BBC iPlayer - Tweed: Trouble Looms
My mum is a Harris Tweed weaver, my grandfather was a weaver, our extended family on both sides has the Harris Tweed industry woven throughout its occupations, as many Hebridean families have. So this programme made me soooo angry.
To think the survival of Harris Tweed was brought to the brink of extinction by one monopolistic businessman who couldn't see past his own preconceptions to what Harris Tweed is really about makes me want to join some sort of revolt. Sobering to note how many faces I knew amongst those interviewed as well. I hope this does catalyse a reinvigoration of the industry through providing innovative product variety to a far more accessible but diverse and evolving global fashion market.
And Mr. Haggas, I'm not sure what decade you're living in but in the last 20 years I've seen more handbags and brooches, trousers, shoes and furnishings in Harris Tweed (always fresh and unusual colours too) than bygone country toff jackets. Perhaps you should see how many of those products, y'know with modern market appeal, you can make out of those 75,000 jackets you have stockpiled.
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