Morgans Dry Cleaners in Shrewsbury gets a top award.

Shropshire Star

We chat to Mr Morgan of Morgans Dry Cleaners in Shrewsbury, now the award winning Morgans Dry Cleaners.

Transcript

00:00So we're here at Morgan's Dry Cleaners in Shrewsbury and Richard, how are you sir?

00:05I'm doing very well, thank you.

00:07So you've had a special accolade haven't you, a little acknowledgement that you're doing something right in the business.

00:12What is it you've entered and what did you win?

00:15The Prestige Central England's Dry Cleaner of the Year.

00:19Yeah, where was that held at then?

00:22It will be held over in Birmingham.

00:25And you've not been in the business all that long have you, when did you take this on?

00:30I took over May last year.

00:32And it used to be called, what was it before?

00:34It used to be Howard's Dry Cleaners.

00:36So they were long established in the town?

00:38Yep, they've been here 100 plus years.

00:41Wow, okay.

00:42So to get a little pat on the back like that so early on, it shows you're doing something right I guess.

00:47I hope so, yes.

00:49What was it that you had to show?

00:52What is it that you're doing here that you think got you the prize sort of thing?

00:57I think just generally being kind to the customers.

01:01Not overcharging the elderly or young hearts.

01:07Discounts to disabled people.

01:10Just looking out for everyone.

01:14Yeah, and it's a nice characterful shop.

01:16We've got the flowers here.

01:18Some old pictures from that heritage before, from the previous owners.

01:23What sort of stuff, what are people bringing in to dry cleaners?

01:27Is it their best jacket that they wear when they go out?

01:30What's the crux of the business these days?

01:34The majority is the suits, dresses, lots of wedding dresses.

01:39But we do the laundry as well, so lots of B&Bs, bedding.

01:46Pillows, duvets.

01:48So how far a reach do you do, is that kind of all across Shropshire you do in place, or Shrewsbury really?

01:54Majority's in Shrewsbury.

01:56We do a five mile radius on free delivery.

02:00Which takes us over to Condover, Pondsbury, just before Church Dretton, then down to Harmerhill.

02:10Yeah, good stuff.

02:12And there's even a giant cuddly lion I've seen at the back there that's been brought in for a cleaner.

02:18I guess you get all sorts of stuff, don't you really?

02:21You get all kinds of ones.

02:23We have a couple of Indian wedding dresses at the moment, which look quite nice.

02:29We've got the Simba Teddy.

02:32We did a pram last year.

02:35A pram? Oh wow.

02:36That's literally something to ask to bring it in.

02:38So we have a lot of churches and bishop robes.

02:42We've got a few British monks who've come in and got a couple of their bits.

02:47Lots of sixties health retreats.

02:51Which are entertaining.

02:54We've got a gentleman who comes in every week with his boiler suit.

02:59Once he looks smart on the job.

03:02Like the children's side of it, we've had lots of teddies.

03:07And a seven foot unicorn outfit.

03:12And a giant pig outfit.

03:14Well that must pose its own challenges really.

03:17Because I guess you're getting...

03:19We had a dressing that Helen Mirren had worn.

03:23Oh did you?

03:24What was all that about then?

03:27We do for Claire Mashavani on the Wildcock.

03:31And she wore it to an awards ceremony.

03:34Is she a dressmaker then is she?

03:36Yes.

03:37Oh wow.

03:39So fantastic.

03:40So you've got your mum in the business.

03:41There's mum, beavering away.

03:45What's it like working with family?

03:47Say nice things Richard.

03:49I always have.

03:50So before basically we had a Scotch egg company.

03:53And we worked together for two years then.

03:55Before that we had a bakery together.

03:57We've been going for ten years.

03:59Go on then Richard, give us a tour of the shop.

04:02Where the magic happens.

04:04So you've got the entrance.

04:06People come in before the outfits.

04:08All the wedding dresses stood behind you.

04:11On the rails.

04:12Ah, wedding dresses yeah.

04:14All shirts on the side.

04:16So looking at those shirts Richard,

04:18do you have people coming in?

04:20They literally bring their general washing.

04:24The shirts start at £2.30 each.

04:27So quite a lot of shirts.

04:29Then you've got our lovely veil.

04:31Which is all in numerical order.

04:33Which is all the items.

04:35It's a nice bit of kit.

04:37It's quite satisfying seeing that spin round isn't it?

04:39Love to build.

04:41This will be mum Lynne.

04:43How you doing Lynne?

04:45I am fine thank you.

04:46You must be proud of Richard.

04:48Mind you, you're part of it aren't you?

04:49So you're grafting as well.

04:50So proud of yourselves really.

04:52It's done really well.

04:53Yeah, yeah.

04:54Is it nice working with your lads?

04:56Yeah, I've worked with Rich for a long time.

04:58So that's good.

04:59That's nice isn't it?

05:00Because sometimes we get to a stage in our life

05:01where we don't always see our kids much.

05:03But it's nice to still, you know, have a...

05:05See a lot of people.

05:06Yeah, yeah, cool.

05:07And then, what happened here then?

05:09So you shrunk this one did you Rich?

05:11We found him in a little locker somewhere.

05:14And then who have we got round here Rich?

05:16Introduce us.

05:17Hello Kim.

05:18You okay love?

05:19Kim's our most experienced cleaner.

