Heaven for leather

Sean Hall, 46, is a saddler and leather worker who has worked at Mangan and Webb (01451 831245) in Stow-on-thewold for 28 years. The entrance to his upstairs shop is through a single door in Digbeth Street, a black, threedimensional horse’s head indicating the world that’s within.

I ducked under the beam that’s reputedly elicited curses from Jeremy Clarkson and made my way to the back corner of the shop, where a smiling, goodhumoured and youthful Mr Hall is surrounded by jobs he’s working on: a pair of bellows, a saddle with a broken tree, a pigskin cartridge bag, riding boots and a flying jacket. While we talk, he carries on making a sheepskin-lined bonnet strap for a vintage car. Using proper English tanned leather, he keeps the local racing and hunting community on the road and in the saddle.

What do you make and repair?

I can make anything to do with leather and canvas: chairs, swimming-pool covers, 6ft rhinos. I’m doing a lot of side-saddles now, they’re coming back big time

What are the most unusual jobs you’ve done?

I did the leather mugs for the RSC’S

The Taming of the Shrew, I’ve sewn on bells for morris dancers, made a racingcamel seat and some leather underwear for a lady customer. Every time Dinah Nicholson [widow of trainer David ‘the Duke’ Nicholson] walks the hound puppies, they chew her imitation stuffedpig footstool: ears, tail, nose—i’ve repaired most bits

What has been your biggest undertaking?

Raymond Blanc at Le Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons has been a long-standing customer and we do the leather fobs to go with the room keys