Brigg Matters Issue 53 Winter 2018

Made in Brigg
By Graham West
Made in Brigg - now there’s a rare claim. In
days of old Brigg, like many other market
towns, had a thriving local manufacturing community.
Small scale maybe and making
products that we perhaps don’t have much call
for today such as carriage wheels, rabbit skins,
sails or ropes, it nevertheless provided jobs and
generated much needed wealth for the town.
More recently jam, mineral waters (otherwise known as
‘pop’), stockings, sugar and bicycles were made in Brigg,
but sadly these businesses have also steadily disappeared
in spite of the fact that all of these products remain
very much in demand.
Fortunately the surrounding farming and agricultural
industry has helped to support a lot of businesses in the
town but even that is under threat with the large scale
acquisition of local farms and land by distant buyers,
thus diverting much of the income away from the area.
Somehow we seem to have either given up or lost the art
of making things locally.
The good news is that Brigg has, to date, avoided becoming
a retail clonesville, so often the precursor to
dwindling footfall, with a healthy mix of original, independent
shops and multiples making the reason for visiting
Brigg by people from afar worthwhile and thus
helping our local economy.
There is one business in Brigg, however, that ticks all
the boxes when it comes to both making and selling
things, Guy Whitney. Guy is a designer-goldsmith who
has been hand crafting modern, contemporary gold and
silver jewellery for more than thirty-four years, nineteen
of which have been from his base in Brigg. Talking to
Guy it’s obvious from the start that he is not from these
parts. Although living in the UK for more than thirtyfour
years his Canadian accent has lingered. Born and
raised in Western Canada, he moved to the UK in 1 982
Inspired when he was quite young by the processes
involved in the design and creation of beautiful objects
from precious stones and metals, he enrolled with the Sir
John Cass College (now part of the London Metropolitan
University in London) in 1 984 to study diamond mounting
and setting.
After attaining his City and Guilds certificates with
distinction in 1 986, Guy worked for two London-based
designer/goldsmiths for four years adding to his wealth
of knowledge and expertise. He then moved to Lincolnshire
in 1 990, where Gillian had lived prior to them
meeting. Working from home, he started his own business
designing and making fine pieces of intricate, contemporary
jewellery and in the process began to build
up an appreciative clientele, not just locally but across
the country.
He then opened a workshop on the top floor of
premises in Dunstall Street close to the centre of Scunthorpe
before relocating to a modest ground floor workshop
and showroom in College Yard, Brigg in 1 999. Just
three months ago he moved his business into a much
larger showroom and workshop in Market Place, Brigg.
having married Gillian (who hails from GuyBarnsley).
Whitney, Emma Whitney, Brett Whitney.
1 8 Brigg Matters