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August 9, 2005
cufflinks and bottle banks....
(on great foundations, fine things are built)
I had an interesting phone call from Westminster City Council last week. I was most surprised, as it was all to do with the future of Savile Row, which I wrote about earlier this year.
The chap was very friendly and flattering about English Cut. I initially thought this was some secret ploy by the Westminster tax offices, to find out about the various tailors hidden in the little workshops and rooms around the West End.
However, as he seemed to be quite sincere and was not asking any probing questions, I began to breath properly again. I don’t know about you, but I have a tendency to hold my breath for long periods of time when talking to government officials. They seem to have that effect on independant traders.
With the panic over, the conversation soon got interesting. The local Westminster government is carrying out a survey, to put together a aid plan for the Savile Row tailoring businesses. The chap initially asked if he could have my opinion and ask a few questions, which should take about 5 minutes.
We eventually got off the phone about an hour later.
Sadly, this comes a bit late for some of The Row, but at least the Borough of Wesminster (the area of London that Savile Row and Mayfair are in) is finally seeing the value and heritage in our favourite little street. They promised me that they would possibly be looking at the actual profits made by the tailors on The Row, and then adjusting rents and rates accordingly.
This certainly beats taking a blanket approach, and comparing these small craft houses to the other retail brands in the area. As I pointed out to the chap, these individual tailors are all that there is. They are not simply branches of billion dollar fashion empires, with bottomless financial backing. So we’ll see what happens.
On lighter note, the last time I was on The Row I realised I had forgotten my cufflinks. On the way to buy a pair I bumped into my good pal, Brian Burstow. Brian knows about as much about this game as anyone alive. And that’s exactly as he sees it, a game.
Even though he’s over twenty five years older than me, he still loves the business, and is always great to catch up with over a drink. He kindly took me to his office at No. 13 and let me borrow some cufflinks. Also, as you can see by the rather blurred picture above, he confirmed that his private wine cellar under his cutting board was as full as ever. Lovely to see him still doing his best to keep the bottle recycling plants busy.
Later that day we met up in The Windmill for a proper catch-up with another great character, John Reed. We all know and love this tailor. You’ll always find him at lunchtime in the corner of the bar with a bottle of Guinness and a gold watch & chain. There's no mistaking him, he’s always immaculate in a three-piece suit, whatever the weather.
(Three Amigos: Me, John and Brian)
When I told him about my discussion with Westmister Council, he told me about the time he scolded one of his customers for referring to the other tailors on The Row as Mr. Reed's "competition". He immediately informed the gentleman that "the other tailors are not our competition, they are our community.”
That says it all, I think.
[UPDATE:] Brian Burstow sadly passed away in December, 2005.
Posted by tom at August 9, 2005 10:41 AM
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