The terminology around any kind of green claim is often unspecific and opaque. It might sound good, it might tick a box, but what does it really mean? When a brand claims that they are eco-friendly or sustainable, what do they mean? Do they mean that they are slightly better than the worst in their industry? Or do they mean they are absolutely the gold standard? Very interestingly, the European Green Claims Directive is setting out to change all this, and it should make everything a lot simpler. It is legislation designed to ensure that green claims are clear, consistent, and substantiated. It is this last word that I like the most. Hopefully what 'substantiated' means is that any brand saying they are sustainable will have to follow up (within 1-2 clicks) with precisely what they mean. They will have to show proof.
I think the Directive will work as the consequences are high - fines of up to 4% of company turnover! As most fashion brands sell in the EU, this impacts everyone. We have a couple of years to get our collective acts together.
In the meantime, let me give you some definitions of common terms - precisely the kinds of words that so many companies are using (some correctly, and some with very little genuine understanding of what they mean).
By the way - lots of brands, including us, use these terms regularly. Why? Because you are searching for them. Lots of people want to buy products that are better for the planet, and if we don't use these terms you won't be able to find us on any of the browsers (like Google, Ecosia, Bing etc.). They are literally search engine signposts. Hopefully, when the legislation beds in, these sign-posts will more accurately lead you to companies that are genuinely doing the work, rather than those that say they do, or think they do.
Now this is perhaps the most overused. But it is really important. I think the best way to understand it is by understanding its opposite (see below). To be sustainable means that it has to be able to keep going, for the long term, and it must be defensible. The sun is sustainable (it is set to burn out in 5 billion years but that is pretty long term). Our use of fossil fuels, to the detriment of future generations, is not.
Perhaps one of my favourite definitions, and the best way to understand sustainability is often through its inverse. Unable to be maintained in the long term or indefensible*. I love that last word, indefensible. Most people know when something is wrong and yet the bulk of economic activity is based on extraction and exploitation, which is unsustainable. This is the challenge of our time, revolutionising the economy. The economy makes money and creates jobs, but largely by putting future generations at risk. Elvis & Kresse is in many ways a living experiment; it is how we are trying to circle this square, or solve this problem.
The art of transforming a low value waste into a new item of higher value. Upcycling traditionally does not involve a chemical or mechanically destructive process, rather it relies on the creative reuse and reinvention of materials, celebrating what they are and fulfilling their highest potential. This is what we do.
If something is recycled, it means it has been made again from materials that were previously in use. Glass is a great example of a material that can be recycled, it can be smashed, melted down and made again and this can happen forever. Plastic can be recycled too, but we know that it really isn't being recycled at anywhere near its production and consumption rates and its quality does degrade through time. Recycling is great but Reducing and Reusing are better, they are higher up in the hierarchy of 'eco-friendliness'. Ideally we shouldn't produce any materials that can't be reused, recycled, or returned to nature through biodegradation or composting. But! In order to have a 'sustainable' system like this we have to reduce the materials flowing through it and we absolutely have to stop producing materials that can't be recycled. You will often see labels that say, 'made with recyclable materials', this just means that it CAN be recycled, not that it has been... so not quite as good. Other labels will say 'contains recycled content', which is also confusing unless followed up by specifics like which materials and what percentage. When I see a label like 'made from recycled cotton', I get very nervous, as often this means it also contains recycled polymers; this is then a Frankenfabric which we currently have no scaled way to deal with and it makes recycling and/or composting impossible.
This is a very loose term and I don't like it. It doesn't have a specific enough meaning. However, it should be an objective. We should all be thinking about how every aspect of our lives can be better for the environment, or more eco-friendly. Eating a local, seasonal diet that is plant heavy is more eco-friendly than living in the UK and living on a diet of California strawberries, Florida Orange Juice and Argentinian Steaks. Reusing and refilling your own water bottle with tap water is more eco-friendly than buying single use plastic bottled water. You can get into the weeds on this one, especially when you start looking at life cycle analysis and full carbon accounting and this is why loose terms like this are tricky, it means you have to do your own research.
Understanding every aspect and ingredient associated with making a product, using a product, and even the death of that product! The LCA of your coffee mug would involve studying the environmental impact of digging up the clay, forming, painting and firing the mug, transporting it to you, how many times you use and wash it, how you wash it and when it has smashed beyond repair, what you do with it.
