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Vale Upholstery

The Vale Bridgecraft tradition started nearly 70 years ago in a tiny workshop by Leeds Bridge just a stones throw from this showroom. This was in 1935 when Maurice -Morry- Lee started out in business in a converted stable called Shepherds Fold. In a press interview in the 1980s Morry remembered that the space was so small that a six foot settee was impossible to complete without breaking a hole in the wall first. Known originally as the -Bridge- Upholstery, the fledgling firm staked its early reputation on the uncompromising craft standards Morry learned as an apprentice on the bench. As a very gifted and intuitive upholsterer, he set out to produce the kind of furniture that would be durable, affordable and always just that little bit better than its competitors. Indeed, the competition was truly fierce in Leeds at the time with a score of upholstery firms all fighting for business in the town. The extraordinary brand values that were to emerge from these simple beginnings grew to further prominence in the factory complex in Mabgate, again, literally across the road from where you stand. With so many craftsmen perfecting their skills in Mabgate over the years, Bridgecraft soon became known as the -Leeds University of Upholstery-. But it was in the late 40s and early 50s that the Bridge Upholstery and Bridgecraft furniture really took off. From its new home in Mabgate the unique ‘signature’ of Bridgecraft design could be detected in much upholstery styling in the northern marketplace. In the very early days all three piece suites were in either rust, green or brown moquette - a far cry from the choice, style and colour flair that became the hallmark of the brand. By the early 1960s it was generally considered that to have a Bridgecraft suite in your living room was somewhat akin to having a Jaguar car parked in your drive. But by far the greatest compliment paid to Bridgecraft came from the furniture trade itself. It became the standard by which most upholstery was judged and as few firms could copy the interior quality of the furniture -the demands of its construction being simply uneconomic for most- the sincerest form of flattery was a steady following of its design ideas by many imitators.