History
1956 | George Boswood started the company in April, opening a shop at 1 Church Street, Staines. |
1956 | Terry Boswood joined the company. We moved into Reading opening a small shop at 95a Oxford Road. As there were not many new machines available we sold mainly reconditioned machines which entailed the machines being re- enamelled, re- chromed and worn parts replaced. This became so successful that we started supplying John Barkers Department Store in High Street Kensington. We also started supplying local factories with machines. A lot of the sales were done by door to door canvassing and newspaper coupons. Towards the end of the year we started selling new sewing machines. Bernina imported from Switzerland and Alfa manufactured in Spain. |
1958 | Introduced new Pfaff sewing machines imported from Germany. |
1959 | Introduced new Husqvarna sewing machines imported from Sweden. |
1960 | We started to import our own machines from Czechoslovakia, made in the town of Brno where Pfaff had their machines produced alongside the German factory. |
1961 | We needed larger premises in Reading. We moved to 126a Friar Street and for a while we had two shops in Reading until the Oxford Road shop was compulsory purchased by Reading Council for the Inner Distribution Road (IDR). Business continued to grow due to the new business with Schools, Hospitals and Factories in the area. The first school we supplied a sewing machine to was The Holt School in Wokingham which we still do business with to this day. |
1966 | George Boswood retired from the company. |
1972 | Moved from 126a Friar Street Reading and relocated to our current premises 3 West Street, Reading purchasing the freehold to the property at the same time. |
1974 | The Knitting machine business started to take off. |
1980 | Mark Boswood joined the Company full time. |
1997 | Opened a shop at 12 Epsom Road Guildford. |
2000 | Terry Boswood retired from the day to day running of the business although to this day he still helps out behind the scenes with Mark Boswood taking over the day to day running of the business. |
2002 | Relocated to larger premises at 26 Chertsey Street Guildford. |
2003 | Yvette joined the company as manageress of the Guildford shop. |
2005 | Purchased the freehold for 26 Chertsey Street Guildford. We are a family run controlled business and as in any successful business a lot is owed to the Staff past and present who have helped make the business a success. But we wouldn't be where we are today without satisfied customers, some of whom have second and third generations of families still visiting us 60 years later. |