We have now moved to our new premises. All of our contact numbers remain the same, however our address has now changed slightly - you can now find us at...
Easirider Company Ltd
Unit G1 (Ground Floor), Nene Centre
Freehold Street
Northampton
NN2 6EF
Peter and Penny celebrate 40 years of Easirider
Peter and Penny Robinson recently attended a surprise luncheon put on by Easirider to celebrate 40 years since he formed the company. Charles, Peter and Christine would like to take this opportunity to thank all the different people who have helped us in many different ways – here’s to the next 40 years!
PETER & PENNY ROBINSON
From Alaska to Terra del Fuego
Easirider customer, Mr Hutchinson, is taking the long way down from Alaska to Terra del Fuego riding on Easirider sheepskin!
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You can follow his epic journey by reading his blog.
2011 Campaign for Wool - WOOL MODERN Exhibition
The Campaign for Wool continues with the LOVE WOOL UK week running from the 5th – 11th September.
A central feature of the 2011 campaign will be the WOOL MODERN Exhibition which is being held at La Galleria in Pall Mall, London SW1Y
Easirider Company have been active supporters of the Campaign for Wool since its inception with Peter Robinson continues to be a member of the task force gathered together by HRH Prince of Wales who is the Patron to the Campaign.
Sponsored Student achieves first
We met Garry when he was nominated by Northampton University to attend a master class given by Professor Basil Kardasis of the Royal College of Art which had been organised by Peter Robinson. We were intrigued by Garry's use of laser cutting techniques to cut and emboss a variety of leathers and we were both keen to see what results could be achieved using Sheepskin.
Easirider decided to help Garry with material sponsorship and Christine provided machine time to sew a few of the garments from his collection.
Unsurprisingly the university and fashion press were as excited about Garry's work as we were. One of his pieces was selected as an iconic garment for the Graduate Fashion Week 2010 and featured extensively in the event publicity.
Garry achieved a well deserved first class degree and we are convinced that we will see his work on future catwalks.
Sheep graze Savile Row
Easirider, as a founder Member of the Real Sheepskin Association, have been working on the steering committee of the ‘Campaign for Wool’ which was set up last January by HRH The Prince of Wales.
Their plans for 2010 culminated in the first national Wool Week starting 11th October .
Working with Savile Row Bespoke Association, Woolmark International, ( West Country woolen mill ) Fox Bros. and Dormeuil, the Campaign’s Wool Week got off to a sensational start, when Savile Row was grassed over, fenced, and 80 sheep were let loose complete with collies, Shepherds and a Vet!
Asked for how the Week went, Easirider director, Peter Robinson, who represents the Sheepskin Industry on the Campaign for Wool said ‘it was a surreal experience. Savile Row is recognised throughout the world as a centre of fine tailoring and this project put Wool centre stage”
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A tribute to Sir Norman Wisdom OBE, 4th February 1915 – 4th October 2010, aged 95.
Easirider Company had the privilege and pleasure of working for Norman during the 1980’s and 90’s.
His fame as a Comedian, Singer, Songwriter and Actor (who can forget his TV role in ‘Going Gently’) ensured that when he performed at Northampton’s Derngate Theatre and had time to visit Easirider’s factory, a crowd, in awe, gathered to clap him in and out.
This picture taken on one of these visits to our factory is very special to Peter Robinson who is shown being rebuked by the one and only Norman Wisdom.
May you go gently Norman!
Summer is just around the corner and soon the Concours & Rally Season will be upon us.
This summer EASIRIDER will be having trade stands at the following events;
Rolls-Royce Enthusiasts Club Annual Rally & Concours 18th – 20th June 2010 Rockingham Castle, Northamptonshire
There has been a change of venue this year but luckily for us it will still be held in Northamptonshire at Rockingham Castle. For those who are unaware this is probably the largest regular gathering of Rolls-Royce and Bentley cars in the world which includes examples of the latest models right the way through to some of the earliest vehicles from these two iconic marques.
The Show runs for three days starting 18th June when members of the club have the opportunity to view the entries for the Saturday auction which is held by Bonham’s. Sunday is the main event where line after line of beautiful cars are parked ready to be judged.
The trade area includes specialist dealers, auto jumble, and of course EASIRIDER who will be looking forward to meeting our customers.
Bentley Drivers Club Annual Summer Rally & Concours 26th June 2010 Wroxton, nr. Banbury, Oxfordshire
Another change of venue here with this year’s BDC Rally being held at the W.O Bentley Memorial Building at Wroxton in Oxfordshire.
