SOUND ARCHIVE

Living Linen Interview LL2_R00/16 2 of 2

Sound Recording : Magnetic Tape, Reel

Elliott, Michael (Mr) (Primary maker)
Elliott, Michael (Mr) (interviewee)

03/03/2000
03/03/2000

Sound Recording on Reel: Greenmount & Boyne. Library Transcript: Transcript. Summary: Michael's grandfather came to Northern Ireland, from Newcastle on Tyne, to take up the post of Chief Librarian at Belfast Central Library. Mr Robert Houston - then Managing Director - of the Belfast section of Greenmount & Boyne knew the Elliott family, and it was suggested that Mike be groomed for a sales position. Mike started with the firm in 1950. He was taken on to eventually succeed his immediate boss and senior foreign traveller - Mr Watson. The Company spanned the border: The head office and bleach works were in Drogheda (hence Boyne), the spinning mill and factory were in the Greenmount area of Dublin, while the warehouse and export office were in Belfast. The firm insisted that their sales representatives had a good understanding of the manufacturing process and made Mike follow a weaving course at Belfast 'Tech. He spent a number of months in Dublin and Drogheda. Mike also attended a course in business methods, where he learned about export and shipping documentation. The Belfast warehouse gave a lot of commission work to firms such as Durham Street Weaving Co. Although they had their own bleachworks in Drogheda, it proved more economical to use Cowdy's to bleach their gray cloth, due to the costs of freight and the difficulties of effectively exporting and re-importing their own cloth across the border. The northern and southern branches of the firm were run entirely separately. The southern part of the company only supplied the Republic of Ireland and did no export trade whatsoever. They supplied the Great Southern Hotel group with all of their bed and table linens and also won the contract for dyeing the Irish army uniforms. The Belfast office was opened in the mid to late 1920s, quite likely an attempt to take advantage of Empire trade. Greenmount and Boyne wove household linens and dress linens. Durham St produced rayon tablecloths for the Belfast warehouse. These tablecloths were then hand-painted and sold more cheaply than their linen counterparts. The firm had a London office, with a car at the disposal of the staff, and did a large trade with the East End wholesale trade. Mike spent some time in the London office, before he was given his own overseas area. Greenmount and Boyne exported roughly 20% of their output. Mike looked after the Australian and New Zealand markets where he had a sizeable number of agents. Greenmount and Boyne insisted that Mike fly first class. Although he flew aboard modern jet liners the trip was still broken into several legs. Mike usually landed in Perth and then travelled internally, again by air, to the other cities. Each trip lasted up to three months. As there was a definite selling season in Australia and New Zealand (their Spring) several linen companies had representatives in the southern hemisphere at the one time. Despite their rivalry they met up at least once for an evening’s entertainment. York St, RSO and Clarks were Greenmount and Boyne's major competitors. Agents and customers provided Mike with feedback about their products and Mike was ultimately able to commission designs and make suggestions as to the type of product that should be supplied to Australasia. On his return Mike was given a few days to recover before submitting a written report on the trip. Mike left in 1961 to start his own textile business - S Burton & Company. The company remains in existence today although Mike has since moved away from textiles and into tobacco.

HOYFM.R2000.48

National Museums NI