Bulldog Tools Blog

Supporting the Silverdale Residents Association

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

From the Wigan Observer:

"Green-fingered residents in Wigan can't wait to dig in to their gardening project thanks to the generosity of a local business.

Wigan and Leigh Housing (WALH) has allowed Silverdale Residents Association, in Hindley, to take over a piece of land to use as a community garden.

The group secured money from the Better Neighbourhood Fund to buy a hut so they could have somewhere to meet.

Bulldog Tools has also donated 30 pieces of gardening equipment to be awarded to the winners of the association's annual gardening competition."

We are glad, along with the Council and Profile Carpets, to support the Silverdale Residents Association. To follow in the words of the Wigan Observer, may their garden group blossom!

Clarington Website Launch

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Image: Half formed forks being re-heated to complete the formation process.

We are very pleased to announce the launch of the Clarington website, dedicated to serving our customers in the USA. The site features an extensive range of tools made here at our forge in Wigan, England. The tools will be stocked in the USA to enable quick delivery. Video clips allow you to see the tools being made as well as in use.

You can read more about the partnership between Bulldog Tools and the Robert Larson company on the Clarington Blog.

Concluding the Hampton Court Flower Show

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The world's largest spade was an important part of our presence at the Hampton Court Flower show last week, as you can see in the above photo!

Here you can see Bulldog and the Home Grown team celebrating the partnership that has grown up between them. As you will know from Ed's previous posts, we supplied tools for the Home Grown team to work with. Directly to the sides of the spade are Mary Payne and Jon Wheatley, the designers of the Home Grown display. Here is a video interview with Jon Wheatley about how you can learn lessons from the Home Grown garden.

If you missed the world's largest spade at Hampton Court, you can now see it at Wisley RHS gardens until the end of July. Our good friend the Fat Gardener helped arrange for the spade to be put on display at Wisley, and you can find it in their garden centre in the tools and accessories section.

Time for Planting at Hampton Court

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

I apologise for the delay in my most recent update. I have been at the show everyday and away from my computer. A lot has changed since my first blog on Hampton Court. Most noticeable is the introduction of a variety of new plants.

Unlike with the Maize the planting in the garden has been done without pots - this is to help the intake of water as we are expecting a hot week at the show next week.

Above: Jon Wheatley works hard digging a trench.

As you can see in the above photo large trenches are dug for the planting. We have used the original hampton court soil, although it has required a lot of rotivating and forking over. However Some of the vegetables will be planted in compost as they require the nutrients from the new soil.

Above: After shot, the first row of planting goes in.

Above: Steve, flown in from New Zealand, turns soil over ready for planting whilst digging a trench.

Above: The veg is planted.

As you can see the garden is really coming to life. More photos and blogs to come over the next few days.

If you are visiting Hampton Court our stand, C116, is just along the track from 'The Home Grown Exhibit.' Tickets are still available, click here for more info.

Enjoy the sunshine!

The World's Largest Spade Arrives at Hampton Court Flower Show

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The World's Largest Spade has arrived for its National Debut at Hampton Court Palace Flower show. Seen below are the pictures of its arrival and its final positioning, all it needs now is some planting.

The grand unveiling will be at 2.15 on Monday 5th July. Mary Payne and Jon Weatley plus Fred Foot and myself from Bulldog will be there to show the spade off. For more information contact Fred on fred@rollins.co.uk

Hampton Court - It can't be all hard work!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Despite the mammoth task ahead it can't all be hard work, check out the pictures below:

Above: Mary and Jon arrive in their buggy

Above: Jon takes a break, snoozing in a wheelbarrow

Above: Everyone breaks for lunch and a much needed cold drink

Above: As the temperature rises to over 28 degrees, its not only the plants that need watering!

I'm off to Hampton Court to day, stay tuned for more photos and updates as the garden begins to come to life.

Check back to this blog or follow me on twitter.com/bulldogblog

Enjoy the sunshine!

