Family-owned business has stood the test of time (From Craven Herald)

Family-owned business has stood the test of time

5:08pm Tuesday 15th December 2009 in

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Craven has many long-established independent businesses and among them is Simpsons of Skipton. It was launched in Embsay in the 1880s, but, as demand grew, it moved to Skipton High Street and then Swadford Street. Today it remains a family-owned business, selling classic, country and contemporary menswear and accessories. It is still based in Swadford Street, but on the opposite side of the road – it was originally where Specsavers is. Here we reproduce, in its original form, an article from the West Yorkshire Pioneer (which merged with the Craven Herald in the 1930s) in November 1926. The article is provided by Gargrave resident Anne White, granddaughter of one of the founders, WA Simpson.

The history of any well-established business always contains an abundance of interest, and a study of the methods on which it has been built up is both informative and fascinating.

After all, business is as much an adventure as sailing across an uncharted sea and it progresses in proportion to the courage with which new ideas are applied to it and to the consideration which is shown to ail parties concerned in it, both customers and servants.

Just as tales of adventure grip the mind, so do the stories of those who have been making headway in the sphere of trade.

Consequently, it was with not little interest that a “Pioneer” representative listened to the account of the advance of the business of Messrs WA and JT Simpson, of Swadford Street, Skipton, one of the leading firms of tailor and outfitters in the district.

It was excellently told by Mr WA Simpson, the chairman and managing director, who established the business in a humble way in the village of Embsay, two miles away from Craven’s capital, in August of 1896.

“My sole ambition has been, and is still, to have a man’s shop where the first test of every article is quality,” he proceeded. “My second consideration has been that of selling each article at a minimum of profit. From the first I was fortunate in being able to secure introductions to the best-known manufacturers of the goods which I intended to sell. This, coupled with a rigid adherence to the two broad principles which I have mentioned before, caused the business to prosper to such an extent that the premises quickly became inadequate.

“More spacious accommodation was then leased at No 40 High Street, Skipton, and again the business outgrew the premises, and at the expiration of the lease in 1916 the commodious premises in which we now stand were leased and adapted.

“Now we have one of the largest tailoring staffs in Yorkshire and Lancashire and have three travellers highly trained in the business who represent the firm in East Lancashire and the West Riding. A postcard or telephone message will bring one of them to see a client or prospective customer any time.

“Another point which we ask our clients to bear in mind is that we are not only open to receive suggestions from them, but we welcome them,” he added. Mr Simpson proceeded to show our representative round the firm’s extensive and admirably equipped premises. The basement is dedicated especially to that always wanting unit of society, the British schoolboy. Boys’ suits and outfitting of every variety, shape, and size find a place on the shelves, and in this department there is also a large assortment of overcoats and raincoats of the reputed Burberry and Acquascutum makes. Indicating a pile of specially constructed boxes, he remarked that in this room the finished articles are carefully packed preparatory to their dispatch by post train or bus to clients. On the ground floor, the main showrooms are situated and here the specialities of the firm are displayed with all the taste and seductiveness of the showman’s art.

There are four distinct counters and the room is systematically departmentalised. Over one of these counters men’s underclothing of all descriptions, shirts (including those of the Index, Jaeger, and Vertex brands), pyjamas, etc, are sold. A second is set apart for collars, socks, scarves, gloves (the firm are agents for Dent’s and Wessex), and men’s jewellery such as dress studs and cuff links. Still another is devoted to ties, handkerchiefs, bows, pullovers, cardigans and small ware.

Evidence of the firm’s consideration for its customers is provided by the arrangement of the hat and cap counter in a separate recess, which enables an intending purchaser to try on hats without the embarrassment of doing so before other customers who might happen to be in the shop at the same time.

The stock represents the cream of the hat world, the makes always in hand including Henry Heath’s, Christy’s and Tress.

“It will be noticed,” continued Mr Simpson, “that we hold the agencies for the best goods in menswear, most of them entirely exclusive to us. We are somewhat proud of this.”

In the rear is the cloth room, a well-lighted apartment in which sufficient material to clothe a town is stored. The materials displayed are unique in their variety, distinctive in design, and unsurpassed in quality.

A prominent position upon the wall is accorded to the firm’s roll of honour, which shows that 10 employees served in the war and two lost their lives.

It is in this department that a person wanting a suit or costume is first taken and here the necessary measurements are taken. These measurements go through the offices, which are situated on the first floor, to the cutter, whose room is on the second floor. There are drawing boards on each side of this room and here the suit or costume is first designed on paper before it is cut from the cloth.

The patterns and measurements are then carefully filed, so that if a client desired to repeat a garment which has given him particular satisfaction, all he needs to do is to phone for patterns and choose his material, knowing that the work will be executed on the same plan as before, or with such alterations as may be required to make up the style to the immediate fashion.

Each garment is cut by an expert of great experience and passed on to the tailors in the two large tailoring rooms, where the sewing is done by hand and every detail is watched with an elaborate care. The result is the production of a garment which retains its shape after it has lived the usual length of a suit’s life.

The consideration which the firm shows for its employees is exemplified in the two work rooms, both of which are centrally heated, well-lighted, roomy and well- ventilated. The conditions are indeed of the best, and the wages are at the Trade Board rates for hand sewing workers and which are liberally interpreted.

The firm makes a speciality of ladies’ tailoring and in the special room in which this work is done more ladies’ coats have been made this year than ever before in the annals of the firm.

“It is a recognised fact that we guarantee a perfect fit on every garment we turn out,” commented Mr Simpson as he escorted our representative back to the office, where all communications are replied to on the day they are received. As a parting remark, he again emphasised the firm’s willingness to conduct anyone round the whole of their premises. “So many endeavour to convey the impression that all their garments are made on the premises, whereas in many instances they are made up at factories. This is why we are anxious to conduct anyone round the whole of our works,” he said.