The BDC rally is a smaller event than RREC equivalent but it is one which we look forward to attending every year. There are always a few real gems here. In past years a restored Speed Eight Chassis on display gave visitors a chance to see the craftsman’s precision work before the body was put into place and there are often lovingly restored examples of early cars being showed by justifiably proud owners.
Rolls-Royce Owners Club Annual Meet 19th – 24th July 2010 Hilton Suites, Markham, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
This year the Annual Meet moves north to Toronto in Canada. Enthusiastic members of the RROC will be busy preparing their cars for this year’s get together. The format for the American Rally is a little different to the UK version in that it takes place over 5 days and is normally based around a Hotel or Resort complex.
The vendors area is normally in an air conditioned ballroom and week includes, trips, lectures and plenty of opportunities to wander around the car parks admiring the several hundred cars attending. The final day includes a Concours and Gala Dinner.
As usual our American representatives, Sue & Phil Brooks will be available at the Vendors Area throughout the week.
Jaguar Drivers Club National Day 1st August 2010, Althorp House, Northampton
This event returns to Northamptonshire where the organisers have been lucky enough to secure Althorp House for the 2010 National Day.
The ancestral home of the Spencer family will be a superb venue and no doubt those attending will have the opportunity to get a look around the house.
The National Day always attracts large numbers of Jaguars and is really enjoyed by the collectors of this popular British car.
George's Dream Garage
Australian Rolls-Royce and Bentley Specialist George Flourentzou recently sent us photographs of the 'Dream Garage' he has just completed in the suburbs of Adelaide.
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We know that George has a great eye when it comes to selecting his car but what we didn't realise was that he has a superb collection antique petrol pumps.
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You may think that this is a really strange item to collect but in our opinion these everyday items from the past are works of art. As you would expect we particularly like the Golden Fleece pump, especially as it has been converted into a wine and beer cooler...
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Happy New Year
Charles, Peter & Christine would like to take this opportunity to wish customer & friends, old and new all the best for 2010.
Sam the Ram makes it BIG!
Local band 'Juliet the Sun' invited Sam the ram (one of our racing sheep) to have a role in the video they recently shot for their new single 'Time for Heroes'. The location for the shoot was the Nene Centre in Freehold Street where both we and their rehearsal studios are based.
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The bands lead singer Steve Crook (who hails from Australia) is also a professional cricketer who plays for Northamptonshire Cricket Club and this connection has created a great deal of media interest during the Ashes tour, when the group were invited to play at the Oval.
We managed to get a short interview with 'Sam' himself and he had this to say - "For me taking part in this music video was like a great honour and privilege mannn. On the day of the shoot it was like a tough call, should I take part in X-Factor or do this gig instead. I am now like totally convinced this was the right decision for my career mannn. ROCK & ROLL ".
SAM THE RAM IN THE ACTUAL LIFT USED IN THE PROMO
We would like to wish 'Juliet the Sun' all the best with what we think is a brilliant track.
We are saddened by the news that Real Sheepskin Association Chairman Andrew Tinnion has lost his battle with cancer.
Andrew was a man whose passion and enthusiasm for his craft was infectious. We admired his fortitude and candour and there is no doubt in our minds that the Sheepskin Industry has lost a true champion.
During the twenty or so years he led our Trade Association Andrew worked tirelessly to promote the Sheepskin industry. His work with legions of students and practical support of the RSA Design Awards has helped introduce a new generation of designers to working with Real Sheepskin and is just one small but important example of Andrew's legacy.
We offer our condolences to June, Rachel and Mark, Chris & Angela Tinnion along with Andrew's colleagues at Fenland Sheepskin.
SEPTEMBER is Derby Bentley Month as far as Easirider News is concerned. Two good friends of our company who are enthusiasts of these lovely cars have had a busy summer and share details of their exploits with us.
Sue & Phil Brooks have represented Easirider in the USA for many years. For as long as I can remember they have been lovingly restoring ALY 605. She was finally completed in time for the 2008 RROC Meet in Willamsburg which Sue & Phil had helped organise. They were invited to take the car to Pebble Beach this year and Phil's account is shown below.
Bernard & Liz Darby have recently returned from a 5000 mile tour of Alaska which they undertook in their 3 1/2 lt Derby Bentley Sports Saloon with HJ Mulliner bodywork. Having completed in a number of previous tours they know how much difference sitting on Real Sheepskin covers can make to their comfort. A brief report complete with photographs appear below.
