The Story Behind my Rushcart Silver Pin Badge
The Sowerby Bridge Rushbearing Festival
When I moved to Sowerby Bridge in the summer of 1999, no one had prepared me for a local tradition I was about to witness. Standing on Tuel Lane, which is incredibly steep, the Rushbearing procession came right past our front door.
I couldn't believe my eyes: a massive cart, a cart maiden perched perilously on top, and a team of men working hard to ensure it didn't hurtle out of control. The sound of hundreds of clogs on the tarmac, marching bands, mummers, and Morris dancers created an unbelievable spectacle. I quickly realised just how deeply loved this local community event truly is.
You can read all about the event here.
For one weekend, every year Sowerby Bridge becomes a bustling hive of activity. The towering bundles of rushes are gathered from the moors near Halifax Sailing Club (a place I know well from my windsurfing days), the cart is constructed and a colourful endboard is added to the finished cart. During the festival the procession stops at numerous local businesses along the route.
I was absolutely thrilled to be approached to turn the association's logo into a bespoke silver pin badge for the Chairman to wear on his waistcoat, celebrating the 50th edition of the event. I began brainstorming how to bring this piece to life using silver clay. (If you'd like to know a bit more about my background and how I got into working with silver clay then visit my About page.)
Sketching and Designing
Every new design starts as a challenge. I began with simple doodles in my sketchbook, breaking the shape of the rushcart down into smaller pieces to figure out how they would fit together.
Because silver is a precious, expensive metal, I decided to perfect my shapes using thick card first. Cardboard costs very little, and any mistakes simply went straight into the paper recycling! Once these templates were flawless, I used them to build up the silver clay design in delicate layers.
Conscious Crafting at the Bench
Like all the jewellery I create, the rushcart pin was brought to life at my tiny workbench right here in Sowerby, using recycled silver.
Working with silver clay always feels a bit like modern alchemy. It uses minuscule pieces of ground-up fine silver mixed with an organic binder. Once shaped and sanded silver clay needs to be fired. Peeping through my small kiln window, I watched the mini rushcart glowing red-hot. A tiny flame appeared as the binder burnt away, allowing the silver particles to sinter and fuse into a solid, brilliant piece of silver.
Once cooled, the pin was soldered onto the reverse, and the final piece was polished to perfection—a tiny piece of Sowerby Bridge heritage, ready for the 50th anniversary.
Love unique handmade silver pieces? Learn about the story behind my different jewellery collections and discover how I use nature as an inspiration in my work.
Inspired to create something unique? Whether it is for a special anniversary, an event or a personal milestone, I would love to bring your ideas to life. You can learn how to get started or get in touch to chat about your own custom piece directly on my Commissions page.
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