SIGN OF PEACOCK FLIES AGAIN

Thresher & Glenny, like Fortnum & Mason, Berry Bros & Rudd, James Purdey, Farlows , Aspreys, Lock, and Lobb, et al, is part of that lexicon of establishment brands that any English gentleman of a certain age would have known as if by osmosis as part of the English landscape.

Many of these old names, which could trace their heritage back into the mists of time, have disappeared in recent years. Some didn't move with the times, others ran out of family to run them, many were taken over by arrivevistes, and quite a few just ran out of steam and popularity.

Thresher & Glenny was in danger of succumbing to just such a fate but thankfully a champion came riding to the rescue in the robust form of Mark Finch. He acquired the old firm back in 2006 and as something of a labour of love, has been nurturing it and bringing it back to life since then.

No longer at its famous old Sign of the Peacock site in the Strand where it started, it is now in suitably ancient premises in Middle Temple just off Fleet Street, still with the Sign of the Peacock on display. Mayor Boris Johnson performed the opening ceremony here early last year, after major refurbishment, and the company is now poised for a programme of activity to remind English gentlemen, and others, that this grand old firm is very much alive and kicking.

“Mark has invested his time and money into the business,” said Tim Lawler, marketing director, who is helping to plan development. “And other friends who believe in the brand have also contributed their services. It has been a slow burn but we are now preparing to get back into the States and have plans for China. The next step is the opening of a shop on Jermyn Street.”

Above, Mayor Boris Johnson cutting the tape at Thresher & Glenny with owner Mark Finch. Below, the coronation tie created to mark this year's Coronation Festival. It is in the Queen's racing colours, in a limited edition of 501, hand made in silk, price £95. Go to www.thresherandglenny.com. Bottom, classic shirt with second collar, which they will attach for you when needed.

The company can lay fair claim to being one of the very oldest in menswear, vying with Ede & Ravescroft over its starting date in the mid-1600s. Records indicate a stall at the Frost Fair held on the frozen Thames in the terrible winter of 1643 but an authenticated date is 1683.

The Empire may have been built on the playing fields of Eton but T & G was there at every turn to equip the Empire-builders in suitable attire. They outfitted troops for the Crimea, provided  a mesh protection for Dr Livingstone - the first mosquito net - kitted out the East India Company staff. They also supplied the Emperor of Japan with underwear, made clothes for Buffalo Bill Codie, made the red shirt worn by Garibaldi. 

After losing his arm at the battle of Santa Cruz in 1797, Lord Nelson visited Thresher & Glenny to order a dozen pairs of silk stockings, and brushed aside commiserations at his loss. "Lucky for you it wasn't my leg," he is said to have countered. 

Such an illustrious past could not save the firm from a change in fortunes as the men’s clothing scene in the UK was revolutionised from the 1950s on. And though it retained its reputation for quality and service, it was a shadow of its former self when Finch took it on.

Now, it is ready for the off. Its fully bespoke tailoring service remains its foundation but there are made-to-measure suits and coats as well, all under the experienced guide of John Price. Shirts, for which they hold a Royal Warrant to the Queen (their first one was granted by George lll in 1783), all come with a second collar, both in bespoke and ready-to-wear versions. New collections of ties, leather goods and other accessories are all in the pipeline. And a shop in Jermyn Street, long the heartland of fine shirts, will provide the launching pad for a revitalized Thresher & Glenny.

“It’s the right place for us to be,” says Lawler. “It was, after all, Thresher & Glenny that introduced Sea Island Cotton into this country. We have always sought the best quality.”