Prince and Princess of Wales visit flax farm in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

News Letter

Inspired by Northern Ireland’s linen heritage and by the urgent need for diversification, Helen Keys MBE and Charlie Mallon are aiming to rebuild a flax to linen supply chain in Northern Ireland.   William and Kate visited their farm, near Cookstown, on 14 October 2025.

Transcript

00:00Okay.

03:38The consumer really, I don't know if it's interested in the food, but it's very important.

03:48And what part do you use?

03:54All of it?

03:56Everything.

03:58You can use the peeps.

04:00You can use the peeps.

04:02You can use the peeps.

04:04And are you separating it?

04:06You can use the peeps.

04:08We'll show you the process, and we're going to watch that and show you some of the machinery.

04:12Okay, I'm going to move it in.

04:14This is...

04:16Oh, that's beautiful.

04:18I'm just seeing the...

04:26So we're going to show you everything.

04:28This is how you do it by hand.

04:30Is this...

04:32This is not strength.

04:34And how do you teach about this?

04:36Where did you go to find the book?

04:40The book?

04:42Yeah, the book.

04:44The book is...

04:46...and how do you teach about this?

04:48Where did you go to find the book?

04:50and how do you

04:56how do you teach about this

04:58where did you go to find the book

05:00we got contact

05:22this ship

05:31which

05:34another thing

05:35so you can feel ready

05:46thank you

06:16this is totally part of it

06:42it's been about two years

06:45did you go there?

06:47yeah

06:47we had it built

06:49the whole infrastructure

06:50so it's not a story

06:52here

06:53because all the

06:54do it comes from this

06:55it's been built

06:59in two stories

07:00these do the

07:03vehicle

07:03which is pretty much

07:04what we were doing

07:05there

07:05you know

07:06it starts off

07:07with large cogs

07:08which is your

07:09slow start

07:09the smaller ones

07:11it'll get the

07:12speeder or whatever

07:14so

07:15it'll go through there

07:16it'll be grabbed by the belt

07:18and it'll do about two thirds

07:20up on one side

07:21this will do it

07:23on the second side

07:25down

07:25it's just like where you go on there

07:30so there

07:31you can get your

07:33comment

07:33it's like a torture trap

07:37it's just like where you go on there

07:54I am

07:54close and close

08:10it's getting white

08:12you're stripping the fibre

08:18from each other

08:19you're stripping the fibre

08:20from each other

08:21you're stripping the fibre

08:24from each other

08:25is that then

08:27that's separate

08:29now you don't use that

08:30all that is what you're trying

08:31to get out of it

08:31it doesn't carry on

08:37the process

08:37no

08:37you're

08:39you're

08:40but when you start with it

08:49actually you end up

08:50quite a small bit

08:50in this process

08:52yes

08:52it's just a little light

08:53everything

08:58everything's beautiful

08:59we're using something

09:00in another part

09:01exactly

09:01but this piece

09:03is done by hand

09:04we're going to do that

09:06we're going to just

09:07quite a bit of research

09:09fibre

09:09we could probably

09:10we're working on that

09:18guys can I get everyone

09:23to move over this way

09:24because they're going to meet

09:24Marilay behind

09:25she never's

09:26this is actually

09:28the kind of

09:29the room is

09:31dampened

09:31jumping

09:33in the

09:34rocks

09:35literally

09:35for two weeks

09:36straight

09:37and also

09:37tighten the lead

09:39gives it a

09:40shear

09:40and actually

09:41use it

09:41windproof

09:42so

09:42you can use it

09:43in the fields

09:44get it out of it

09:44and toughness

09:46that are in

09:47yeah

09:48the gold

09:49it's like a gold

09:50treatment

09:50it's first of all

09:51printed on it

09:52and then

09:52the group

09:53you know

09:53it's

09:54but yeah

09:57it's just

09:57it's kind of

09:58it's really

09:59interesting

09:59it's just

10:00one

10:01issue at a time

10:01that's in the world

10:02from one

10:02I've been trading

10:05someone else

10:06in 1979

10:06I didn't have

10:07been you

10:07would be actually

10:08being

10:08protected

10:08yeah

10:09yeah

10:09I was saying

10:10in your generation

10:11we involved

10:12doing

10:12not in the strength

10:14but we say

10:14the crossmanship

10:15and the touch

10:16just being

10:17good

10:18to the end

10:19from the beginning

10:20yeah

10:20we actually

10:21have

10:22this

10:23financial time

10:24so we can

10:24raise awareness

10:26of this kind

10:26of danger

10:27kind of craft

10:28and all

10:28the back

10:29of that

10:29we got

10:29loads

10:29of young

10:30people

10:30actually

10:30want to

10:31do

10:31there is

10:34a real

10:34kind of

10:34interest

10:35in

10:35yeah

10:37it's just

10:37so fun

10:37for us

10:38to kind

10:38of

10:38think

10:39of

10:39the

10:39traditional

10:41crafts

10:42and

10:42there's

10:43such a

10:43kind of

10:44celebration

10:45on this

10:46of the

10:46design

10:47process

10:47and the

10:48society

10:48and actually

10:49consume

10:49the

10:50customer

10:50and how

10:53much

10:55is

10:55shining

10:55light

10:56on the

10:57system

10:57all the way

10:58through

10:59that

10:59process

10:59I think

11:00that's

11:01something

11:01we can

11:01get

11:01on

11:02nearly

11:02national

11:02right

11:03is

11:03telling

11:05the story

11:06of the

11:06suppliers

11:06and having

11:07deep

11:07relationships

11:08and everything

11:08that's

11:09something

11:09that's

11:09completely

11:09lost

11:10in the

11:10fashion

11:11industry

11:11whenever

11:11supply

11:12chains

11:12are

11:12big

11:12and

11:13global

11:13they actually

11:14have to know

11:14who's making

11:15your clues

11:15where the

11:16product comes

11:16from

11:17and

11:17service

11:17whereas if you

11:18actually have

11:19a little

11:19go

11:19you know

11:20product

11:21it comes

11:28back

11:28to that

11:28community

11:29and I

11:30think

11:30it's

11:31reviving

11:31that

11:31sense

11:31of

11:32care

11:32to

11:32the

11:33product

11:33industry

11:38where women

11:38kind of

11:39work at

11:39home

11:39and we

11:41always

11:42have

11:42a

11:42modern

11:43interpretation

11:43of that

11:44lots of

11:44us

11:44interested

11:45in

11:45women

11:45of their

11:46hearts

11:46and

11:46you're

11:47able

11:48to

11:48work

11:48around

11:48the

11:48kids

11:48so

11:49it's

11:49kind

11:49of

11:49thinking

11:50but

11:51we

11:53think

11:53our

11:54customers

11:54are

11:55so

11:55passionate

11:56for

11:56what

11:57they

11:57really

11:58bought

11:58into

11:58that

11:58kind

11:59of

11:59story

12:00and

12:00they

12:00really

12:01cared

12:01about

12:02it

12:02which

12:02is

12:02if the

12:02art

12:03and the

12:03craft

12:04of

12:04making

12:04it

12:04is

12:04something

12:05that

12:07is

12:08something

12:09made

12:10of love

12:10and

12:10actually

12:10enjoyed

12:12and

12:12you're

12:12the

12:12person

12:13who

12:13made

12:13it

12:13as well

12:13as

12:34as

12:35as

12:36as

12:37as

12:38as

12:40as

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