I have written and spoken often about my childhood memories of watching my father work. His huge table. The biggest, heaviest iron I had ever seen. Scissors that should have carried a health warning and the roles of cloth from which he created incredible garments. In his workshop, I learned the importance of fit, style and craftsmanship.
It was not long after the launch of ‘Totally Local Lancaster’, that I overheard a conversation about a Lancaster business that I was unaware of. The name didn’t give me any indication of what it did or maybe sold. Tinbox Angel. That meant nothing to me. The name stuck with me. I was intrigued.
That evening I looked it up. “Tinbox Angel Lancaster” I typed. It was an easy find on Google. ‘Tinbox Angel: Creator of individual and bespoke leather bags and accessories’ it read. I clicked on to the website. I was stunned and amazed, equally. The designs, colours, attentions to detail, bags, accessories and even luggage, and I had never heard of Tinbox Angel.
This was a great little find. Hidden away in a little covered yard was this incredible workshop and producer of fantastic leather goods. We started sharing their Posts and in a matter of a few weeks I got a message from the Angel, thanking us and telling us what a difference we had made to her fledgling business. Her order book was now full until Christmas.
Early December, shortly after the businesses re-opened after Lockdown 2.0, still filled with the excitement of discovering this business, I paid a visit. The door to ‘Tinbox Angel’ was the last one on the right. Not being a retail shop, I stood in front of a large solid wooden door, and to the left hung a small metal bell. The instruction was to ring it.
The door opened and there stood a lady. Not knowing how to address her, I heard myself saying “Tinbox Angel ?”. Introductions done, Amanda invited me in. Although different to my father’s tailors workshop, it took me back to that time. Machines, a table even bigger than my fathers. Threads, a half completed Tote bag and a rack holding roles of leather and fabric. I was excited and I don’t even use handbags !?!?!
All I wanted to do was look around, ask about the machines and look, and touch, the leathers and fabrics. I felt like I was behaving like a kid in a sweet shop. The leathers were simply sublime. Before I had had chance to talk to Amanda about ‘Tinbox Angel’, a customer arrived who wanted to discuss a bag she wanted making.
I moved aside and found the corner where there were some products made up; clutch bags, totes, a rucksack, messenger bags, key rings, glasses cases and even leather covered note pads. These products came in a whole spectrum of colours, details and choices. Speaking to Amanda’s husband Paul, I discovered that the bags can be made lined or unlined; with colour/fabric contrasted panels or same all over; with internal pocket(s) or without; personalised or not.
The customers arrival actually worked in my favour because I was able to see exactly how Amanda works. Hearing the choices and flexibility first hand it boils down to this – what women want, is exactly what Amanda makes. Off goes one excited customer which allows me the chance to speak with Amanda.
I asked Amanda how she got into this industry, “I’m from a family of professional upholsterers, all time served and all who made a living from using their hands, my mum, dad, grandparents and two of my uncles worked in this industry. My grandparents ran a furniture shop with my uncle for many, many years and every summer I would spend days there. I have many happy memories from this time” she replied.
Amanda continued “We lived in Bury but when my dad lost his job in ’83, when furniture production went overseas, he moved us to Lancaster where my Mum was originally from. They opened a furniture shop in Caton, ‘Royal Upholstery’ (‘Royal’ Roy and Mal (Marilyn) combined).”
When Mum passed in 2007, I was gifted her sewing machine, I suspect because it was bought to make my bridesmaids dresses. I took it laughing, thinking that will never see the light of day again and pushed it to the back of my wardrobe. I truly believe that my Mum knew that one day it would become my best friend.”
“I knew early on into learning to sew that I had the family gene. I was obsessed with making things, and I had a real passion for making bags.”
Amanda had a successful career in Recruitment and took a break to have a family of her own. It was during this time that she dusted of that sewing machine and began creating again. By the time she was ready to return to work, she said “The thought of not using my hands to work was just not an option for me anymore. My mind set had changed so much. My creativeness was over flowing, as was our conservatory.”
My burning desire to know about the name came next, “I searched ‘seek and sell’ and found an old caravan which my husband and Dad stripped out, decorated, added some old carpet, linked it to mains electricity and away I went. My garden enterprise was born. I loved my time in my little ‘Tinbox’ which was where the name came from.”
“The Angel in my business name is my mum and her sewing machine, I know my mum is with me everyday. As soon as I put the two words together, they seemed to just fit. ‘Tinbox Angel’ was born”.
“I was offered the chance to move into The Covered Yard in Lancaster in September 2019. It is a wonderful, small courtyard of craft workshops. It’s the real deal. Initially old stables for the John O Gaunt public house. You can feel the history, and almost hear the horse and carriages rolling into the yard”.
“We make traditional leather goods, we do not make mass-produced items. Although we can fully line bags, our speciality is unlined, raw leather products, which allows the leather to be the star of the show. Our leather is sourced from reputable British wholesalers who deal with tanneries all over the world. I have recently created a bag from a wonderful leather sourced from the Badalassi tannery in Tuscany. We believe in using the whole hide and can always repurpose the scraps of leather, we never throw anything away.”
We have invested in a laser cutter that can add engravings to products, even poems, verses or logos can be added to the leather making a very special gift or corporate product. We have also invested in a hot foil de-boss machine where we can add initials and logos in Metallic colours directly to the leather and a leather cutter, which is a cookie cutter for leather, which means we can accurately produce items that are uniformed. We always hand-finish every product because we don’t want to lose the homemade charm.”
I asked if the recent pandemic had affected the business, “I have employed two further people recently, which has been fantastic. My husband joined me in 2020 and we also employ Zanna who works two days a week and is as enthusiastic about bags as I am, and is a very talented crafter in her own right. We hope to continue our growth and expand and employ more local people.” 1253
When I arrived, I promised Amanda that I would only take up ten minutes of her time. Well, time just ran away with me – it was a little over two hours. For me, this was an amazing experience but what really did shock me, was how reasonable her prices are. Being a retailer of premium good, I can say without any hesitation, the prices would be double, and probably triple, if you came across them in a premium department store.
If you want something very special, completely bespoke, you will want to visit ‘Tinbox Angel’
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