Paisley - the town that thread built

A few weeks ago a friend came to see us in the studio bringing an antique Paisley shawl so it was with great interest that we watched a programme on the BBC: The Town That Thread Built. 

The shawl we saw is absolutely beautiful; delicate and fragile but with vivid colours still. Although it was possibly bought as a wedding shawl from Paisley and it is for these shawls that the town is famed, Paisley was also home to one of the biggest companies in the world: J and P Coats. The documentary, available on BBC iPlayer for those in the UK, tells the story of the thread manufacturers and includes some wonderfully evocative pictures and video. Fascinating, especially as it is narrated by Phyllis Logan, a former "mill girl". 

Thank you, Elizabeth, for showing us your precious shawl. A lovely glimpse of history.