This is adding up all the CO2 associated with a product or process. If you go back to your mug, it involves all of the carbon embedded in every step or process of the LCA. Some products will have a carbon label, saying how much CO2 it took to get it to you. Others will say that they are carbon neutral, which means that the carbon associated with that good has been accounted for and 'paid for'. How do you pay for carbon? Well, you can offset it, this could be by planting an amount of trees to make up for the carbon you have spent. You can inset it, by making sure that planting those trees or some other form of carbon sequestration took place during the making of the mug. You can also do everything to eliminate carbon, and actually rethink how you make, so that more carbon is removed from the atmosphere because of choosing and using your mug (this is what Elvis & Kresse is trying to do with the farm).
This is something I never believe without double checking. Some companies argue that anything that exists on earth - whether synthesized by human activity, or toxic, or endangered - can be called 'natural'. As a start, in my books if it has been man-made, it isn't natural. This is a term that always requires further research.
Natural materials are ones that are grown, and without intervention, can be returned to a natural state (biodegradable). Wood is natural, cotton is natural, wool is natural. I am personally a huge proponent of these, but not if they are 'unsustainably' grown. There is a big difference between regenerative organic cotton and chemically intensively grown cotton that is heavily irrigated.
This word can have a couple of meanings, based on context. All natural materials, things that grow, are organic. Trees are organic, people are organic. However, in the context of fashion, to me, organic should only be used if something is certified which means that it has been grown in the absence of synthetic chemicals (pesticides and fertilizers). In the UK we have the Soil Association; products that carry this label are certified as organic and the farms that they are derived from are certified. Now, this can also get tricky. What if you start with organic cotton, but then you use inorganic screen printing? Read labels, ask questions - curiosity is something to nurture!
Containing no animal or animal derived materials. Eggs are not vegan, honey is not vegan, dairy products are not vegan, leather is not vegan. In the fashion world we have a lot of debate about natural materials vs plastic materials (nylon, polyester etc.) Overwhelmingly fashion is polymer based and this is a problem. These clothes are generally not recycled, they are overwhelmingly dumped, and we have no solution to the pollution they cause during their life (the shedding of microplastics) and when they die. So although polyester is vegan, this doesn't in any way make it 'sustainable'. No fossil fuel derived fashion meets even the basic premise of sustainability, as they are based on non-renewable resources and 'can't be maintained in the long term'.
This means that a material can be recycled. Virgin materials (new materials) like glass, aluminium and cardboard are all 'recyclable' but it is up to YOU to make that happen. The hard work comes next.
I am going to tackle these together as they are related, but slightly different. Both terms require that micro-organisms can break something down, over time, into water, CO2, and biomass. Biodegradable just means this will happen over an unspecified time frame in unspecified conditions whereas compostable generally means under specific conditions and in a specific time frame. I urge all of you to study and start composting. We have huge compost piles at the farm and the speed depends on how well the piles are designed (layering of different types of material is key), moisture levels and temperature. It is generally easier to compost when it is warmer and wetter. There are certifications for 'compostable' which might specify no residue after 90 days, or might require certain temperatures or conditions. There is also an OK Compost certification which means that the material in question should be easy to compost at home, without any fancy equipment. Here is one of our compost piles at the farm:
This means that something can be fixed. There is a really amazing movement around The Right to Repair. Ideally all complex goods like refrigerators and laptops should be repairable, and repairable at a good price. We repair at cost for life - this is important because it is always better to keep something in service rather than replace it.
This is a design practice that focuses on minimizing waste. It is something that we do here! How? Our fire-hose pieces are made up of panels, the panels are the width of hoses... this means we have significantly reduced offcuts. We also use both the inside and outside surface of the hose, the outside has the ridges, the inside has the dimples, you can see this in action on our tote.
We are a certified living wage employer. This means we pay, as a minimum, wages that have been evaluated by a third party to ensure that those earning these wages can have a good quality of life. We pay these not just at our HQ but also in our manufacturing, and that is unique. There are many living wage companies that have long, complicated supply chains and the further you go from the HQ the less likely a living wage will be.
