Days Upholstery Family Establishes Courses to Preserve Traditional Craft Skills

Gemma Day and her parents, Paul and Wiggy, collectively possess decades of expertise in repairing and refurbishing upholstered furniture. However, Gemma acknowledges the growing inclination among individuals to undertake such projects themselves, and the finite duration of her family’s availability to perform these services. The family enterprise, Days Upholstery, is now launching courses to impart the skills honed over 50 years, since Gemma’s father Paul commenced his apprenticeship. “As we as a family are getting older, and moving to a point where we’re finding it a bit physically challenging – especially the old man over there – it just seems like a natural progression,” she stated. The Days family attributes the increased popularity of DIY upholstery to a combination of home improvement activities during lockdowns and television programs that showcase their craft. Wiggy Day informed BBC Radio Shropshire: “The Repair Shop has been a good advocate for us, because it shows what the job actually entails. “It’s not just throwing fabric on furniture, it’s more detailed.. it’s actually more technical.”” Mr. Day recounted that he entered the trade almost inadvertently in 1976: “Initially, I wanted to be a cabinet maker. But there were no openings, and my uncle, who worked for a company in Weston Rhyn, said there was an opening for an apprentice so I jumped at it.” He subsequently worked for various other companies, including leading a re-upholstery project at the Dorchester Hotel in London, before establishing the family firm in 1993. Gemma did not initially join the business, but was soon enlisted to assist: “From school I went into antiques, and then when my brother left for the marines, my dad said: ‘You – you’re going to come and work for me now.'” “I’ve been upholstering now for over 20 years,” she further stated, as Paul humorously remarked: “She’ll get it right soon!” The family’s upholstery school offers instruction on working with items such as headboards and foot-stools, alongside more comprehensive courses where participants can bring their own repair projects. Gemma has previously taught in colleges and independently of the firm, noting that this instruction instilled in people a genuine sense of accomplishment. “They enjoy it. I think they get more satisfaction out of seeing the end result of something that they’ve done themselves,” she elaborated. Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.