| David St John was fitting a new client for his wedding suit. It was at the forward or second fitting stage and the young man thought it was ready for his wife to be to give some feedback. David St John was even more intolerant of the idea of women in the hallowed halls of Savile Row, than he was, the working classes finding employment there. “So what do you think darling?” the young man asked of his sweetheart. “Is it supposed to be that baggy in the chest? And does it have to be cut for braces? It looks a bit 1930’s to me.” These words cut St John, to the quick and he hit the roof. “My god, as if it’s not bad enough having cheeky scooter riders parking their machines on the Row, we now have bits of girls criticising an Anderson and Sheppard cutter.” The young man would have laid St John out cold, had he not been in Savile Row. "When you've finished here I need to see you in the office". The voice belonged to Mark Glover, Anderson's Managing Director. Alfie bounced into the cutting room at Kilgour and laid the cashmere out lovingly on Dave Jeffries’s board. “There you go, five yards of the second best thing to come out of Huddersfield”. Dave looked at his apprentice with a confused stare. “What’s the best thing?” “Tracie Bennett, apprentice at Jessica Davis hair Salon in Bond Street”. Dave smiled a big smile and said. “In that case I won’t dock your pay for taking a detour on your way back from the drapers. Alfie knew better than to say another word, and went quietly about his business preparing customers canvasses. Alfie was proud that Dave trusted him to hand pad customers jackets, the hand stitches dictate the eventual shape of the suit jacket once it’s settled down and moulded to the wearers body. A skilled coat maker can also make the canvassing soft like an Anderson or hard like Huntsman, purely by the amount of tension in the stitches (larger looser stitches will make a softer chest, and smaller tighter stitched a harder chest). Like the rest of the handwork in a suit this is sewn using silk thread which will give, to allow movement, which is coated in beeswax to water proof the coat and also aid that movement. Most apprentices don’t get to do this job until two years into their training. Afire had only been at the firm three months, but his knowledge and dedication really impressed both Dave and Mark. What Dave didn’t know was Alfie was also helping Mark Glover from Anderson’s at the weekends, learning their methods, and attending night classes on the history of tailoring on Wednesday Evenings. David St John sauntered into Mark Glover's office all nonchalant, expecting yet another lecture on how to treat customers. Mark was sealing up a parcel, and enjoying a fine Havana cigar. "Do you know what this is St John"? David sniffed the air and spoke. "Why yes of cause it's a..." Not the bloody cigar, this!!" Mark threw the package with such force it knocked David against the wall. "That,what you're holding there, is the tools of yer trade, yer cards and yer pay till the end of the week, know get out else I'll throw ye rout". David St John ran for his life, he'd seen Glover in a ruck once outside the Burlington Arms, and he was a bit too handy to be taking chances with. As David scurried away, Mark poured himself a Brandy and raised a toast to Alfie Clark, who'd learnt more in two years of Saturday mornings, than David St John managed to learn in 20 years full time. Mark admired Alfie's decision to take an apprenticeship at Kilgour French and Stanbury, so he could gain a more in depth knowledge than by staying with one house. It was in this very office that Mark Mathews agreed to take Alfie on, and he'd not stopped praising the lad since. |