This is a term that refers to the goal of a circular economy, where all things are recycled or composted, and there is no material that is linear (taken, made, wasted). Crucially, a circular economy has to be powered by renewable energy. We can't fuel a circular system with a linear fuel! In the circular utopia that Elvis & Kresse is after capital is also circular - this is why we donate 50% of our profits to charity. Money should also flow and not be concentrated.
There is no single definition, but for us it means doing more. In practical terms it means that you give more than you take, you sequester more carbon than you emit, you generate more (renewable) energy than you consume, you treat more water than you use, you foster more biodiversity than you corrupt and you create more than you destroy.
This is everywhere!!!!! A lot of companies do one little green thing and it is all they talk about, it is their way of rinsing off all of the unsustainable things that they do by getting their customers and wider public to focus on that one little green or good thing. It is an attempt to absolve, to confuse. Always keep in the back of your mind this quote (which we love so much we turned it into a poster and it is up on the wall of our workshop).
This is a relatively new and nuanced term. A lot of companies that wanted to become more eco-friendly tried a few things and then announced them and then got so much negative scrutiny for everything they were still doing imperfectly that they have now gone dark. Green hushing has happened because there was so much greenwashing and press scrutiny that many businesses are now either not willing to try, or not willing to talk about what they are trying, for fear of negative feedback.
* Oxford English Dictionary
It is quite hard to really pin down sustainable fashion. It shouldn't be, but the term is so overused, largely by companies with one or two great initiatives that are otherwise operating unsustainably. Here is how we would break it down, and there is a hierarchy, starting with #1, which is the best. We will cover a host of sustainable practices that you can find across the fashion industry, everything from waste reduction to upcycling, to eco-friendly production.
The most environmentally friendly item of clothing that exists, is something you already own and wear and will continue to wear and repair for years and years. I have a pair of boots that I have been wearing since I was 15. They are 30 years old. I have no idea how many times I have worn them but it has to be in the thousands. They have been resoled once, and repaired twice. They work hard for me, and I am loyal to them!
Second best is second hand - if you want to refresh then swap, share, or buy second hand from sites like eBay or Vinted. This means you get some variety, without buying new. My rule is to always operate on a one out, one in model. I only buy 'new' second hand jeans when I have worn/farmed my way through a pair. I love jeans made before elastane was in everything... so sometimes I have to really hunt to find a pair that is that old, but still in great condition. This is Elvis in some very vintage Levi's...
Now, I think upcycling is very close to pre-loved, perhaps even a tie. I am only placing it in the third spot as upcycling involved the remanufacture of materials that already exist, which generally requires some cutting, trimming and sewing. So it is just this use of energy (which may not be renewable) that makes me put upcycling 3rd. Elvis & Kresse is an upcycling brand, we take materials that were on their way to landfill and give them a long and happy 2nd life - like our recycled fire hose products.
Key to upcycling is increasing the value of the materials you work with. If you turn used clothing into rags, for cleaning or car door insulation, then you are still reusing materials, but you are downcycling them. One of the chief environmental benefits of upcycling in fashion is the displaced carbon. When you aren't relying on new materials you avoid all of the embodied carbon that would have been used producing those materials. We have calculated that Elvis & Kresse, in our 20 years of production (to 2025) have diverted 461,889 tonnes of carbon which is equal to 3,301,565,403km of driving (according to https://www.openco2.net/).
These companies really have their act together. Their goods may be made from recycled or new fibres BUT every aspect of their sourcing, manufacture and distribution has prioritised making a positive environmental and social contribution. This means using certified raw materials like organic cotton or mulesing* free + high welfare wool. It means no toxic dyes and really, no polymers (they are derived from fossil fuels and shed as microplastics through the life of a garment and what happens when they die? More microplastics). It means paying living wages from the farm to the factory to retail. It means renewable heat and electricity are being used for production, distribution and beyond. It means reducing your water use and never putting polluted water back into the environment. It means thinking about the next life of the garment, and what impact it has during its life. It should be 100% recyclable or biodegradable (easy for the natural world to reabsorb it into new plant or animal life). Right now we have no real way of separating natural materials from polymers at scale (so I avoid Frankenfiber** blends like polycottons) It doesn't mean selling through Amazon warehouses. It should be easy to repair. It should be built to last. It should stand for something. Brands that are on this 360 pathway will have certifications. Here are some to look out for:
My dream is fashion that is fossil fuel free. Hopefully the biosynthetic replacements that are getting a lot of press will eventually take over. Think of this category as including everything from #4 but allow for polymers. I am genuinely very down on any kind of plastic, our use of it is totally out of control. There has been a lot of prominent press around peer reviewed scientific studies which have found microplastics in our brains, blood, kidneys etc. The evidence is in - we have totally lost control of plastics.
