Image ID: 09364

Cooper's Dressing Gown Factory, Victoria Street, Newark, 1973

Courtesy of Newark Advertiser

Victoria Street
Newark on Trent
England

The fire occurred on Wednesday 30th August 1973at about 1.30pm. In its edition of 1st September The Newark Advertiser reported that the fire started in a workroom on the first floor and had spread to the floor above. Part of the roof collapsed into the building. Flames engulfed the building within minutes because the acrylic fibres used at the factory were highly flammable. The material also gave off poisonous smoke and only six firemen wearing breathing apparatus were able to reach the heart of the blaze. The Advertiser continued 'Fire crews from Newark, Collingham, Bingham, Brant Broughton, Southwell and Tuxford with a turntable ladder vehicle and control tender from Mansfield were called out after the initial alarm at 1:30pm, and the fire was under control in just over an hour. Firefighting continued until after teatime. 'Two firemen received slight burns but returned to the scene after treatment at Newark Hospital. People living in Pelham Street, which backs on to the factory, were ordered.. to shut their windows and leave their homes as the smoke became thicker and drifted through the windows. 'At the front of the factory workers formed a human chain to pass garments and rolls of fabric into the street.. There were no casualties, although a handful of workers were helped out, choking, by workmates. History of Cooper's Factory. Although best known for their quilted dressing-gowns, Coopers made a wide range of women's and men's wear. In a publicity brochure produced in the 1960s the company described itself as 'a specialist firm producing particularly glamorous and feminine garments. Quilted house and brunch coats, negligees, lounging trouser suits, smart smoking jackets for men - and whatever new ideas in relaxing wear that fashion dictates'. The business originated, however, with the production of a single garment, a humble workman's shirt. Early in the 19th Century, the owner of Freemans Drapery Warehouse at 46 Market Place, Newark, opened a small shirt factory in Portland Street. His shirts quickly found a market among Newark's workmen and Mr. Freeman soon realised that the profit from his factory far exceeded that of his drapery store. His decision to relinquish control of the retail business proved a wise one and by the middle of the century his Portland Street factory had diversified into producing a wide range of women's wear including tea gowns and underclothes. All were advertised as being styled to the latest French designs. Sales outlets were found among the biggest shops in London's West End and abroad, and by 1890 the cramped Portland Street premises were inadequate. A move to larger, purpose-built premises was required, and in March 1894 tenders were invited for the construction of a factory in Victoria Street. It opened in the summer and almost immediately the company's fortunes improved still further. Dressing-gowns were still only one element of their output but were already being described as the 'cream of the trade'. They were produced in a wide range of materials from cotton and lambs wool ripple cloth to Japanese silk, satin, crepe-de-chine and velvet. Coopers relied heavily on outworkers - mostly women - who undertook many of the basic manufacturing processes in their own homes. At that time the number of employees was 220. Six years later it had all but doubled to 420 with order books full for many months ahead. In fact demand for goods was said to exceed the company's ability to supply by 20%. The business continued to prosper for the next 60 years, becoming an integral part of Newark's light industrial base. It recruited workers straight from school and inspired a loyalty that caused many of them to stay with Coopers for most of their working lives. The early Sixties brought the first in a number of takeovers, with control of the firm moving away from Newark and into the hands of some of the country's largest textile conglomerates. The first buyer was Louis Flower Ltd, and Coopers became part of the largest dressing gown and housecoat manufacturing business in the world. It met 60% of the UK's demand, not least through the new concept in shopping - mail order. New markets were sought and Newark-made gowns became popular in Scandinavia. In 1969 there was a second takeover, this time by Neville Davies and Co. Ltd. There followed further expansion, with the creation of 60 more jobs, and the prospect seemed bright for Coopers in Newark. But within five years the factory's fortunes were to be completely reversed. The economic crises of the early 1970s affected industry in Newark as elsewhere and orders for Cooper's garments began to trail off. The situation was aggravated in September 1973 when a fire gutted much of the factory and destroyed a considerable amount of stock. By mid 1975 things had reached a critical point. Citing 'adverse trading conditions coupled with a lack of orders for 1976' the company announced that it intended to close its Newark plant at the end of the year. An Eleventh-hour rescue package failed to find a new buyer for the business, and on 6th December 1975, after more than 150 years of manufacturing in the town, Coopers finally closed. Today the factory building remains all but intact and has since housed a variety of small businesses.

Date: 1970

Organisation Reference: NCCE003333

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