A Hull family firm has hit on a music memorabilia niche with a run of restorations with chart-topping pasts.
Richard and Carolynne Hutchins run The Leather Repair Company in the city, and have just taken delivery of a sofa featured on the final studio album by global pop icon George Michael. And the owner isn鈥檛 the only one to show his 鈥榝aith鈥 in the firm, with leather jackets from American rap stars Dr Dre and Big L also in their possession ahead of an exhibition coming to the 海角视频 later this year.
David Huse鈥檚 acquisition of the all-white artefact, featured on the 2004 release Patience, was inspired in part by his passion for Leeds United, having been attracted to the auction with the aim of adding to his Queen collection.
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The company was already working on the Big L jacket for photographer Daniel Riley when the sofa arrived, and they have now taken delivery of the second Avirex jacket too. Online searches had been followed up with calls to talk through the work.
Richard said: 鈥淟eather upholstery is what we do 鈥 whether from clients鈥 homes or cars 鈥 along with items including shoes, bags and of course jackets, but we鈥檝e only now been asked to help with music memorabilia.
鈥淭he sofa hasn鈥檛 been looked after and the leather hasn鈥檛 been fed and nourished. It hasn鈥檛 been stored properly. It鈥檚 probably been in damp conditions and it鈥檚 had animals on it 鈥 there are a lot of scratches on one of the arms.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been well-used and there was a time when it was well-loved and we want to take it back to those days. We are being trusted to get these things right because they are very important to the clients so they are very important to us.鈥
Carolynne said: 鈥淭here was a lot of wear on the Big L jacket with scuffs, scratches and a small tear but we鈥檝e repaired all of that and re-coloured it and it鈥檚 now ready to go back to Daniel while we turn to the Dr Dre jacket and David鈥檚 sofa.鈥
David bought the sofa in an online auction in April. The lot came with a poster for the cover, a signed CD and a copy of one of the platinum discs awarded.Also included was a certificate of authenticity showing a sale in 2012 at the Emeralds & Ivy ball, an annual charity bash hosted by Ronan Keating.
David said: 鈥淚 was attracted to it because it seemed a cool thing to own, I think George was a great artist, and it needed work doing to it and I quite like a challenge! I also like the colour. I went to school in Chichester but then I headed to Bradford University 鈥 I wanted to be in the north so I could watch Leeds United.鈥
He hopes to find out more about the story behind the sofa. There鈥檚 no suggestion it was owned by the singer, considered more likely that it caught the eye of the album鈥檚 designers as part of the furniture at Sony Music or in the recording studio.
David said: 鈥淭he album came out in 2004 but was eight years in the making, which maybe inspired the title and the image of George sitting and apparently glancing at his watch while waiting for something or someone. I picked it up for less than 拢2,000 鈥 a price that reflects the absence of a back story and the fact that the piece is rather battered and bruised. If it had been mint condition and with a bit more provenance, and if it had come from George鈥檚 lounge, we would have had to remortgage the house!鈥
Of getting it booked in 200 miles north, he said: 鈥淭hey were very responsive and very thorough. I sent them a lot of pictures and they said they can get it somewhere close to its former glory so I hired a van and took the sofa to Hull. I can鈥檛 wait until the day when I can go back, pick it up and bring it home鈥 but it鈥檚 all about patience!鈥
The work comes just weeks after the Leather Repair Company sealed its 16 year transition from garden shed to global markets with a craftsmanship prize from the US motor industry.
Last month saw the firm endorsed by the International Detailing Association. From the humble origins of a garden shed at their home in Withernsea the couple expanded to the Waxholme container park just north of the town and then to the Holderness village of Burstwick. They now run the business from a unit at the Argyle Industrial Estate in Hull, which houses a workshop, offices and training space for their four-strong team.
