And the craft continues in to the 21st Century....
Mike and Damien with an 8" potting sieve.
Hill and Sons have been manufacturing beechwood garden riddles and sieves for over 60 years. Situated just outside the small Derbyshire village of Whaley Bridge, in an old seaweed converting mill.
Fred Turnock started back in 1946 where he had a team of around 10 men, including Fred's son Mike (known more recently as 'The last riddle and sieve maker', The Guardian, 2005) making riddles used mainly by the railway industry for sieving ballast for the railway lines.
Sieves were also used extensively in the foundry industry. Over the next few decades as these industries went into decline, Hill and Sons moved over to supplying the gardening trade, using the same product, but for the preperation of soil and compost.
Back in 2005 after over 50 years making riddles and sieves, Mike Turnock was wanting to retire within the next five or so years. Mike's retirement and the possibility of the demise of the traditional riddle and sieve, made the national as well as the local press. With articles in The Guardian, The Telegraph, and later in 2009 The Buxton Advertiser, highlighting the struggles of Mike's plight to find someone to continue the traditional craft.
In early 2010 Damien Bramhall, a then HGV driver saw the article in the Buxton Advertiser. As a youth Damien used to visit Hill and Sons with his dad, John. After going to meet Mike, a deal was struck and after 6 months training, Damien took over in September 2010.
In June 2011 Jason Sollinger became a partner at Hill and Sons (NW) Ltd, Jason is responsable for production and quality.
Fred Turnock started back in 1946 where he had a team of around 10 men, including Fred's son Mike (known more recently as 'The last riddle and sieve maker', The Guardian, 2005) making riddles used mainly by the railway industry for sieving ballast for the railway lines.
Sieves were also used extensively in the foundry industry. Over the next few decades as these industries went into decline, Hill and Sons moved over to supplying the gardening trade, using the same product, but for the preperation of soil and compost.
Back in 2005 after over 50 years making riddles and sieves, Mike Turnock was wanting to retire within the next five or so years. Mike's retirement and the possibility of the demise of the traditional riddle and sieve, made the national as well as the local press. With articles in The Guardian, The Telegraph, and later in 2009 The Buxton Advertiser, highlighting the struggles of Mike's plight to find someone to continue the traditional craft.
In early 2010 Damien Bramhall, a then HGV driver saw the article in the Buxton Advertiser. As a youth Damien used to visit Hill and Sons with his dad, John. After going to meet Mike, a deal was struck and after 6 months training, Damien took over in September 2010.
In June 2011 Jason Sollinger became a partner at Hill and Sons (NW) Ltd, Jason is responsable for production and quality.
