Spinning Tales

April 6, 2023--Darla and Robin Elliot, Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

Our 2023 excursion the The Borders over Easter included what would prove to be an extensive and rather interesting tour of the Andrew Elliot Mill in Selkirk.  Our mill guide was none other than Robin Elliot, son of Andrew Elliot, the company's founder.  Robin was more than generous with his time.  

We should start with the fact that Robin lives in Stowe, Scotland on the upper reaches of Gala Water, some 15 to 20 miles from his mill in Selkirk.  Stowe is about 8 or 10 miles out from Galashiels where we took accommodations (at Kingsknowes) on this part of our Borders tour.  

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill (hoop loom?)

What this meant is that Robin's drive over to Selkirk from Stowe was greater than our own from Kingsknowes.  So he was more than gracious to agree to meet us in Selkirk and show us around the mill. 

Prior to our Easter 2023 sojourn, we had contacted Robin by email.  On an off chance that we could tour the historic mill, we asked.  

Surprisingly, he agreed, opening the mill on his day off no less.  We indicated in the email string that we would certainly be interested in purchasing woolen fabrics while at the mill.  (We had similarly done this in 2017 on Islay at the Islay Woollen Mill.)  Even so, the only thing Robin requested of us was confirmation.  That was understandable, as he sought to ward off any no-show, given he resides at some distance in Stowe.   

April 6, 2023--Darla with Robin Elliot, Andrew Elliot Mill

After an interesting and somewhat steep walk through Selkirk down to the mill from the town center, we easily spent over two hours at the mill as Robin spun tale upon tale about the old works and those who toiled in yesteryear...Robin's tales included, remarkably enough, a story on the Rolling Stones who were also visitors to Selkirk.  (Judging from their current looks and the wear and tear of rock & roll, the Stones could have visited about the same time the mill was first built.)  The mill began in 1838.

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

According to the Elliot website (https://www.elliot-weave.co.uk/history), the current Elliot Mill was formerly part of what was known as the Forest Mill.  Situated on Ettrick Water, a main tributary of River Tweed, this water powered the original "tweed" industry in Selkirk.  What remains today as Andrew Elliot Mill is a listed building, which means it is an historical site, akin to being on our own National Registry here in the States.  Elliot Mill is a working museum, but that depends on how one views it.  The mill still turns out tweeds and tartans.

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

One of the first mills in Selkirk, Forest Mill was built by George Roberts & Co.  The Roberts operated the mill until the late 1960s when their mill buildings were parted out and sold separately. 

In July 1965 Robin's father, Andrew, acquired the Forest Mill yarn store.  From there, he set up his family woolens business.  Andrew, a designer in the industry since about 1941, purchased various old mill machinery and by 1972 the Elliot Mill began business.  

April 6, 2023--Robin Elliot, proprietor Andrew Elliot Mill

For his part, Robin attended the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels, and joined the family firm in the mid 1990s.  Andrew passed in 2009, and Robin took the historic mill into the online marketing age, so to speak, in 2019.  Put another way, that online presence was only about three years before we first contacted him by email.    

 

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

As to the historical, much of the machinery in Elliot Mill is irreplaceable...in the literal sense.  They don't make it anymore.  Though still operating, a significant part of the machinery in the Selkirk mill dates to the Victorian era, back when the global trade in woolen textiles sustained a large measure of the entire British economy.  

April 6, 2023--Small loom, Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

 

The historical equipment in Andrew Elliot Mill dates from the beginning of the industrial age, doing what it's been doing for some 150 years or so.  But how long it will continue is unknown.  

In that sense, it's much like the Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft.  The guys who engineered it have long since passed.  And those few who know all the ins and outs have dwindled to a mere handful of knowledgeable workers.  Rolling Stones and all. 

 

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

There are other examples of working museum mills.  Mentioned above, historically in the same boat would be the Islay Woollen Mill on the Isle of Islay.  It too uses ancient equipment that is for all practical purposes irreplaceable.  If something breaks beyond repair, that part must be uniquely machined new, as a one-off.  That, of course, can approach prohibitive costs.  For that reason, one will see various chains and cogs here and there about the mill.  Using salvage parts as best and as long as possible.

April 6, 2023--mechanical "computer" Andrew Elliot Mill

Perhaps the most remarkable equipment in the Elliot mill was what can only be called an analog or mechanical computer.  It would be almost mind boggling to keep up with the yarns and patterns in the set cloth weave.  How the weavers even calculated all this mechanically is beyond me.  Not exactly my forte. 

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

Lastly, it should be noted that this mill equipment is well beyond modern day OSHA regulations (here in the States) or by whatever similar agency the UK employs to ensure worker safety standards.  Those industrial safety agencies weren't even a glimmer in their daddy's eye, so to speak, way back when.  Not for nothing, many industrial laborers back in the day sustained serious injuries or even death.  It was a different age.  With different social values on the lives of workers to be sure.

April 6, 2023--Andrew Elliot Mill, Selkirk

 

For us, we made ample use of the woolens in the crate or box racks offered for sale at Andrew Elliot Mill.  We purchased a number of woolens there.  Robin was also kind enough to pack and ship our purchase by international courier (I believe he used FedEx, but it could've been DHL).  This allowed us to continue our visit of the Borders, much of it on foot, and avoid the necessity of hauling woolens all over the south of Scotland for the last week of our 2023 sojourn there. 

One curiosity possibly worth noting...what we refer to as throw blankets are known as "rugs" in the UK.  Euphemistically stated, I admit to my ignorance.  Robin mentioned "rugs" as well as bolts of woven woolens were for sale.  

I kept looking around the crate shelves for something I might call a rug.  I was thinking along the line of hey, maybe we might want to replace some small rugs--which is about the extent of my interior decorating abilities (or interest).  Then it dawned on me...rugs meant throw blankets.  So, in fairness to the Rolling Stones, I too am a touch worse for the wear.  Like yeah.  I don't remember the 60s either.

April 6, 2-23--"Rugs"