This category of brands are not doing much, but they have made a start. Perhaps they are increasing their recycled cotton content, or they have adopted one of the certifications above, or they have a small eco/ethical collection that they are hoping will help them transition in the future. The vast majority of brands are in this category.
Very few brands are doing nothing. However, some are manufacturing - at such a pace and volume - and with such disregard to people and planet, that we would be better off without them. The fast fashion behemoths are ALL in this category. It doesn't matter if you use recycled nylon if your supply chain is rife with modern slavery. Although the vast majority of brands are in category 6, unfortunately it is probably true that the majority of the volume is actually in category 7.
Thank you to Saturday Night Live for this Shein/Temu Parody that captures the problem
Hopefully this will help you to make better choices and buy less. Also, I really want to inspire you to relentlessly ask questions. We love questions; we love it when people drop into the workshop to see everything that we are doing. Brands that don't like questions, that won't let you visit, and rely on opaque or vague claims? They don't deserve your support. I would put Shein in this category - both Shein and Temu were called before a UK parliamentary committee and failed to answer quite simple questions. From 1:28 if you are keen on some highlights!
*Mulesing is a really awful practise, it consists of cutting strips of skin from the rear end of sheep, typically lambs, so that they don't grow wool there. It is done to prevent fly strike.
**Frankenfiber - I think I may have coined this term? It is when we create a textile that has no potential for recycling or composting. It might in the future, but it doesn't right now.
Written by Kresse!
It is wild enough to write a year in review... but what about 20?
We collected our first fire-hose in 2005, and the adventure began slowly, but stubbornly. The hoses posed so many impractical problems and challenges that even belt making left us with claw like hands and definitely no idea that we would still be here, more than 300 tonnes later.
Have their been lows? Absolutely. But nothing like the highs. Donating over £428,000.00, building the team, hosting hundreds of young people for work experience or apprenticeships, partnering with the Burberry Foundation, speaking all over the world, winning all kinds of awards, Meeting the Queen, restoring Tonge Mill, finding the farm, planting our vines... we have celebrated every kilo rescued and every pound that we donated.
One thing I know is that you can't sustain anything for 20 years without love. Love isn't limited to each other, or fire-hose, or our team and stakeholders, the farm, every organism from the micro to the macro that makes it tick, or even the potential of a completely circular, regenerative and kind economy. Love has no limit. Love, optimism and sense of purpose have sustained Elvis & Kresse. You know that phrase, 'if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well'? I think for us the bigger question is to really make sure what you mean by 'worth doing'. Without the rescue, without the transformation, without the donation? There would be no business. There is no worth or value in a business if it isn't on a regenerative pathway.
I think about key decisions that we made, very early on, which have made us who we are.
Over the years we have unequivocally proven that:
And for the next 20? First things first, we are going to ask for help for the first time, but not in a traditional way. We are incredibly focussed on what we need to do and no matter how we look at it, we can't do it alone.
Plans?
We could raise money more conventionally, but we need actual hands on help, supporters and collaborators... effectively the Farm needs Friends. We think we have a good model for this, so if you are keen to learn more, stay tuned or drop Kresse an email, kresse@elvisandkresse.com
There will be lots of 20 year updates, news and events too.
Happy 2025 everyone!
Life at the farm is full - if we aren't in the workshop we are in the vineyard and if you can't find us on site then invariably we are out working with collaborators or giving lectures or learning from other regenerative farmers. Running a small business has always been a full-time pursuit, farming is full-time + overtime, all the time.
There is little time to reflect, until just now, when we close up shop for Christmas and the whole team is off until after New Year.
Of course we have been rescuing materials and building up our donations but as you know, we do so much more! Here are a few of the highlights!
And then a few hints for next year.
