Sit on This! – Details, episodes & analysis

This month Ray and Vicky made the trip up to the north of England to Stockport, nr Manchester, to speak with Upholsterer Simion Hawtin-Smith in his Reloved studio.

Simion is known for his incredible mid-century masterpieces and successful television career and he talks frankly about the triumphs and challenges he faces working as an Upholsterer.

Join us as we talk fostering creativity as a young child, the importance of having an upholstery mentor, the challenges of ADHD and the value in having a good team around you. 

Links:

Simion Hawtin-Smith

BEA Staple Guns

Book by Patrick Grant

Ray Clarke

Vicky Grubb

ADHD Help

In episode 4, join Ray and Vicky as they dip into the world of high-end furniture manufacturing with Jim Athey from George Smith, a prestigious British furniture manufacturer based in Newcastle. Have you ever wondered what it's like to work alongside 30 skilled upholsterers crafting furniture for royalty and celebrities? From workshop layout and operational systems to navigating challenges and maintaining quality control at scale, this episode offers a captivating glimpse into creating the 'antiques of the future'.

Check out George Smiths Furniture online:

Https://www.georgesmith.com

In this episode we chat all things business with Angela Rowley . Angela has been a mentor for many years and gives her insight into the things we should be looking out for in starting, running and scaling an upholstery business.

LonestarofLondon

BEA Group

Princes Trust

Dorset Business Mentors (Dormen)

In this episode, join Vicky and Ray as they sit down with Interior Designer Rachel Forster from Forster Inc. With almost three decades of experience in the industry, Rachel brings a wealth of knowledge to the table. Delving into her passion for sustainability, Rachel discusses her work with Yodomo on textile redistribution. Drawing from her extensive work with upholsterers', she also shares valuable insights on collaboration between interior designers and her own aspirations in the field.

Also in this episode: Ray's Green Sofa

In the debut episode, hosts Ray Clarke and Vicky Grubb extend a warm welcome as they share the captivating tale of their immersion into the world of upholstery. From their humble beginnings to the inception of their small upholstery businesses, Ray and Vicky offer firsthand accounts of the challenges and triumphs encountered along the way. Delve into the intricacies of starting a business in the upholstery realm. Join them as they set the stage for the podcast's exciting evolution, promising engaging conversations with the movers and shakers, innovators and disrupters of the craft.

Ray Clarke

Vicky Grubb

This month Ray and Vicky head to Shoreditch, London to speak with the Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) and learn how the trade body has guided Upholsterers for the last 75 years.

Joined by the new Chair, Marlen Suller, and Director Louise Boyland (who also owns Shoreditch Design Rooms), we talk a little about The AMUSF’s history, its roles on behalf of its members, differences in Upholstery technique, training institutions, the benefits of becoming a member of the AMUSF and the changes this noble organisation is making to help promote the wonderful craft and trade to help up and coming as well as practicing upholsterers and soft furnishers in the UK.

AMUSF

Shoreditch Design Rooms

BEA Group

Ray Clarke⁠

⁠Vicky Grubb

In this final episode of the season, recorded at the HIRE Cumbria event in the Lake District, Vicky and Ray sit down with Stephen Ball of Cumbria Upholstery who' s incredible story proves that resilience knows no limits. After serving a horrific life-threatening climbing accident, Stephen rebuilt his future, turning determination, ingenuity and pure grit into a successful upholstery business in the North of England. Listen along with us in front of this live audience to his inspiring journey.

Cumbria Upholstery

https://sites.google.com/view/hire-cumbria/home

Our heartfelt thanks go out to our sponsors for this episode

https://www.bea-group.com/en/

https://martinsupholstery.co.uk

In this month’s Chair Stories, Vicky sits down with student Sam, who shares her deeply personal journey through upholstery. After losing both her mother and father to COVID, Sam brought in her father’s cherished Parker Knoll wing chair, hoping to restore it. Join us for a heartfelt conversation about grief, resilience, and how the craft of upholstery—along with a love of books—has helped Sam find healing. Grab a cuppa and listen in.

Fiction Prescription

In this episode, we chat with Linda from 7 Upholstery. Unlike most upholsterers who are self-employed, Linda has spent the last 18 years working a 9-to-5 in the trade. So, what’s it like being employed as an upholsterer? How has her skill evolved over the years, and what has she learned along the way?  
Join Ray and Vicky as we talk shop and dive into Linda’s unique experience in the industry.

7 Upholstery

⁠BEA Staple Guns⁠

⁠Martins Upholstery Supplies

Ray and Vicky took a trip to Sheffield, UK, to visit the legendary William Whiteley & Sons, one of the world’s oldest scissor manufacturers.

In this fascinating episode, we dive into the history, craftsmanship, and surprising details behind this essential upholstery tool—everything you never knew you needed to know about scissors!  

Also available as a video podcast on our new YouTube channel, Sit on This! Productions. Tune in and watch the full experience!