, skills and craftsmanship are an important part of this country's cultural heritage and Made In Britain acknowledges the contribution that these companies make and have made to the wealth and the identity of local communities as well as entire regions."
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