05:22Aha.

05:23So have you got like good muscles in them arms?

05:26You know, because...

05:27No, I still look like olive oil.

05:31On Popeye.

05:32I know, on Popeye.

05:33Cool.

05:34What's this bit of kit?

05:35This is where we bag things.

05:36Ah, okay.

05:37So the completed items.

05:40Yeah.

05:41New ones.

05:44And eco-friendly, it's all recyclable plastics.

05:47Okay, interesting.

05:49Yeah, I saw that outside on the...

05:50Ah, wow.

05:52I did not know that.

05:53Plastic covers on them all.

05:55Wow, I did not know that's how it works.

05:56I thought it was just a set of bags that you kind of bought

05:59and had to wriggle and jiggle them.

06:01Cool.

06:02Yes.

06:03So it's all recycled plastic as well.

06:04Fantastic, mate.

06:05Yeah, everything's recycled.

06:06We don't have any plastic tags or anything.

06:09I guess that's part of the reason.

06:11I guess you've got another factor of you getting the award, isn't it?

06:13I guess, all that elements of...

06:14It's more eco-friendly.

06:15Yeah.

06:16We don't use harmful chemicals or elephants.

06:19It's all biological detergents.

06:20Yeah.

06:22And then what happens down here then?

06:24So this is our jacket press.

06:26Ah, okay.

06:29I've never seen one of these.

06:31These are lovely.

06:32Yeah.

06:33Grab a jacket.

06:34Yeah, yeah.

06:35Interesting.

06:37Is that Mr. Davenport in there, I can hear?

06:39Yeah.

06:47Come on.

06:52So this is a way of ironing it effectively, yeah?

06:55It does about 80 cents.

06:57Yeah.

06:58The items still hand over afterwards.

06:59Yeah.

07:03A way of starting off.

07:04Wow.

07:05It helps with the linings.

07:06Yeah.

07:11It's very specialist equipment, isn't it?

07:13You're not popping down to your local hardware store and picking up any of this shit.

07:17Does it behave?

07:19Because there's specialist engineers, I should imagine, involved if one of these goes wrong.

07:24A lot of the time, yes.

07:25Yeah.

07:26Unfortunately.

07:27I do motor machines.

07:28Yeah.

07:29About every year.

07:30You've had to become a self-employed engineer as well, sort of thing.

07:35So it stretches it first.

07:37Yeah.

07:38It opens it up.

07:39You then have it in a layer of steam.

07:40Yeah.

07:41And then you do the hand ironing to it as well.

07:43Ah.

07:46There we go.

07:52So that's kind of popping it out, isn't it then?

07:54Putting some air into it to pop it out.

07:56Is that what it's doing?

07:59Wow.

08:05It's quite satisfying, isn't it, that?

08:08To take something, especially if it's particularly creased.

08:14It's like when I used to shave my mate's head with my clippers.

08:17It was something quite satisfying about that kind of process.

08:21So that's mostly done now.

08:23Yeah.

08:24And then we pass it over to the ladies to do hand ironing afterwards.

08:27Yeah.

08:28It's all touched up to the best possible standards.

08:30Yeah.

08:31So what's the cheapest thing that, you know, you can bring in and pay?

08:36Is it a shirt then, to have a shirt done?

08:39Yeah, I think we have done boxers and pants before.

08:42Yeah.

08:43But we try not to do them.

08:45Yeah.

08:46But shirts are most likely cheapest, about two pounds, two to three pounds.

08:50And then we've got, that's where we've got, that's our Simba.

08:53This is our Simba.

08:54So he's coming for a clean, has he then?

08:55He has, he's very grubby.

08:57Yeah.

08:58It's one of the ladies' daughters.

08:59Anyone with children will fully appreciate what state the children's toys get into.

09:04Our machine here, this is a spotting table.

09:07Yeah.

09:08And you've got the air and steam.

09:10Yeah.

09:11And it'll just clean it off.

09:12A bit of steam, just clean it off.

09:14Oh, yeah, yeah.

09:16And it gets rid of.

09:20Interesting.

09:22And just helps with all the stains.

09:24Yeah, yeah.

09:26So who's in here then?

09:27Who's this chap?

09:29This is a man hiding.

09:32Man hiding.

09:33Hello, Kevin.

09:34How are you, chap?

09:35I'm good, thank you.

09:36Nice to get a pat on the back and, you know, be acknowledged for the good work you're doing here, isn't it, Kevin?

09:42Yes.

09:43Have you told him you want a pay rise yet?

09:44I can, every day.

09:45Do you?

09:46Every day.

09:49Cool.

09:50And then you've got your washing machines going.

09:51What's the pony bit of kit, Rich?

09:54So this one's for trousers.

09:56Yeah.

09:59So this is a trouser former.

10:09Trouser former, OK.

10:16It touches the back.

10:17Yeah.

10:18And you find your crease in the middle, or where you want the crease.

10:23Use the pedal.

10:29Oh.

10:30See again on this side?

10:31Yeah.

10:36And then you'll cover it in steam and it gives tension to it, so it's ironed afterwards.

10:41Wow.

10:42All right.

10:44Here we go.

10:45Look at that.

10:46Look at that.

10:51It's come to life.

10:55Well, thank you, Richard, for showing us the world of dry cleaners and congratulations on your award, sir.

11:00Thank you very much.

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