Finding your perfect piece isn't always easy, especially when you know that everything we make is a one-of-a-kind.
This is obviously a wonderful part of using rescued materials, but it can lead to some trepidation.
Well, we are here to help. You can come in and make your selection in person, which is the ideal solution. Here is someone choosing her perfect Yelllow Fire-Hose Tote!
We are open Monday to Friday and open from 8:30am-5pm. We can also be open at other times by appointment, just get in touch and we can help. Do note that we will be closed from the 24th of December at noon, until the 2nd of January.
However, if you can't make it to the farm you can call, we can take and send photos or videos, and we can size anything up... Just email us at support@elvisandkresse.com or call 01795 892 184.
One of the reasons that we donate 50% of our profits to charity is that we think giving is inherently good. It makes everyone feel good, it helps to build community among stakeholders, it means that money also flows instead of concentrating in one place...
As you know we donate 50% of our profits to charity - every piece you purchase supports The Fire Fighters Charity and Barefoot College International.
And giving doesn't have to be about money - it can be advice, a hug, an introduction, a shared meal, a darned sock.
So in this season of giving we would love for you to share your best story of giving! Was it a gift? A favour? What impact did it have? The more life-changing the better. We want to help you celebrate the wonderful people who really know how to give. They are the real influencers. They are the heroes.
Another way we can give? We can support businesses that we love by sharing them with you:
Toast Ale - They are, like us, both a Social Enterprise and a Certified B Corp, they have pioneered making beer from waste bread and we make their tap handles!
Cook Food - Food made like you would at home, but frozen and ready to save you when you don't have time! One of the founding UK B Corps and seriously inspiring when it comes to how they build and manage their team.
Divine Chocolate - Kresse's favourite chocolate, fairtrade, a social enterprise, a B Corp and the only chocolate brand that is co-owned by its cocoa farmers.
Wuka - They replace plastic-riddled disposable pads & tampons with the world’s most comfortable and sustainable period underwear, they also give free pairs to those in need!
Chateau Maris - We met these guys at a B Corp event in Amsterdam and we were buddies from that moment on! Their wine is organic, inspiring and always available at our farm!
Maison Mirabeau - This is a wine-making team so committed to regenerative viticulture that they helped found the Regenerative Viticulture Association - and they make our go to Rose.
Gaze Burvill - read more about this amazing furniture company and our collaboration!
Seep - If you have been to the farm you will have seen our wetland system... these compostable washing up sponges are fantastic and mean no microplastics!
Change Please - Change Please is an award-winning social enterprise tackling homelessness through the power of great tasting coffee. 100% of profits help people experiencing homelessness through their Barista Training Programme.
Mr. Organic - Great for store cupboard classics like beans and pesto, all organic, and a B Corp too!
Bruichladdich - Just fantastic whiskey, a B Corp, and one that shares our pursuit of regenerative agriculture.
Edward Bulmer - Edward is a true pioneer in genuinely ecological paint. And they are a B Corp too!
Last night I was off to London, to attend the annual Social Enterprise Awards. The Roundhouse in Camden was a fantastic place to celebrate the work of businesses that don't have purpose as a bolt-on, or after thought. Doing good and making the world better - whether they are dentists, digital experts, bakers, housing providers or bag makers like us - is at their very core, in every ounce of DNA.
So imagine what it was like for me, in a room of my heroes, to be given an Honorary Fellowship. If you want to learn more, you can find all the details here.
With Susan Aktemel and the lovely Sarah Burns in the background!
This is not something I take lightly, or only with gratitude. The recognition is truly lovely but I don't just feel warm and fuzzy about it. This community has achieved so much, but there is more to do. For me, this is a weighty and wonderful responsibility.
Bring on the next 20 years!
Oh - and I was sitting at a fantastic table with fellow Honorary Fellows Susan Aktemel and Patrick Grant, friend and instigator Peter Holbrook, and also these two wonderful Social Enterprise supporters who were great dinner companions and hopefully won't mind this cheeky snap.
With Michael Sheen and Chris Addison!
SEUK asked me for a quote... here it is:
"When we first started Elvis & Kresse I had no idea that it would be my entry into an incredible community of dedicated, stubbornly optimistic changemakers; people who stare capitalism in the face every day and say 'there is a better way to do this, where we all win'. And then they do it. Being a part of this community is constantly an honour, an education and also the best kind of obligation."
