Lace maker, 85, has no plans to retire after MBE

Sheila Mason, pictured with her late husband John, has been a lace maker for six decades

An 85-year-old lace maker has said she is "very honoured" to be made an MBE but has no plans to retire after working with lace for 60 years.

Sheila Mason, from Wollaton in Nottingham, has been recognised in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to the textile industry.

Mrs Mason has written several books on the history of lacemaking and the Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters made her the first woman liveryman in its history in 2000,

She said she was dedicated to keeping alive her family business, Derbyshire-based Cluny Lace, with her son and two daughters who are the ninth generation of the family to run it.

Mrs Mason said she "never thought" she would be made an MBE and admits to thinking the letter that arrived at her house was a tax bill before she put her glasses on.

Cluny Lace has been making the fabric for nearly two centuries, which was exported all over the world and has dressed royals such as Diana, Princess of Wales and the current Princess of Wales.

The business supplied lace for Kate's wedding dress, which Mrs Mason said was "fantastic", but the family did not know until they saw her wearing it.

She said: "We had no idea. We knew we were selling lace but we didn't know who we were selling it to. We had no idea until we saw her emerge from The Goring Hotel, and it was our lace."

'Life's work'

Mrs Mason moved to Nottingham when she married in 1964, and she began her research into the history of lace and framework knitting which she has written books about.

She said: "I was always interested in history. I was talking to my father-in-law and he pointed out that unfortunately it was one of these histories that was not quite accurately reported. It had been muddled up.

"I wrote the history of it before it completely went."

But she says she will not retire from the lace industry.

"To me it's a life's work to try and promote lace. The more you have on show the better, as far as I'm concerned.

"We have done quite a lot of work for the trade and I'm very proud. We must have been one of the first in the trade, and we're the last ones left.

"We're thin on the ground but we've kept going because the family worked together."

Follow BBC Nottingham on Facebook, on X, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail] or via WhatsApp on 0808 100 2210.