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Bristol Looks Back On More Than 200 Years Of Trading

Did you know that the Bristol Uniforms factory in Staple Hill has been home to the company since 1899, and was originally surrounded by green fields?

Or that the very first aluminised suits for firefighters were based on buoyancy suits developed for pilots during World War II?

Bristol has been looking back on its history and pulled together a fascinating summary of its operations throughout the industrial revolution and two world wars to the global enterprise it is today.

‘The History of Bristol Uniforms’ looks at the origins of the company as a civilian clothing manufacturer in 1801, at a time when the city of Bristol boasted a thriving clothing industry based around the woollen mills in Gloucestershire and explores its evolution to a specialist designer and manufacturer of PPE for the emergency services.

The document is full of interesting facts and figures, from the exporting of ready-made clothing to the West Indies in large rum barrels in the 1830s, to a devastating factory fire in 1910, to a visit from Queen Mary in 1943.

Roger Startin comments:

“We’re proud of our heritage at Bristol Uniforms, and over the years have managed to hold on to a number of interesting documents, artefacts and photographs which help to bring the story of our company to life. Visitors to our site, business contacts and industry enthusiasts are always fascinated to know more about our history, so we’ve compiled a summary which pulls together some interesting facts, documents and images from the conception of the company to the present day.”

The History of Bristol Uniforms is available on the Bristol Uniforms website at: www.bristoluniforms.com/about-us