WALSH, A GUIDED TOUR.

Walsh footwear are a long standing British brand, making footwear locally in their own Bolton based factory. You don't need me to tell you all about how manufacturing in the UK is certainly not what it once was, it's a conversation we have every other week whilst looking to get something produced on these shores.
Walsh are different, yet are doing it as they always have done, all made by hand, in house. It's a genuine pleasure to get out during the week and visit these type of places. Looking into our very own Connoisseur trainer being made is an exciting time for us and Walsh fit that bill nicely, running shoes have always been a fave silhouette of ours and these are a very Northern brand which fits nicely with what we are about.
With my Grandad working as a cobbler for many years (responsible for his battalions boots in WW2) and having spent a large chunk of my younger years working in shoe shops previously, an appreciation of nice footwear goes way beyond the geekery.



The Lostock model (above) really jumped out at us as a winner, notably the middle pair in vivid colours, the mix of suede, nylon and leather, just right. Whilst many are set in their ways when it comes to trainers, some will probably always have a (blind) loyalty to their favourite brands and we're sure these won't please everyone, the fact Walsh is more off the radar only adds to the appeal for us.

Norman Walsh began making athletics footwear upon leaving school in 1945 at the age of fourteen. His name became known by many top professional athletes around the world and in 1961 he founded Norman Walsh Footwear, occupying part of his father’s shoe repair shop. It is estimated that Norman’s family have been involved in footwear since the late 1800’s. His father made and repaired clogs for the local mill workers.
The brand is now recognised within the exclusive designer footwear market and is receiving excellent success in Europe and the Far East, with products being placed in exclusive retailers.
Popular in Italy and making models for the Japanese market including specialist football boots, tug-of-war models and fell running shoes. In addition they are recognised as the leading brand in the UK for off road performance and hill running footwear with specialist models sold in specialist shops such as the Elite model sold in sports stores in the capital and outdoor shops up in the Lake District.


Wednesday gone we made the short jaunt across sunny Lancashire, Bolton bound, we met up with John from Walsh who gave us the full guided tour of the workshop...






















As always, it's great to see these long standing industries thriving in today's economy, seeing the staff creating a trainer right in front of our eyes and each stage it takes until it's ready to be boxed. Classic old school engineering mixed with real hands on involvement from start to finish. Having recently made shoes for the Margaret Howell brand and previously worked with Paul Smith on the Red Ear label, Walsh have decent form for collaborations.




Watch this space for a Walsh x Connoisseur collaboration in the future.
In the meantime check out Walsh online and find them on Facebook too. CD

CASUALS.

Casuals : Football, fighting and fashion. The story of a terrace cult.
Author Phil Thornton is set to release a tenth anniversary (time flies eh?) of his cult book, there have been many written but this is the definitive tome to this thing of ours, the Casual bible if you like. Written with enough fact and wit to keep you enticed from cover to cover, as oppose to tall tales of six lads leathering six hundred and coming home in one piece. Not a great deal has changed since it's original release, though I'd argue it's as relevant today as it was then, that ten year thing, labels coming and going, and then coming back again - full circle and all that.



Having met up with Phil last month, it was a genuine pleasure to be asked for some involvement on this one, Saturday gone we made the small jaunt down the Mersey, had a brew and a bevvie, chewed the fat and wandered over to Wigg Island for a shoot looking over to Fiddler's Ferry powerplant for that authentic moody northern backdrop.



Planned for a release next year, it's one to keep an eye out for. In the meantime Phil has contributed to our pals new 'zine Stand AMF and you should check out Swine and Magnetic North if you haven't already. CD

CREATIVE #2 THE WINNER...

Yesterday would have marked the 48th birthday of Adam Yauch AKA MCA. Who's sad and untimely death in May shook the music world. Yauch who as well as being a funding member of the Beastie Boys was also a film director, directing many of the Beastie's influential videos under the pseudonym 'Nathanial Hörnblowér' and setup his own independent film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, as well as being a human rights activist was also a practising buddist and was an important part of the Tibetan independence movement. Creating a charity and organising concerts to help with Tibetan independence.
The second Connoisseur Creative was to design a Beastie Boys tee with a tribute to the memory of MCA and for a donation from each sale going to a relevent cancer charity.
We received thirteen entries for the Design a Beastie Boys tee all told, each one as different as the next.
For this competition we decided to let it go to the public vote with just shy of 3000 votes being cast.
After initial steady voting on each entry it became a three way battle with the Italian trio's hand drawn piece pitting itself against Peter O'Toole's Adam Yauch tribute and John C's citrus infused 'No sleep 'til Brooklyn'. Eventually it became a two horse race between the latter and in the end the public decided our own resident artist Peter O'Toole's piece was the deserved winner coming out on top perhaps most fitting with the tee being a tribute to Adam.

Congratulations to Peter.
We'd like to thank each and every submission for taking time out to get creative, it's great seeing all the different entries, commiserations to those who missed out and better luck with the next one.
The winning tee will be going into production over the coming month or so, you'll hear the next update here, so check back soon. YHN

ON TOP OF THE WORLD.

Expedition to the Aragonese Pyrenees.
Me and three friends in a night out and totally wasted decided to make a trip to explore the beauties of one of the best mountain ranges of all the country, the Aragonese Pyrenees. So two weeks later there we went.
Starting with a 4 and a half hour journey from Valencia to Benasque our kind of 'base camp' by car.
The day after we woke up at 4am, drank six coffees and took the chosen route to the start of the path by car. We had some problems with a wheel and had to change it in the middle of the mountains with no mobile signal and total darkness.

Finally we arrived to the start of the lane, and it took us about an hour to arrive to the mountain shelter called “La Renclusa”, where we had some water and the first energetic bar.

The first two hours saw rocks and water and then the snow started to appear under our feet, so we decided to put on the rest of our mountaineering equipment (ice-axe, legwarmers, etc.) to be safer.

The next three hours were as you can imagine; really impressive landscapes, loads of snow, fog and a very steep slope (3,404 m). Next three days we could hardly move, but it was completely worth it :-













Pictures speak for themselves, all of them done by our friend Natxo Martínez.
Alex, Valencia, Spain.