Linley - Thinking Inside the Box

Linley - Classic British Design

Fantasy football teams have their place, but what about fantasy craftsmen? If you had the choice, who would you draft in to transform your home? There's a space at Tweed Towers that's crying out for a set of exquisite rosewood shelving. I can't escape a vision of Viscount Linley turning up in brown apron with a pencil behind his ear. Remember: he gets wood.

Not going to happen, of course. But it reminds me that Linley the design company gets British craftsmanship and style, creating pieces that will not lose relevance over time. Classics in other words, old chums. And we'd be happy to accommodate any of their fine pieces at Tweed Towers. Some would look very well on our fantasy Linley shelves.

Britannia Boxes

Linley has crafted sixty Britannia Boxes to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics, the number reflecting the years of the Queen's reign.

The boxes are handmade in Britain from walnut. The Union Flag on the lid is depicted using marquetry inlay in Bolivar veneers. The boxes are available to order as a jewellery box or a humidor. Or a bespoke interior of your fancy may be ordered instead.

The Sterling silver escutcheon and plaque on the inside of the lid bear the LINLEY hallmark and the hallmark of the year of the Diamond Jubilee, and can be engraved with personal messages or initials.

Long after the Union Flag penants and flags to celebrate the Jubilee and the Olympics have been furled, the Britannia Box can be enjoyed. Rule Britannia box.

Horse Guards Parade Desk - Possible World Exclusive

Let's consider this a Tweed Pig World Exclusive - a cursory search on Google didn't return a great deal - as we bring you details of Linley's Horse Guards Parade Desk, which continues the theme of celebration this year.

Linley is really going for gold with this design. The desk will be fashioned from walnut and Bombay rosewood and when completed will feature an architectural miniature of the Horse Guards’ Building in London, which was designed by William Kent in 1745. This is the building where the Queen’s official birthday is celebrated every year with the Trooping of the Colour. With this desk you could troop the colour in miniature using little toy soldiers. I like the sound of that.

As you can see from the sketch of the desk above, it sits on Doric column legs. Imagine gold plated beading and satinwood stringing housing six drawers, two of which will depict a mounted horse guard in marquetry inlay. Three secret drawers will be concealed within the desk. (Every desk worth its salt needs some secret drawers.)

On top of a leather writing surface, the Horse Guard’s Parade box will be made from walnut, burr walnut and sycamore, architectural features expressed in intricate marquetry inlay, hand turned finials. Compartments and more secret drawers lay within.

For several months a desk has been in construction in one of the finest workshops in Britain, so that it will be ready for the Jubilee celebrations.

We'll have to post the completed version on here when it's ready.

Horse Guards Parade and the Long Guard

I walked past Horse Guards Parade when I did the Jubilee Walkway in London recently. A nice walk, just follow the markers (as above).

Since 1755, Horse Guards Parade has been the home and headquarters of the Household Cavalry. It includes accommodation for 17 horses, the number required for the ‘Long Guard’ when The Queen is resident in London. Every day a new Queen’s Life Guard comes down from Hyde Park Barracks to take over the guard for the next 24 hours. This ritual has taken place since the restoration of Charles II (and the British gave the puritanical roundheads the old heave-ho).

This year, the Queen’s Birthday Parade will take place on Sunday 16th June, and the colour will be trooped by the 1st Battalion Coldstream Guards.