'Trouser capital of Europe' marked by exhibition

The exhibition is being held until April

A town described as the former trouser capital of Europe has launched an exhibition on its history in the clothing industry.

The exhibition in Ludlow, Shropshire, explores the history of the former E Walters trouser factory, which operated from 1957 until it closed in 1997.

It was the town’s biggest employer and at its peak, the company produced millions of pairs of trousers a year, according to historians.

It also opened factories across the world, including in Morocco, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania.

Speaking to BBC Radio Shropshire, former factory workers Dave Murrell and Fran Harris said the factory transformed the town.

Mr Murrell started working at the factory in 1968 when he was 15.

He said: “In the early days when I started there, it was the place to work. The money was good and prospects were good for everybody.”

The E Walters trouser factory was founded in the 1950s

Ms Harris, who worked there for more than 40 years, said the town “relied” on the factory for employment, adding that it was where many of Ludlow’s women went to work.

She added: “Without Ed Walters a lot of us would have nothing today. They paid for our houses. There was no employment in Ludlow, literally nothing.”

Ms Harris also praised the quality of the trousers that were produced and said her husband still owned a pair.

Historian Dr Richard Harding is putting together a book on the E Walters factory after learning about its history during the pandemic.

He recently held a talk entitled Ludlow: The Trouser Capital of Europe.

He said about 90% of the factory’s workforce were women, with many earning more than their male counterparts.

Ex-workers said the town relied on the factory for employment

The factory would produce up to 7.5m pairs of trousers every year at its peak, Dr Harding added.

“I don’t know if any other trouser maker makes over seven million a year, but it’s an awful lot of trousers,” he said.

The factory relocated from Ludlow to Leominster in 1997 before the company ceased operations for good in 2005.

The E Walters Trouser Factory: A Legacy Remembered exhibition is being held at Ludlow Museum at the Buttercross until April.