Master Certificate Awards at the Mansion House 2024
Success at the National Upholstery Awards 2024
Three prizes awarded for outstanding Upholstery work.
On January 21st 2024 The Upholders Livery launched the first National Upholstery Awards for AMUSF Diploma Double Distinction Graduates at the NEC Birmingham.
It was the first time that super talented upholstery graduates from AMUSF training centres from around the Country had their work on display at a national show. Each graduate was showing a traditional and modern chair where both pieces had earned them a distinction from their training centre.
The Awards:
First prize of £500 went to Lucy Fisher for her Arne Jacobsen shell chair in boucle fabric entitled ‘Sunny side up’ Trimming was created from the selvedge and the reversible seat cushion could display the playful egg yolk! Her traditional piece a, French club chair had been beautifully reupholstered in a sustainable cork fabric.
Second Prize of £300 went to Emmaline McConnell with a beautiful Howard & Son Woodstock button back chair in their trademark fabric with an Ikea concave office chair as her modern selection, reupholstered and finished in 100% wool Moon fabric.
Third Prize £200 went to Joanna Govan Baker with a traditional scroll arm chair in Sekers and Moon wool fabrics and a 1960’s Toothill cocktail chair also in 100% wool fabric.
Many congratulations to them all for such excellent, methodical and inspiring work.
The stand presented a great opportunity to talk to the students, upholsterers, retailers and manufacturers who were at the show and to promote the work of the Upholders Livery and the AMUSF training course. Also on display were six chairs from the outstanding Frederick Parker Collection which also attracted the attention of many people and led on to broader conversations about our awards.
The event would not have been possible without the organising skills of Past President Wendy Shorter- Blake, the free stand from the January Furniture show organisers and the very generous provision of free transportation of all the chairs from around the country by Liveryman David Woodward.
Kirsty Lockwood gave a demonstration of traditional upholstery in the Exhibition Hub, and our stand was manned at various times by the Master Malcolm Hopkins, Warden to the Trade Roger Wates, Junior Warden (Elect) Stephen Tanner and his partner Nina Walker who had only recently been made a Freeman of the Company and Senior Warden Rob Ward.
The Company is extremely grateful to all who helped make this event a resounding success.
Roger Wates
Warden to the Trade.
The Worshipful Company of Upholders
The Worshipful Company of Upholders
National Upholstery Awards 2024 for Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF) Diploma Double Distinction Graduates
21-23 January 2024
The Upholders Livery is delighted to launch the National Upholstery Awards 2024 in what we hope will become an annual event.
Thanks to the hard work of Wendy Shorter-Blake MBE on behalf of the AMUSF and our Livery together with the generosity of liveryman David Woodward we are able to take part in The January Furniture Show at the NEC. It runs from Sunday 21st January-Wednesday 24th 2024.
The exhibition organisers have given us a stand free of charge and Wendy has organised to show the work of seven AMUSF graduates from different training centres around Britain who have achieved a distinction in both Traditional and Modern upholstery practice. They will each be exhibiting their winning modern and traditional chairs and these will be judged by our Master, Malcolm Hopkins and Warden to the Trade, Roger Wates on Sunday 21 January. This is an exciting first for both organisations and the Upholders will sponsor three awards and the cost of creating special framed certificates.
The logistics are very demanding so special thanks to Wendy for dealing with the show organisers and David who is organising and paying for the transportation to collect and redeliver the 14 chairs from locations from as far afield as Scotland to Cornwall.(That is effectively 14 removals!)
The result will be the first ever National Awards for the best AMUSF graduates. It is hoped that lasting Livery connections will be formed with each student and with the help of volunteers from the Livery we will build individual and corporate contacts with some of the other 400 exhibitors and trade buyers. We are also most grateful to Liveryman Kirsty Lockwood and Freeman Hannah Weston-Smith who hope to be demonstrating reupholstery work near to the seminar theatre, engaging visitors in conversation and bringing our trade to life. This is another significant logistical challenge.
Many thanks to all involved in this great project.
Roger Wates
Warden to the Trade
UPHOLDERS AT THE SHEEP DRIVE & LIVERY FAIR 2023 – SOUTHWARK BRIDGE
Sunday 24 September 2023
The Upholders are one of the ancient Livery Companies of the City of London.
The Company was formed on 1 March 1360 and incorporated by a Royal Charter granted by King Charles I in the year 1626.
The term “Upholder” is an archaic word for “upholsterer”. In past times Upholders carried out not just the manufacture and sale of upholstered goods but were cabinet makers, undertakers, soft furnishers, auctioneers and valuers.
The Thrones for the Royal Barge were made by Albert E Chapman Ltd. holders of the Upholders Excellence Award.
For further information about how to join the Upholders, please complete the form below:
The Worshipful Company of Upholders of the City of London 