Thursday 31st October 2024

Today was a public holiday for Diwali, so schools were closed and Sandra invited us to go on a Selyn Tour with her, much of which I had already done with her in February, but which was all completely new to Valerie, who greatly enjoyed the experience. We set off around 09:30 to check out the start of the textiles process, where the imported white yarn is delivered to the dyer, who then needs to turn that yarn into a variety of shades of colours for the weavers.

Having seen how the imported yarn becomes all the shades of colour requested by the people who create the end product, we moved on to the factory on an industrial estate, where some very antiquated power looms produce the majority of the cloth used by Selyn to manufacture its products, The machines here were going to be sold off for 'scrap metal', but Sandra bought them as a job lot, and they are still functioning to this day and doing a great job.

The most fascinating part of our tour was when we were taken out into the country to one of the factories that employs local women who hand weave the cloth, and this really does feel like going back in time. Sadly, it is very much a dying trade, with it becoming increasingly difficult to employ young women to learn these intricate skills, and Sandra has real concerns as to whether Selyn can remain a going concern beyond the next ten years or so.

Having spent the morning exploring Selyn, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Sandra's home, before setting off to visit the Nomadic School, which Sandra refers to as a 'Forest School', and which appears to be run along very similar lines. It is situated in the most idyllic of locations, being next to a small lake, and with easy access to the jungle. It was delightful to spend time there in such a peaceful environment, and was the perfect end to a most enjoyable day.

Today's photographs just show our delightful tour of Selyn (the first 4 at the dyers, the next 4 at the power loom factory, the next 3 at the hand loom factory, with the final photo showing the store with all the different shades of yarn behind the Selyn shop). I will pop some in of our lovely visit to the Nomadic School tomorrow.