Although I have been a coal miner for 30 years I did have a break in the middle of my career, forced due to mine closure. In 1995 I started my own business doing commercial embroidery. I made designs for things like school uniforms, sports club logos and local business workwear, the stuff that paid the bills.
Other more interesting work included embroidering Irish dance dresses. These were all different and took a lot of work.
This work was noticed by a costume designer who had been asked for Celtic style artwork and embroidered clothing. The next photo is of me with a shirt design, one of many I did for Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance.
200 dancers were on stage in Hyde Park, London at the same time and all wearing clothes embroidered by me. Trousers, belts and shirts. I believe that effort got into the Guinness Book of World Records.
©1998 LOTDROCKS
Following this success, other work followed. I received a letter from the costume manufacturer containing a black and white photo of the King of Siam's military dress coat given to him in 1865 by the French. I also received a few bits of modern gold imitation embroidery and a piece of French military jacket from the Battle of Waterloo, complete with bullet hole and blood stains. I would have loved to have kept that but I had to return it.
I did visit the local army base that had a wonderful storeroom full of ancient uniforms which they let me examine.
From this info, the following dress coat was produced. The back design is my own creation due to the fact no living person has seen the back of the original coat and the Thia authorities would not let the film company in to have a look.
This coat and several other coats helped get the film Anna and the King, starring Jody Foster and Chow Yun-Fat, nominated for an Oscar in 2000.
This work led on to me working on other films. I will cover other work at a later date.
All photos not sourced are my own.