It's a-maize-ing how much work goes into a Hampton Court garden

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

As I continue my series into the build of Hampton Court we focus on different areas of the build. The first thing that struck me as I went on to site on Friday was the sheer scale of the garden, although I had seen the plans on paper, it wasn't till i stood at one end peering through the sunflowers, maize, past the large polytunnel, down to the barn that I realise how big a task this garden was.

In this blog i wanted to show you the scale of the planting in the 'Fields of Gold' half of the garden. This half designed by Gilian van der Meer, showcases farming within the UK. The design of the whole 'Home Grown' feature is to show you how the farming industry operates and as you walk down into the 'market garden' show you how you can do this at home.

Below you can see the mass of sunflowers which greet you as you enter the garden and the scale of the task of planting over 250 maize crops.

Above: One of the three sunflower fields that greet you as you enter the garden.

Above: The human maize chain, each maize crop is passed along the chain and lined up to ensure correct position and neat rows.

Above: James Wheatley lines the maize up into rows.

Above: James Wheatley takes a break, leaning on his Bulldog West Country shovel.

Above and Below: The team bury the maize crop

Above: Gradually the maize field comes to life.

Once planted the maize, along with the rest of the garden, will require constant watering as the Hampton Court soil is very dry and dusty. Mary Payne explains that she feels like she 'never puts down the hose' during build up week as she constantly waters the garden.

I will continue to update you with more blogs and photos this week, keep checking back or follow us on twitter.com/bulldogblog.

Have a good week!

RHS Hampton Court Flower Show: Preparation Begins

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We are delighted to be working with John Wheatley and Mary Payne as they prepare to build the largest garden they have ever created at Hampton Court show.

The garden, entitled 'Home Grown' celebrates the different aspects of commercial agriculture and horticulture in the UK; highlights the diversity of produce which can now be grown in the UK; and the merits of sourcing local produce.

The exhibit will be laid out in two parts: The Market Garden and Fields of Gold. John and Mary are focusing on the Market Garden.

As you can see from the pictures below, work has already begun on the setup of the garden, we are just two weeks away from the opening day of 'Hampton', so it is all hands to the pump.

We'll be blogging about the buildup of the garden over the next few weeks. I will also be putting photos on our twitter page at twitter.com/bulldogblog.

Hampton Court Flower Show runs from July 6th- July 11th. It is a great show - we hope to see you all there!

Bulldog wins award for 'Most Durable Brand of Tools'

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We have won the award for 'Most Durable Brand of Tools' by the Grow Your Own magazine!

Here's what Fred Foot, our marketing manager, said about their decision:

"Making durable, long-lasting tools has been at the forefront of the Bulldog brand for over two centuries - so we're extremely happy to have won this award. Our skilled craftsmen take great pride in producing tools that will be used for years and years, then handed down to the next generation of gardeners."

Fred's tip for Grow Your Own readers was:

"When choosing a spade or fork, make sure that it's solid-forged. This means that the head and socket are made from one piece of steel. It'll be be much stronger and last longer as there will be no weld points."

Here's the Grow Your Own website: www.growfruitandveg.co.uk

Chelsea Flower Show Review

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

RHS Chelsea Flower Show was another great success this year. We had our new location on the corner of Eastern Avenue, a fantastic looking stand (winning a certificate of commendation) and of course a great number of garden enthusiasts that came along to support us. The show sold out in a record time this year, once again proving how popular the RHS's flagship event is.

We would like to congratulate two of our friends on winning Medals this year:

Jon Wheatley, Mary Payne and their team on a Gold Medal for the 'National Dahlia Collection.' The photo above shows Jon on the left with myself on the right, holding the Gold Medal. This years new dahlia strand, shown below, was called 'Ian Hislop' after the well known comic.

We are looking forward to continuing our work with Jon, Mary and the team at RHS Hampton Court Later in just over a months time.