Something completely crazy happened last night. Kresse went up to London, to the National Portrait Gallery, to take a picture of herself, next to this picture.... and you can go and see it to - open from 29 November 2024 - 2 March 2025.
Image by Zoë Law
How did this happen? Photographer, Zoë Law, met Noel Gallagher at a Manchester City football game and asked if she could take his picture. This photo launched a much wider project which launched on November 28th at the National Portrait Gallery.
Zoë Law’s Legends series celebrates over one hundred individuals from the worlds of art, fashion, business and entertainment. From World Cup-winning footballer, Sir Bobby Charlton, to the co-founder of UK Black Pride, Lady Phyll, this free display invites visitors to immerse themselves in new portraits of renowned figures and discover unsung heroes.
We had an amazing day at Zoë's studio, she is very relaxed, fun and also efficient. She took quite a few pictures which we will share from time to time but this next one is my favourite. This one isn't in the exhibition but I am pretty sure that this image explains pretty clearly why we have been able to remain in business, together, for almost 20 years.
Find out more about the series and display by visiting the Zoe Law LEGENDS website.
As you know, we don't often introduce new pieces and entirely new materials are even more rare. This is why we are perhaps a little bit overexcited to finally be able to share this launch with you.
What is the material? Rescued oak.
What are we making? Our first piece (there will be more) is an occasional bowl. It could be a fruit bowl, somewhere to keep anything you walk in the door with like mail, keys, loose change, your wallet, or it could be for whatever you like... we use ours as a centrepiece for dried flowers and candles on our dining table.
Want to know the full details? We are so excited to be working with Gaze Burvill on an exclusive collection of homeware. Gaze Burvill designs and manufactures the most incredible outdoor furniture at their Hampshire workshop.
We are working with oak that has been gracing some of Britain's most beautiful gardens, in bench form, for the last 25 years. Gaze Burvill's commitment to repair old benches is why we have this wonderful wood to work with. We collect the seat slats that need to be replaced, they bear all the hallmarks of decades spent in the outdoors, providing places to sit and enjoy nature at its best. We have reimagined these slats of rescued oak into occasional bowls.
Each piece is entirely unique, no two will ever be the same. They are made by carefully cleaning and sanding each slat, then matching up pieces which have shared curves. We then use a planing tool to create a shared angle, which allows us to join the slats. The whole piece is then sanded, waxed and oiled several times before we subtly laser etch our logo in one corner.
One of Gaze Burvill's Broadwalk Benches
Elvis & Kresse and Gaze Burvill are both B Corps who are committed to circularity, we have shared values and environmental vision. We are working together because life is too short for good companies not to collaborate and design a beautiful future.
Various sizes are available and each piece is a one-of-a-kind. If you would like to choose your perfect piece, please do get in touch and we can send photos of our existing stock.
Last week we were named Future Icons by Country & Townhouse along with 50 incredible individuals - including David Attenborough and the King! This may be the only time Kresse is listed at #31, next to the King at #30... so enjoy!
The list is overwhelming to be on, some of these people are our heroes, some are our friends (quite a few are both!) but all are incredibly hard-working. They are earth focussed, they are systems thinkers, they understand that a good legacy means making the world better for other people's grandchildren.
We also won an award for the best environmental initiative by a brand... for all our work at the farm.
Elvis was there to collect!
We have been truly delighted to be asked by Diana Hamilton-Jones to add a logo to any of our pieces in commemoration of James Braidwood, the Father of the Modern Fire Service. Keen to learn more about the Bicentenary of the founding of the world's first
If you would like to have one of these lovely logos on your piece, let us know!
In September 2008 Diana Hamilton-Jones was invited by the late Dr. Frank Rushbrook, former Edinburgh Fire Chief, to attend the unveiling of the statue of James Braidwood he had commissioned and which now stands proudly on The Royal Mile next to St. Giles Cathedral. James Braidwood was his hero and Diana's great, great, great grandfather. She was inspired by Dr. Rushbrook to continue where he left off to raise Braidwood’s profile in the public conscience and by giving talks and bringing him to the attention of various groups, schools, the media and politicians she has been endeavouring to do just that. James Braidwood’s contribution to society is immeasurable, but sadly, he remains little known today, even amongst fire-fighters.
