10E2062: The Harris Tweed Ride | 2

The second annual Harris Tweed Ride [Like the new daddy of tweed rides. And a v nice selection of stops along the way] was held on Sunday 23rd September 2012 in the fair city of Glasgow. All profits donated to The Linda Norgrove Foundation . Music: 'PCR Piano' by Small Colin. Cinematography: Jamie McPhee & Thenna Nicholas. Directed and Produced by Jamie Vincent Gillespie & Brian Sweeney.

The ladies always seem to carry these events a little better than the men. Some nice images, and love the ever-so-slight creep of a housey choon coming in then fading away...

10E2025: Nick Wooster x United Arrows 2012 Harris Tweed Mallory Jacket

Reblog from Hypebeast; Nick Wooster x United Arrows 2012 Harris Tweed Mallory Jacket. Hells expensive no doubt. Even w/o the lining it'd be boss...

"A medley of tweeds in varying patterns — herringbone, Black Watch plaid and pinstripes, among them — forms the base of the winter-weight jacket, while his [Nick Wooster's -ed.] signature camouflage lines the interior."

harristweed.org has relaunched

http://www.harristweed.org/ [why not .orb?? -ed] has had a relaunch after many years. This is the home of the Harris Tweed Authority, the governing body that promotes this "big cloth" and sometimes litigates on its behalf. New documentaries, a running blog and reams of info on weavers/small producers are included. Large archival photo section still to drop. Look forward to it.

10e at kaufmann mercantile -weaving harris tweed II

My Harris Tweed contact Mike Donald has graduated as a certified weaver. Head over to Kaufmann Mercantile to read part two of our quite personal interview, about what this means to him but in a larger sense what is happening with the HT brand and the area.

One slightly off topic thing we talked about was connectivity on the island...

What about internet on the islands, I thought paradoxically you had fantastic broadband connections?
Broadband on the islands is one of the biggest issues I think we face and I hope it gets tackled by the Scottish government properly this year. It's very poor in some places. I'm lucky to have a 3MB connection which is average. Some places near the main town of Stornoway can get 7MB which is probably as good as it gets here but many of the remoter rural villages make do with a pretty lousy mast-to-mast wireless network at anything between 500KB and 2MB. It's very expensive too and really not good enough, especially if we want to keep young people and associated creative industries here.

BTW, have a look at your own Harris Tweed jacket... see those blue stamped numbers on the side, those correspond to the individual weaver that created the cloth. At some point I am hoping The Harris Tweed Authority will create a database or service so for S&G one could look up the numbers.

orvis -tweed and ventile jacket

Perhaps taking a leaf from Nigel Cabourn's playbook, Orvis have created a wind and water proofed upper (using cotton Ventile®) with 100% wool Scottish tweed body on this Everest Jacket. $695.

10e at kaufmann mercantile -weaving harris tweed

We all had to do a presentation (high school, late 1980s) and most just muddled through it, probably mumbling. A buddy from Inverness announced that his topic (the Highland Clearances) was far too big to discuss in one evening and he would like to do a two part talk over two evenings. Taking the same approach here.

Over the last year I've communicated a bit with Mike Donald, a guy from Glasgow connected to the Harris Tweed Authority, and writer of The Croft blog. He was the one that organised The Harris Tweed Ride a few months back. Anyhow, he has moved back to the Western Isles off the north-west coast of Scotland to enroll in a training program that is intended to bring young folk back into the trade of weaving Harris Tweed.

I recently interviewed him for Kaufmann Mercantile. Will catch up with Mike again in a few weeks to learn more about the process, but you can read part 1 here.

harris tweed -from land to street

Photodoc From Land to Street from Lara Platman. See inside this good looking book at her site.

harris tweed ride -the movie

They saved the best for last I guess... mellow tune and some great projector screen fluttering in the breeze effects to mimic the drizzly day. Hey, you can even spot Sis in one shot. #mustsee

harris tweed ride -recap pics

Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

This is pure desktop vacation since I was not in Glasgow last weekend (Sis was and helped out) but have been enjoying the photos of the Harris Tweed Ride that took place. Have to rumble organizer Mike D (above), and commend the ladies esp' for killing it with old and new tweed ensembles (love her rough weskit below). Won't go on and on, just hope this happens again next year. If not, damn it looked fun.


Photos courtesy of Donna Swabey

Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

Needles for the gramophone. Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

A dram of shortie'... (old joke) Photo courtesy of Donna Swabey

This large set of pics below is by Carol Ann Peacock, and only reproduced here with her express permision. Do check her site, for her documenting of the mills, mill workers and weavers of the Outer Hebrides. Some of those shots will in turn be included in Weaving Songs, a book of poetry being released this autumn based on the working lives of the crofters and communities of the Western Isles of Scotland.


Tea cups and tablet' (like brittle fudge)
























Still with me? Even more pics at the official site.

that harris tweed ride look

Harris Tweed/Ventile Mallory jacket by Nigel Cabourn
Kent folding comb. Handmade, in England, since 1777.
Black&White pomade. Made in Memphis, TN. Used by rockabillies all over Glasvegas.
Levis Commuter jeans.
Trickers brogue boots w/ commando sole

This Sunday, in Glasgow (Scotland) The Harris Tweed Ride will head off for a spin round the smiling city with an amazing list of stopping off points;

• Gramaphone records and vintage tea pots get the riders jazzed at the starting line tea party courtesy of CC&T, porridge w/ honey and whisky cocktails
• Nibbles at Browns Glasgow (HQ of 10engines sister @apothercaryfox)
• Black pudding baps [baps are bread rolls. i would sign up for this alone -ed.]
• Ice cream from Stravaign
• Scottish oysters at Crabshakk
• Post ride ceilidh, auction and Bruichladdich Gin'n'fixings.

Not sure how any actual bicycling will get done haha. Post-post-ride party at the legendary Sub Club after. #radiorental. They have to do this again...

Still stuck on what to wear? The HTR folks have dreamed up a few kits for ladies and gents, reproducing below.