It seems unlikely, here at the buckle maker in the West Midlands, that they’d ever claim theirs the most picturesque trade. But, once a day, just before noon, they have their moment of high drama; a Joseph Wright-worthy moment, when the crucible of molten brass is lugged over from the furnace, and poured slowly into the buckle moulds stacked nearby.
The workshop was built over a century ago, and for the past decade or more has served competently and compactly as company headquarters. Garments aren’t made here, of course — that’s the purview now of makers across the British Isles — but it is quite handy for the development of them.
S.E.H Kelly
1 Cleve Workshops, Boundary Street, London E2 7JD.
020 3397 0449
Not open very much at all, these days, the workshop. Still, look out for the first workshop in the row, and if the lights are on, step on inside why not.