Tours - still Tuesday and then onto Bohin France

We arrived at the hotel before 5pm so the driver took us to close to the patchwork shop. Again, it was tiny, but this one had a workshop down in the cellar. Once all of the toile du jouy was purchased we wandered the pedestrian precinct until it was time to go back to the hotel.

A few of us wandered back down to the Centre Ville for dinner. Dianne, Sue, Robyn, Paula & I really struck it lucky. The place we dined at was just by the town hall (Maire) and they had a music and light/animated show onto the building after dark. Fab and groovy.

Early start this morning, with elbows at the ready to fight through the throngs at breakfast. There were 4 coach loads of tourists at the hotel.

Our journey through the northern Loire and up into Normandy was ever-changing. Certainly the countryside got flatter. We arrived at Bohin France just after 11am. Bohin have been manufacturing needles and pins out of this plant for more than 150 years. Some of the machinery is original - nothing better can be made to do the job.

Everyone has a new appreciation for the humble needle now - it takes up to 5 weeks from wire to finished needle. The quality is superb. The glass-head pin making machinery is nearly 100 years old too. A rod of coloured glass is slowly feed  near a gas flame - so melt it. On a large grooved wheel is the pin shafts - point  already formed and with the blunt end facing in toward the melting glass. The glass drops a tiny blob on each pin end and as the wheel turns the next pin gets it glass head.

This high fashion gown is embellished with over 9kgs of nickle and brass sewing pins

Needle making machines. Rod is cut to double length, holes punched for eyes, point created by a grinder, then after being heated to 900 degrees they are tumbled for up to five weeks to finish.

More delightful old machinery

Rolls of needles already threaded through black tape. This will be cut to length and wrapped in a paper and cellophane sleeve.

An enormous bin of needles.