“The items shown here are very special to me. As the granddaughter of Walter Thompson I can remember the wood turnery very well. Imagine 8am, the large machines are being switched on, the noise is deafening. Kiln dried pieces of wood are being cut into various shapes. Sawdust is everywhere. On the floor, in your hair, down inside your clothes. The work continues until first break, then back again until dinner time. This continues until home time and the buzzer sounds. Silence falls.”

Elizabeth Benjamin (nee Thompson)