Even before Countryside Art came into existence in 1975, pupils from Eresby Special School were coming to visit Manas Designs, a craft hand-screen workshop and precursor to the current company. The students designed and printed their artwork on to cards and posters.
But once Countryside Art started hand silkscreen printing on long print tables (in their new larger Swaby workshop in heart of the rural Lincolnshire Wolds), the idea came about for the Eresby Special School students to print their drawings on to tea towels.
It was at this time that founder Partner John Chapman’s mother, Pat, realised other schools would love the tea towels too. So, she took the school fundraising tea towels idea around schools in her local area and as they say – the rest is history!
Countryside Art became the go-to supplier of tea towel printing for schools in the UK and also to schools all around the world.
In the early days, before the company moved to its current state-of-the art purpose-built factory in Spilsby, other schools also came along to experience hand silkscreen school tea towel printing
As we are now fully mechanised this type of hands-on experience is no longer possible. But we are really proud to say we continue the involvement with Eresby Special School to this day, with students still coming for work experience visits, during which they watch their tea towel and bag designs being digitally printed.
Of course, tea towel printing for schools being such a winning idea, the concept was quickly copied by other companies, but we are always proud to say Countryside Art was the inventor of the ‘Original and Best School Tea Towels’.
For more information on how to order your own School Tea Towel please visit our School Giftware page. Use our Contact Page and follow the email link to sales@countrysideart.co.uk Or you can call our Sales Team on 01790 754806.
Best wishes
Kathy Brookes, Sales Director