He was born in Edinburgh on 3rd September 1800. The Braidwood family was well respected in Edinburgh society; his father, Francis, was a well-known cabinet maker and builder and his uncle, William, had been Minister of the Original Baptist Church for 40 years and in 1805 was appointed Manager of the newly formed Caledonian Insurance Company. James was educated at the Royal High School of Edinburgh and then studied to be a surveyor in his father’s building company. It was here he learned so much about building materials and how they react under stress, especially fire.
The 1824 Great Fire of Edinburgh finally forced the authorities to consider forming a municipal fire service. Prior to this time there was no organised fire-fighting leading to a great deal of damage and loss of life. James Braidwood, who had impressed the authorities with his organised approach to fire-fighting when assisting as a volunteer was appointed as Superintendent of Engines to the world’s first municipal fire service, The Edinburgh Fire Engine Establishment, on 23rd October 1824.
From a blank page he created a science of fire-fighting, he recruited a team of 80 men, trained them and oversaw the design of their equipment and uniforms. Their safety and well-being was of prime importance to him, as well as providing an efficient service to the public he served. He took notes on every fire attended and by 1830 published the first book in English on fire fighting and training fire fighters.
Word of his expertise spread throughout the country as well as abroad and in 1832 he was invited to move to London where, in 1833, he was appointed the Superintendent of Engines to the newly formed London Fire Engine Establishment (later the London Fire Brigade). Again he built up a strong team of men, who like those in Edinburgh, grew to love and respect him.
His peers, superiors and the authorities also held James Braidwood in high regard. He was always polite, persistent in his desire to provide the best service through constant improvements, diligent, selfless, courageous and devout. He worshipped every week at the Scottish Church in Covent Garden and became a Sunday School teacher there; his charitable work included assisting at the Ragged Schools which clothed, fed and educated some of the many homeless children roaming the streets of London.
Through his expertise he was able to save several buildings of national historical significance including the medieval Westminster Hall when the Houses of Parliament were destroyed and the White & Jewel Towers at the Tower of London.
Throughout his career he wrote extensive reports to his superiors informing them of his progress and also making requests for much needed improvements in fire safety, as well as writing Fire Prevention Reports for leading establishments, including Buckingham Palace, the Admiralty, the Bank of England and the British Museum, so becoming the first Fire Prevention Officer. He worked closely with the London City Missions from whom he requested support for his men who had been traumatised by their experiences, so becoming the first Well Being Officer.
On 14th November 1838 he married Mary Ann Jane Jackson, a widow with 4 children and together they had a further 6. His 3 priorities were now his family, his faith and the fire service.
On 22nd June 1861 a fire broke out on Cotton Wharf, Tooley Street in the Thames Docks. It was a fire he had predicted and warned about many years earlier, repeatedly advising on the safe storage of goods in the warehouses which had been growing in size. His advice was ignored and he was killed on the first day of the fire, which burned for 2 weeks, whilst assisting his men. It was 2 days before it was possible to recover his body. Queen Victoria was notified of his death and she wrote of it in her diary and sent a personal letter of sympathy to Jane Braidwood.
James Braidwood was buried on 29th June 1861 in Abney Park Cemetery, Stoke Newington, London. His funeral was the largest for a commoner since that of the Duke of Wellington, the funeral procession stretching for 1.5 miles with crowds lining the streets 10 deep.
James Braidwood was a man of vision; he created a science where there was none before, he pioneered many aspects of fire-fighting including multi-agency cooperation, introduced new equipment including a rudimentary breathing apparatus, a hand pump and fire retardant materials. Some of his methods form part of basic training today.
Together with the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service I am co-hosting a special service at St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh in October 2024 to honour James Braidwood and celebrate 200 years of municipal fire-fighting in Scotland. It is my hope that this momentous occasion will be marked across the country and further afield and will lead to him receiving the honour and recognition he so richly deserves.
The Scottish Fire Brigades Heritage Trust has commissioned a special coin to commemorate this bicentenary year; funds raised by the sale of the coin will be donated to their charities. https://sfbheritagetrust.org
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