Ash Firth
With his wife, Jo Firth of Jo Firth Lacemaking, he was a regular at many lace days and fairs. One of the things that everyone remembers about Ash Firth was his infectious smile and laugh.
Ash passed away on 26th January 2018 suddenly. Since then, Jo and her daughters set about raising funds for leukaemia uk in his name.
As Jo said on her website:
Ash has worked with yarn most of his working life. When he left school he went into a fine worsted mill. He did an apprenticeship, including night school and day-release to learn all about textiles in general, but yarn manufacture in particular. He went through each process in the mill and finally became a spinning overlooker.(The boss if you don’t know mill terminology!) It was at this time we met and married.
When fine worsteds went into decline, Ash moved into a woollen mill which produced hand knitting yarn. Some of you might remember Argyle Wools. Ash eventually became mill manager and had approx 150 employees. He could still do “hands on” work and mend and service the machinery! We still meet “his ladies” around the area who speak fondly of the mill days!
When the knitting wool also went into decline Ash had already started to make lace bobbins for my business, he then decided to go into the lace business himself.
Ash passed away on 26th January 2018 suddenly. Since then, Jo and her daughters set about raising funds for leukaemia uk in his name.
As Jo said on her website:
Ash has worked with yarn most of his working life. When he left school he went into a fine worsted mill. He did an apprenticeship, including night school and day-release to learn all about textiles in general, but yarn manufacture in particular. He went through each process in the mill and finally became a spinning overlooker.(The boss if you don’t know mill terminology!) It was at this time we met and married.
When fine worsteds went into decline, Ash moved into a woollen mill which produced hand knitting yarn. Some of you might remember Argyle Wools. Ash eventually became mill manager and had approx 150 employees. He could still do “hands on” work and mend and service the machinery! We still meet “his ladies” around the area who speak fondly of the mill days!
When the knitting wool also went into decline Ash had already started to make lace bobbins for my business, he then decided to go into the lace business himself.