James Smith and Son Umbrellas

 

James Smith and Sons Umbrellas

 

VO

We all know there are those unfortunate times when it rains in London, but help is at hand, because within this great two-listed shop on New Oxford street is James Smith and Son’s, bastion of the traditional hand-crafted gentlemen’s brolly, and they’ve been making them since 1830.

 

IV
We make them in the traditional way, and I don’t think, I mean, looking back on the records, I don’t think we’ve actually changed our method of making umbrellas and walking sticks, although the materials have changed. A lot of the covers now are nylon whereas they used to be cotton or silk.

 

VOX

I think it’s just typically British, and you wouldn’t normally find it anywhere else. I just rather like the feel and the style of it all.

 

IV

If you look around the shop you’ll see that most of the umbrellas are fairly conservative, and that’s the sort of umbrella that we make. We make a traditional, rolled black English umbrella. We have our workshops actually just underneath where you’re standing.

 

VOX

Oh, it’s just fantastic, this really old-fashioned shop that’s got a fantastic range of umbrellas in it. It’s like a part of history – bygone days.

 

IV
One of the questions that we’re often asked by customers is, ‘how long will this umbrella last me?’ So we have to say, well, it’ll last you twenty minutes if you don’t look after it, and twenty years if you do look after it.

 

VO
So to really love and cherish your umbrella, show us how to roll it properly.

 

IV
Bring the tips down, slide the tip cup, hold the ribs with the finger and thumb and the handle together, so the frame is quite secure. Then, pulling out the gauze so there’s an equal distance between them. When you’ve got them all out, a gentle roll from the top. Now I said a gentle roll, don’t squeeze it to death. Just a gentle roll down to the band, put it in, and there you are. A perfectly rolled umbrella, fit for a gentleman.