Peter Baston

Peter worked as a wool buyer at Mount Mill and Worsham Mill for the firm of Marriott and Sons and was to continue in that role when the firm merged with Early's in 1960. He joined the firm in the 1950s and learnt his trade from Norman Taylor, Marriott's Spinning Manager and Wool Buyer, and immediately took to the work. A crucial part of his job was to be able to recognise particular qualities in wool which would blend together to make the desired blanket yarn, and also judge what yield a wool would give once it was made up.

Marriott's was one of the smaller blanket firms in Witney at this time; Peter remembers that it was a friendly place with a good management where everybody in the mill knew one another.

A recorded interview with Peter is available from Oxfordshire Studies - details are available on the Search the Collections page (search for his name).