Recorded Memories

Bert Hall Interview. November 1997 & March 1998.

From the hating industry to thirty-five years as a Master Dyer at Bennett Bros late 1940s-1980s:‘ I got the firm to realise that you couldn’t learn everything in Hinckley or Leicester…’

‘I always claim that we dyed the first fast black on nylon stockings.
There was a lot of competition going on…’

While working for Bennett’s he set up in business with his cousin, John Swift, producing lisle stockings for nurses knitted on the old B5s.  At the time of the interview the company had diversified into school uniforms and was being run by John’s two sons.  Bert was no longer a partner. He continues to talk about the challenges and innovation in the dying industry, of writing articles for various technical magazines and training young and upcoming master dyers.  He finishes by describing the early nylon which before dying was white and because it was so tough knitters would often take bits for fishing.  It was an unbreakable material.