麻豆社

Passionate about Wales, and Pembroke Dock in particular, Clare Johns has been creating woollen garments made solely in her local area for the past nine years. With a degree in fashion design but no training in knitwear, her first move was to buy a small flock of rare breed Ryland sheep. She had their fleeces processed at a local woollen mill and turned into her own unique brand of Welsh tweed. In this programme, Verity Sharp visits Clare's farm to meet the sheep and find out what happens to their fleeces.

Clare grew up on a council estate in Pennar, a suburb of Pembroke Dock. She inherited her love of fabric and sewing machines from her grandmother, and her working class background instilled in her a strong work ethic. Pregnant with her first child by the time she graduated, she initially put her fashion career on hold, finding alternative work teaching vocational skills to vulnerable children and adults in Pembroke, alongside her husband. Clare is now on a mission to revive her town鈥檚 milling industry and create a renaissance for the numerous skills associated with wool production and processing.

With the cost of living crisis and the aftermath of the pandemic, Clare is mindful that high-end fashion is not an easy sell. When Verity visits her, she鈥檚 gearing up for a busy season of shows where she鈥檚 hoping to sell direct to the public, and also designing a line of smaller, more affordable accessories that carry more of a high street price tag. Also on hand, and fully committed to the farming business, are her two teenagers, Cariad and Emyr, and the equally enthusiastic 18 month old Arianwen.

Produced and presented by Verity Sharp.