Letter from America
Our car is B196HK, reg. no. ALY 605, a 1936 4-1/4 Litre Vanden Plas two-seater with dickey, the first of two such bodies made by Vanden Plas. Her nickname is "ALY." The car was ordered by Jack Barclay as a prototype for a new line of bodies he wanted to introduce, but the new line failed to catch on because people wanted wind-up windows rather than side curtains! The car was originally owned by Rose, Countess of Warwick, her third Derby Bentley. She had the car only a few months, then traded it in for something else. The second owner only had the car for a few months and traded it back to Barclay after pranging the front end. In August 1937 the Hon. Clive Pearson bought the car for his daughter Veronica as a 21st birthday present, and Veronica kept the car until 1955. The next owner bought the car from Paddon Bros. and only had the car for a few weeks: he was the town clerk of Barrow-in-Furness, and the town council told him that the town clerk couldn't have such a fancy car. He traded the car back to Paddon Bros., and they then sold it to the Iliffe family. The Iliffe's daughter Margaret learned to drive on the car and brought it to the States when she married a Texan in 1958. She later married a Virginian and brought the car to Virginia, then sold the car to a local banker in Alexandria, Taylor Burke. Our friend Taylor had a pet parrot named Runyon, who was the mascot of Burke and Herbert Bank; Runyon used to ride in the car on Taylor's shoulder, hanging onto Taylor's earlobe with his beak as they went around corners! We bought the car from Taylor Burke in 1970 and drove it until 1977, when the car's deteriorated condition called for restoration. We worked on the restoration for 32 years off and on, finally getting it back on the road last year.
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This August we were greatly honored to be invited to bring the car to the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance in California, probably the most prestigious such event in the world. The Concours this year featured Bugatti, Ferrari, 100 years of Morgan, and Bentley; they invited all the Bentley LeMans cars they could find, ranging from the first in 1923 to the latest in 2001, plus a very select group of 6-1/2 and 8 Litre Vintage Bentleys, plus an equally select group of Derby Bentleys of which ours was one. We shipped the car out to California and drove on the Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance on the Thursday before the Concours on Sunday. The Tour d'Elegance is a 70 mile drive through the Carmel hills, then down California Route 1 along the Pacific coast to Big Sur, then back to Carmel and Pebble Beach. ALY performed magnificently, though several other cars did break down for one reason or another -- overheating, a wheel fell off, and what-have-you! The picture of us on the road, with our photographer friend Brad Zemcik in the dickey seat, was taken on the Tour d'Elegance.
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The Sunday of the Concours was an incredible day. Over 200 cars were on the field, some of the most spectacular classics and race cars and well-preserved antiques one could imagine. The new Bentley Mulsanne was introduced on the awards ramp at the Concours at high noon, being accompanied by W.O.'s old 8 Litre Mulliner saloon, which the factory had had preserved and restored to the condition in which it was when W.O. had to turn it in in early 1932. The Derby Bentleys present included a 3-1/2 Mulliner drophead coupe; 3-1/2 and 4-1/4 Vanden Plas four-seaters, one of each); the Bertelli-bodied lightweight 3-1/2 coupe; a Carlton 4-1/4 drophead coupe that was recently at Villa d'Este; the Gurney Nutting sedanca coupe that was Barclay's advertising car in ads from 1938 and 1939, now owned by Simon Taylor of "Classic and Sportscar" magazine; and our ALY, the 4-1/4 Vanden Plas two-seater. Elsewhere on the field, in the Bentley racers class, were the 3-1/2/4-1/4 Eddie Hall TT and LeMans car and the 4-1/4 Embiricos coupe, which raced at LeMans in 1949 and 1950 and which was the progenitor of the Bentley Continental of 1952. The judging competition was very keen, and we won no prizes, but having the car invited and being there was the biggest prize of all! It was truly an unforgettable experience, made even better by our son, daughter-in-law, and grandson being there as well. That's our grandson Finn standing in the driver's seat of ALY.
Phil & Sue Brooks - Williamsburg VA
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BENTLEY ALASKA 2009
Earlier this we took a call from Bernard Darby who asked us pop down to Hillier-Hill in Olney. They had found a good example of a Derby Sports Saloon for him and they were busy preparing the car so that it could take part in the forthcoming BDC Alaska Tour. We measured the front seats and prepared a pair of fitted covers in dark green Sherpa fleece. These were duly fitted a couple of weeks before the car was containerised and shipped to Vancouver.
The Tour set off on 31st May and over the following 26 days made its way to Anchorage and back. The caravan included many examples of the marque from W.O. 's from the 1920's to a Continental DHC from 1990. Most of the cars completed the journey under their own steam and Bernard's car did a fine job with the only problem being a blown exhaust downpipe - given the sometimes extreme conditions this is a tribute to the original design and engineering of the car and the care with which it was prepared for the journey.
