Stourbridge and its people

By Worcestershire Life on August 9th 2011

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With one foot in the industrial heart of the Black Country  and the other in rural Worcestershire, Stourbridge was historically a town with two faces. But with much of the industry gone, where does the future lie? Rachel Crow met some of those working to give Stourbridge a shining future.

Mention Stourbridge and many people’s first thought would be glass. For nearly 400 years, Stourbridge has been synonymous with Britain’s glass industry, reaching its heyday in the Victorian period. Manufacturers such as Thomas Webb and Sons, Royal Brierley Crystal, Stuart Crystal and Plowden & Thompson, helped to bring this area and its ware international fame and repute.

Much of the industry was lost in the last century with the closure of the glass-making factories, but there is still an active community of independent glassmakers and designers producing a range of innovative, beautiful creations.

Rebecca Handy specialises in handmade mixed media jewellery and is based in the heart of the Stourbridge glass industry at The Red House Glass Cone, where she has run her business for three years. “I think it helps being in this creative environment. With the other established artists, we have branded ourselves as a collective, Made @ the Cone, and do joint exhibitions every year,” she explains. “We are trying to promote the site as a free place to visit with designer makers and the museum and the canal. Plus there is the Ruskin Glass Centre as well, so there is quite a community of artist makers in Stourbridge. Right on their doorstep people have this huge attraction that they have almost forgotten about.”

The town has faced stiff competition from the shopping centres of Merry Hill and nearby Birmingham. While once it was proud of its tradition of independent businesses, many have fallen by the wayside.

Business partners Carol Thompson and Jean Palmer took over Jessica David Bridal in Oldswinford 18 months ago. “It had been trading for about nine years and we have managed to turn the business around and it’s doing well,” explains Carol.

“I would say Stourbridge is struggling like many other places, but we are lucky where we are because we get a lot of passing trade and we are also more specialised, there is a market out there for people who want to buy nice things. A lot is being spent on the new bus station, which will help, but Stourbridge needs more unique shops to get the people down there.”

Offering something special also seems to have been the secret of success for Juliette Walker of Oldswinford Galleries. She joined her father’s established fine art and picture framing business, which had been trading for over 25 years, and started selling furniture, gifts and accessories eight years ago. The business has stood the test of time due to the support of local custom. “They are always local people who come back time and again and want to support me because I’m a local business and that is really great.”

Pictures by Shaun Thompson

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