Name: Rachel Weddell. Age: 36. Job: Owner of Decor. Experience: Courses in curtain-making and soft furnishings at the Scottish Borders College of Textiles, PA at Frontier Agriculture and owner of Decor Design. Family: Husband Trevor, 36, an electrical engineer with Scottish Power. What is the best thing about Berwick? Small friendly town steeped in history and potential. Beautiful walks and nice people. What is the best thing about your job? I love the challenge of doing both but sometimes it can be hard work. I love mixing with my colleagues and the support my team give me in making Decor a success. Why is it important to keep skills like sewing alive? We need to keep traditional skills alive. Sewing is such an enjoyable and rewarding skill and suits all types. Similarly upholstery – it is a pleasure to see an old chair transformed. Name: Josephine Simpson Age: 37 Job title: Seamstress Experience: Josephine creates bespoke designs from clothing to wedding dresses, various cloth items, dolls, curtains and cushions and specialist babywear. She has a BTEC National Diploma in Fashion and Clothing and qualifications in advanced pattern cutting. Family: Married to Andy with who she has four daughters and three sons and another baby due in April. What is the best thing about Berwick? The beautiful scenery and the fresh air! What is the best thing about your job? The making and designing. Why is it important to keep skills like sewing alive? They are grass-roots skills and therefore essential. The West takes this for granted because of imported stitched goods. Sewing was around and necessary well before machinery – and hand sewing is eco-friendly! Name: Shirley Watson Age: 55 Job title: Seamstress Experience: All my working years have involved sewing skills. Family: Husband William, a factory worker, and two sons Paul, 30, a factory worker, and Gary, 27, a groundsman. What is the best thing about Berwick? It is a small town with nice people. What is the best thing about your job? I’m doing a job I have always liked. I get a great amount of satisfaction from seeing the finished products. Why is it important to keep skills like sewing alive? Sewing is dying out as schools don’t teach it so much now. They should do more to get pupils interested. Sewing has been sent abroad a lot now so it should be brought back to Britain to create jobs. Name: Sandra Henderson Age: 51 Job title: Seamstress Experience: Sandra has 21 years’ professional sewing experience. Family: Married to David, 53, a carpenter, with two children, Craig, 29, a stock manager at Argos, and Lucie Sadler, 27, a hairdresser. What is the best thing about Berwick? It has very little crime and is very historic with good views and nice walks. What is the best thing about your job? We work as a small unit. Doing a job I like means I get job satisfaction and I love seeing what I’ve made finished. Why is it important to keep skills like sewing alive? Because nearly everything is made abroad. Sewing in Britain would die out if places like Decor did not exist. Name: Grace Wilson Age: 73 Job: General assistant (and Rachel’s mum). Experience: Domestic science college, a farmer’s wife and a mother of five. Manager of a country house for corporate and sporting events. Family: Mark, a self-employed builder, Angus a farmer, Fiona, a manager in community education, Rachel and Reuben, a grain and fertiliser dealer. What is the best thing about Berwick? The sea and the walls! What is the best thing about your job? It keeps me in touch with the working world and I enjoy everyone’s company. Why is it important to keep skills like sewing alive? The UK is losing the plot and becoming dependent on cheap imports from the East. It is time to start training our young people and regain our reputation for quality. Sewing and cooking should be encouraged in school before it is too late. Name: Maria Lopez. Age: 44. Job: Showroom co-ordinator. Experience: I’ve worked in photography and advertising. Family: Son David is a mechanic. What is the best thing about Berwick? Decor! What is the best thing about your job? I enjoy the challenge! Why is it important to keep skills like sewing alive? To keep important skills in the country. | 
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