The scenery was often rugged and spectacular and some of the sights are shown in a series of remarkable photo's of the tour hosted at smugmug's website - well worth a look.
Our congratulations to Bernard & Liz for completing this epic journey and thanks for providing the pictures below.
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SKIN Exhibition - part of The Shoe Town Festival at Northampton Museum Easirider have provided Northampton Museum with a selection of Real Sheepskin items for this exhibition which marks the longstanding connection which the town has with the Leather Industry.
The pieces on loan include; a rug designed by the late Malcolm Pollard, a sheepskin map of the UK, a mini bean bag and a Racing Sheep! We are particularly pleased to see an example of Malcolm's work with sheepskin on show in a public exhibition
Northampton Museum & Art Gallery
27 June to 23 August - FreeAdmission
'Instantly recognizable, leather is a unique material that has been used to make everything from buckets and boats to boots and belts! Fashion, fetishism and the anti-leather argument are all explored in this tactile and interactive exhibition that showcases items from Northampton's nationally Designated shoe collection and the Museum of Leathercraft'
BENTLEY DRIVERS CLUB SUMMER RALLY & CONCOURS 2009
Broughton Castle played host to the annual BDC get together on Saturday 27th June 2009. It was my first visit to this venue which is situated on the outskirts of Banbury in rural Oxfordshire and I must say it is a superb setting.
We have absolutely no connection with the car shown below but when I saw it I had to take a picture. The car had been prepared to show winning standard by its owner and attracted many admiring ( & envious ? ) glances throughout the day.
1929 ( W.O. ) BENTLEY SPEED SIX Cadogan Four Seater
parked on the judging field in front of the moat at Broughton Castle
ROLLS-ROYCE ENTHUSIASTS CONCOURS 2009
The weekend of 12th - 14th June saw the 50th Annual Rally & Concours for the RREC. This was the final year at Kelmarsh Hall with Rockingham Castle booked for the 2010 event. Over 800 examples of Rolls-Royce and Bentleys were in attendance ranging from the very oldest models to the soon to be launched 200 EX.
During Sunday morning many of the cars were judged on the show field and this year several of our customers won rosettes. Congratulations to all involved
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One of the winning cars was this superb example of the Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit which took a well deserved First in Class Elegance Award for the Touring Class. The car is fitted with Easirider lambswool rugs and includes a fitted boot rug.
GOLDEN GATE ENDEAVOUR ( Update)
image courtesy of www.goldengateendeavour.com
Chris & Mick are now well into their challenge ( 67 days as of 14th July ) and from the looks of their satelite mapping system appear to be around a third of the way towards their goal. Their blog makes interesting reading - clicking this link takes you to the entry where they describe the joy of opening a new sheepskin pad on July 2 although I think that describing how their bottoms 'squeal with pleasure' at the prospect may be a touch too much information.
We would like to take this opportunity to offer our condolences to Mick and his family following the recent death of his father.
GRADUATE FASHION
For several years, we, along with several other members of the Real Sheepskin Association have worked closely with Fashion and Furniture Design Departments at a number of Universities and Colleges.
We have particularly strong links with the well respected Graduate Fashion Course at the University of Northampton, and regularly give advice regarding the sourcing of Real Sheepskin and make-up of final collection garments using this much sought after material.
In 2008 we were delighted to sponsor HUWAIDA AHMED who included this stunning Mongolian Fleece Coat in her Bedouin inspired collection which was shown at the London Graduate Fashion Week as well as the University's own Catwalk Show held at the Derngate Theatre in Northampton.
WASTE NOT!
We try to waste as little of our fleeces as possible but inevitably we do create off-cut. Rather than send the smaller pieces to land fill we have an agreement
with Milton Keynes Play Association who collect the sheepskin for their SCRAPSTORE. Members of the group can then purchase this and other resources for Craft use. Any surplus is then traded with other similar organisations around the country
If you would like more information SCRAPSTORE can be contacted on (01908) 263033
OCEAN ROWING
Fancy rowing across the Pacific or Atlantic? Its not really something we would want to try but you would be surprised how many people take on this adventure. We made our first covers for local rower Sally Kettle who has tackled the Atlantic not once but twice. Since then we have had a regular calls from rowers in search of comfort where it counts.
Currently we have provided sheepskin covers to the TEAM INSIGHT who will tackle the Atlantic in December 2009 as part of the Woodvale Challenge. Later this month Chris Martin and Mick Dawson set off from Japan with the aim of rowing unsupported to San Francisco in the GOLDEN GATE ENDEAVOUR. Everyone at EASIRIDER wishes them a safe and swift journey.
That's all for now but keep watching for more NEWS from Easirider Company.
