An interview with Angus Glass by Alison Harley
Angus Glass started his career in 1959 as an apprentice in Bernat Klein’s Colourcraft that later became Bernat Klein Ltd.
After the completion of his apprenticeship, which included training and education at the Technical College of Textiles, known internationally as the Scottish College of Textiles, Angus continued to work for Bernat Klein until 1969 at both the Netherdale Mill, Galashiels and St. Mary’s Mill, Selkirk.
During his early career at Colourcraft, Angus worked in the production of scarves and head-squares for high street department stores. As a young apprentice Angus was located in the Pattern Shop where he witnessed the early experimentation of Klein’s new method, ‘space-dyeing’; a complex process with its successes and failures. His later work in the Warehouse involved the final inspection and shipping of products to UK and French haute couture customers, and well-known US department stores. Angus was also involved in the distribution of Bernat Klein ‘sets’ of tweed and yarns, which were sold for the home-dressmaking market in the distinctive Bernat Klein Ltd. hat boxes.
Angus’ experience of the fluctuation in employment in the Borders' textile industry at that time was a major influence in his decision to leave the Scottish Borders in 1969 to work for a UK National Food retailer. With the opportunity of secure employment, Angus emigrated to Canada with his family in 1975 where he joined a Canadian National Food Retailer & Distributor. Angus retired in 2006 after thirty-two years with a national Food Retail & Wholesale Food Distributor and currently lives with his wife Isobel, also an ex-Bernat Klein employee, in Delta in British Columbia.