We would also like to congratulate the World Skills garden, who were also medalists winning Silver for their garden. As you can see in the photo below their garden is absolutely beautiful and showcases all the hard work which these guys put in. Such was their success that they have been invited to undertake a bigger garden next year. Both Bulldog and our parent company Rollins help to sponsor World Skills Events by funding tools and equipment for the team. Have a look at the pictures below:

BBC Gardeners World is up next as the summer shows continue!

Bulldog Sculpture

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We commissioned Steve Blaylock to make a sculpture for us for the Chelsea Flower Show. Here it is, proudly sitting atop one of our National Trust range of tools.

Steve also made the ship for the Blue Peter garden! You can learn more from the first video on this page from his website www.metalsculpture.co.uk.

Proud To Be Bulldog

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We're proud of the tools we make and the craftmanship that goes into them. If you'd like to come and see how solid forged tools are made, the date of our next tour is July 21st. If you're visiting the RHS Tatton Park show we are only 35 minutes away on the M6. Email fred@bulldogtools.co.uk to book a place.

'Growing World Class Talent' at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Fri, 21 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

To celebrate the talent and skills of young people across the nation, UK Skills are creating a garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower show. The garden, entitled 'Growing World Class Talent - Celebrating the Workforce of Tomorrow', is being created to promote excellence in vocational education and training. It will be judged in the 'Urban' category and will showcase the range of skills required to construct an outdoor space suitable for 21st century living.

Bulldog Tools are proud to be sponsoring this garden. We've given them a range of tools, such as forks and spades, to help them build it.

Below are a few photos of the build up.

We wish them every success with the garden and hope they get a medal!

National Trust Competition

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We are giving away 3 pairs of National Trust day passes to celebrate the launch of our new National Trust range of tools.

To enter, simply read the following and write the answer as a comment.

"Bulldog Tools, based in Wigan, has manufactured spades and forks of outstanding quality for 230 years.

Using skilled craftsman with generations of experience, Bulldog Tools has maintained its ability to create products to the highest standards.

The Bulldog Tools factory is the only full-time working forge still making spades and forks within the UK, producing over 200 garden and contractors’ tools every day. Bulldog Tools is very proud to be British.

Bulldog has worked with the National Trust to create a highly individual range of garden tools; with English style and English manufacturing, these are tools made to last."

Question: Where were the National Trust range of garden tools made?

Chelsea Flower Show 2010: Launching the new National Trust range of garden tools

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 12 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

At this years Chelsea Flower Show you can find us on Eastern Avenue. We'll be about half-way along it.

We will be using the show to launch our new range of National Trust garden tools! We're really looking forward to showing these to lots of new people and hope you'll come along to see them.

This year our stand will have a fresh new look. We've used natural materials to give it a clean, open feel, and of course, on show will be the same high quality Bulldog Tools as you've come to expect. Alan Titchmarsh fans will be able to see his range of garden tools '"by Bulldog".

Come and say hello to either Fred, Ed or myself who will be manning the show for the week.

Gardening in May, by Ken Crowther

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 05 May 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Now is the time to plant up beds, borders, hanging baskets and patio containers with tender bedding plants that will turn gardens into a riot of colour for summer. Watch the weather though for cold frosty nights that could damage these tender plants, and cover with fleece, or Peter Seabrook’s favourite was to use old net curtains.

When planting out bedding give the plants a thorough watering before planting. Try and choose plants for the right position in your garden. For a shady spot you can plant Busy Lizzies and fibrous rooted Begonias, they thrive without too much direct sun. So too will Pansies, Canterbury Bells, Lobelia and even Coleus. For a hot, sunny spot plant Geraniums, Petunias, Zinnia and Eschscholzia (Californian poppy) as they are much more tolerant of hot, dry conditions.

