07/10/2024
On a different tack to our usual posts, we have decided to start the week with a little bit about the history of Greengate! Today in the spotlight: W.V.Hearn.
Greengate is and has always been a family firm, and Walter Hearn was the second member to run the business after his father, Vincent Hearn (who was also W.V.Hearn, but went by his middle name).
Walter took the business from a one man band (Vincent Hearn Upholstery and French Polishing) to its first dedicated premises: a shed in a field in Sands, which back then was discrete from High Wycombe. The site still exists today and is currently occupied by Sabeti Wain Aerospace.
The company rapidly expanded and soon enough Walters’ son (also Walter - there was a bit of a naming theme in those days) joined up with his father, representing the third generation in the firm. Thus the trend has repeated until the present day!
Although we no longer operate from a small shed in Sands, we thankfully still have a pair of original chairs that Walter Hearn made by hand, 101 years ago. Indeed, in the second photo (taken in 1923) Walter can be seen operating a pole lathe with some carving patterns on the wall, giving an insight into some of the very manual machinery of the time.
We’re proud to say that we continue the traditions of English furniture making to the present day and we hope that Walter would be equally proud that we’ve continued to build on the foundations that he laid, over a century ago.
