Titanic firm rides crest of a wave

[Andrew Clarkson]

A Lancashire firm which made uniforms for the crew of the Titanic has been revived by its former manager.
Stephen Simpson, of Preston, closed down in May after more than 180 years of providing specialist stitching services.

Now the company premises on Manchester Road, Avenham, have been taken over by a new proprietor – former Simpson's manager Denise Croasdale – under the new name of DMC Regalia.

Huge demand for masonic regalia prompted Denise to take over the reins last month.

She has since re-employed three staff who lost their jobs when Stephen Simpson shut.

Denise, who has been in the trade for 34 years, said: "I had so many customers ringing me up, asking what was happening, so I've decided to start up again. The last couple of weeks has been really busy. 80% of it is masonic regalia but we are still doing embroidering, epaulettes and badges.

"It's very specialist work."

Established in 1827, Stephen Simpson once employed hundreds of people at the Gold Thread Works in Avenham Road. The firm decorated the Queen's wedding cake and embroidered the uniforms of staff on the Titanic.

It was also known for refurbishing a garter worn by wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill, when he was made a Knight of the Garter.

Previous owners said they decided to shut the factory earlier this year because it lies in the centre of the proposed £700m Tithebarn regeneration zone, which will see a number of buildings bulldozed.

Source: http://www.lep.co.uk