When planting its better if the soil is moist but never wet, so it ends up claggy. Lightly dig the hole with a trowel and firm down with the fingertips, and don’t push too hard as compressed soil is not what you want. Water well in, then leave for a couple of days for the roots to start looking for water, then when they start to grow you could add Miracle-Gro All Purpose Plant Food or other soluble plant food so you can feed and water at the same time. By applying the plant food over the leaves and around the roots you will quickly help the plant to get moving. The nutrients that are absorbed in the first few weeks will help the plants roots to establish quickly.

A little tip for those of you growing strawberries; water and feed them with a Soluble Plant Food just as the fruits are forming. This will supply extra nutrients for maximum fruit set. Then it’s time to slip some protection onto the soil surface so the berries aren’t splashed with mud whenever it rains. Traditionally this would be straw, but you may find this difficult to get hold of. Instead you can use modern fiyba or coir mulch mats that can be pushed under the plant. As straw and the mulch mats can provide ideal hiding places for slugs and snails, you need to sprinkle SlugClear Advanced pellets thinly over the complete area before you put them in place. If this is too much trouble for new gardeners, you can always plant up six strawberry plants in a Strawberry Planter. Placed on a sunny paved patio it is usually free from too many slug problems so you can usually forget the slug pellets. But wherever you grow strawberries you will need to protect the fruits from marauding birds. Out in the garden or on the patio, you will need to cover the crop with netting before the first fruit has turned colour. A cage is an important element to this protection as simply draping the net over the fruits is not enough to keep blackbirds from eating your berries for their breakfast and it's better you enjoy them than the birds!

The History of the Park Family

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

We've been in touch with Graham Park, the direct descendent of William Park who began the Forge back in 1780. It's been a delight to consider the different people who have been involved in the companies history over the years.

From WIlliam to Graham, the line of descendants is:

Wiliam Park, Jonathan Park, Henry Park, Sidney Park, Brian Park, Graham Park

Here are some more details:

William Park started off the Wigan Slitting Mill which was later to become Wm Park & Co. He was born 31st March 1757 and so started the business, in 1780, at the age of 23.
Jonathan Park was born in 1786.
Henry Park was born in 1827. He was the Mayor of Wigan from 1882 - 1886 and his picture, as Mayor, is below.
Henry Park died in 1890. This meant his son Sidney, born in 1876, had to run the business from the age of 17! He served the company for 49 years and a picture of him is below.
Brian Park was born in 1915. He and his brother Cyril were the last of the Park family to work at Clarington Forge.
Graham Park was born in 1946.

Here are the pictures:

Henry Park as Mayor

Sidney Park, from 1898

We really appreciate Graham's efforts in helping us get to know the Park family a little better.

The World's Biggest Spade at the Harrogate Flower Show

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

The world's biggest spade is currently at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show which runs from the 22nd to the 25th of April. It is open from 9.30am to 5.30pm on Thursday to Saturday, and 9.30am to 4.30pm on Sunday. Harrogate is in North Yorkshire in the UK and you can read more about the show at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show website.

If you take a fun photo of the spade and would like to see it on this blog, send it to along to us at fred@bulldogtools.co.uk.

Stop Press! The World's Biggest Spade may appear on tonight's Yorkshire Regional News Calendar on ITV at 6pm. It may also appear on their website: www.itv.com/yorkshire/

Quick Competition: Win a Spade

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A quick bonus competition!

Join our new Facebook page and you will be entered into a draw to win one of our limited edition 230th year anniversary spades (there are only 230 spades in total). Click here to join us on Facebook and enter the draw.

A Quick Round-Up

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Here's a quick round-up of items from around the web.

Capel Manor College
Our world record breaking spade is currently at Capel Manor College in Enfield, London. Here's their news article about it: 'Have your photo taken with the WORLD’S LARGEST SPADE!'

Allot of Old Rubbish?
The Fat Gardener recently wrote about two problems to do with the allocation of allotments: the rapid rate at which new owners fail, and the issue of who is given priority for available plots. Here's his blog post: Allot of Old Rubbish

How to Choose a Decent Spade
Elspeth of MyGardenSchool recently looked at the question of what to look for when you are buying a spade. To be as 'green' as possible, do you choose an old antique second-hand spade or do you buy a new one? It's a good question. If you choose to buy new then we think a spade that is solid-forged and built to last is the 'green' way forward. Buy Bulldog!

Blotanical
Just recently I was reading a blog by David Williams at www.greenseeds.org.uk regarding planting of potatoes. As we manufacture a special Potato fork with flat tines, specifically designed to prevent damage to the crop, I thought it appropriate to give David the chance to trial our fork - we will see what he thinks! David is just one of the people we have found through Blotanical, a website designed to bring together garden-based bloggers. It's an oasis in the huge and daunting world of the internet. If you have an interest in garden blogs then we heartily recommend Blotanical.

The Bulldog Ethos "sustainability at its best"

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Emma Kelly) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Many of our customers are dedicated to achieving an organic and sustainable garden. At Bulldog we share this enthusiasm and are dedicated to producing tools that result in the smallest impact on our environment. There are many steps we take to ensure the production of their tools is as environmentally friendly as possible. The most sustainable aspect of our product is the expectation that you are buying a tool for life. We believe that purchasing a tool that can be passed down to future generations is sustainability at its best.

From the sourcing of raw materials to a minimal use of packaging, there are many reasons why a Bulldog Tool is a "green" choice. Our tools are forged in the UK where factories are required to meet low carbon emission standards. You will find plastic in very few of our tools; we use steel and wood almost exclusively. Our wood handles are made from German and American Ash obtained from sustainable sources and any waste from the handle production is re-used by a local farm. The process used for forging the tool heads is designed to optimize use of raw materials and all steel waste is recycled.

At Bulldog we believe creating a tool that can last down the generations is one of the best ways you can support the enviroment and make the "greener" tool choice.

Easter Competition

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

This Easter you can win a set of Bulldog Tools worth £100!

We have three sets of tools available, and the first 100 entrants from the UK will win 5 packets of sunflower seeds each.

To enter, simply answer the following question:

What plant or tree best represents strength and durability, and why?

Put your answer in the comments below and we will choose our favourite three as winners. The closing date for the competition is April 23rd and we will announce the winners on April 26th.

If you are wondering what to do with your sunflower seeds, you might like to know that May 1st is International Sunflower Guerilla Gardening Day! This is an annual event designed to brighten up the urban landscape. We've donated 500 of our special anniversary seed packets to help them in their cause. To learn more, visit:

www.guerrillagardening.org/ggsunflower.html

Here they are on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=301535539424

And you can join us on Facebook here:

www.facebook.com/pages/Bulldog-Tools/190980934188

World's Biggest Spade at the Dutch Nursery Garden Centre

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Here's the world's biggest spade at the Dutch Nursery Garden Centre in Hatfield:

Alongside our spade is Richard Henn and his niece, Emily.

The spade will be on show at this garden centre until the 8th of April. They can be found 5 miles north of the M25 motorway, at:

The Great North Road
Brookmans Park
Hatfield
AL9 6ND
United Kingdom

They are also holding a separate exhibition of paintings, sketches and photographs from three local artists. To learn more, visit: www.dutchnurserygardencentre.co.uk

Competition Winners

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

As part of our 230th year anniversary we've produced a limited-edition, life-size version of our our world record spade. Each spade features its own individual numbered plaque, and like all our spades, is solid forged for strength.

We ran a recent competition in the Sun newspaper to give readers an opportunity to win one of these special spades. We were very pleased with the response - over 900 entries! Here are the lucky 25 winners:

R Atkins (Pontypridd), E Beer (Saltash), A Bucks (Aberdeen), C Bonnetti (York), J Claydon (Waltham Cross), N Coveney (Guildford), S Cowan (Luton), B Dinham (Port Talbot), D Fitzpatrick (Birmingham), L Godden (Brighton), C Hayward (Colchester), G Hayworth (Blackburn), M Hodgson ( Thornaby), J Jameson (Sunderland), J Johnson ( Cwmbran), S King (County Down), C Malone (Lincoln), S Marriott (Salisbury), J Patching (Doncaster), C Rapsey ( Redruth), J Simpson (Cirencester), D Snowdon (Preston), H Stables (Peterhead), K Webster ( Southport), A Worthington (Rugby).

If you would like to come and see how solid forged, top quality tools are manufactured we would be delighted to take you on a tour of our factory. You can also become a friend of Bulldog Tools on Facebook.

Addicted to Tools, by Cleve West

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Cleve West) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

This weeks post was written by Cleve West. Cleve has won five RHS Gold Medals, as well as the BBC/RHS People's Choice Award at the Chelsea Flower Show. You can read more about him at his website: www.clevewest.com

I wouldn’t describe myself as obsessive but when it comes to tools there may well be something going on that’s not altogether healthy.

A well-made spade carries as much fascination for me as the flower of Michelia yunnanensis just about to burst its furry-brown indumentum (that’s a hairy casement to you and me). The sensation of a pair of loppers comfortably slicing through a one-inch woody stem is as satisfying as the smell of freshly cut grass.

Old tools carry the fascination a stage further. Well made; well used; each with its own peculiar dent, nick or scratch, they carry the ghosts, not to mention the sweat, of previous owners. But antique implements don’t always approve of being brought out of retirement. Shafts and handles tend to be more brittle and have to be used with respect if they are to last. Some that I’ve bought are never used but stored with the idea that someday I will find a suitable wall on which to display them as icons of honest hard work.

A brand new tool is always a treat and it pays to buy the best you can afford. It’s very much a personal thing so I would never buy anyone tools as a present unless I knew exactly what they needed. A tool must feel part of you; an extension of your being. The weight, height and shape all have a bearing on how comfortable or annoying a tool will be. A well-chosen tool can last you a lifetime.

Most of my time visiting garden centres is spent looking at tools rather than plants. Just the other day I was looking at a post-hole digger knowing full well that I don’t have any post-holes to dig and have no plans for any in the future either for me or anyone else. But tools, like the Sirens of Greek mythology, know the art of seduction and whisper things like “Ah yes, but look at how efficient we are.” I nod to myself thinking “yes you are a fine piece of invention, why on earth did I struggle with a spade all those years of building gardens?”

The next thing I know I’m holding it, slightly annoyed that the blades are taped up and there isn’t a patch of earth for me to dig a perfect post-hole. I set them back on the stand and consider their form before walking away. It’s a bit wanting in the aesthetic department if we’re honest and I really don’t need a post-hole digger. But it’s not finished with me yet. “OK I’m not as beautiful as the onion hoe you have in your loo at home,” (how on earth does it know that?) “But I could make light work of fencing your allotment in and keeping out all those pesky rabbits.” I have it in my hands again. Beads of sweat are now forming on my forehead and my hands are quivering as I do my best to wrench myself away. I know I don’t need it and money could be better spent on a pair of loppers or extendable pruners. “You know you want me,” it says nonchalantly knowing full well it has the upper hand.

People are looking at me now as a low, resigned moan goes on for little longer than would be considered normal in A & E let alone a garden centre. I make a last, Herculean effort to wrench myself away. “The rabbits…remember the rabbits!!” it says panicking, “you lost half your crop of lettuce to them last summer, your carrots were a joke and this spring they’ll be multiplying like…well, rabbits. You need me!”

It has a point but at the same time it has told me exactly why I don’t need a post-hole digger. You see the rabbits live under my shed so in effect I’d be fencing them in. This is my chance. I make my way quickly to the exit, quietly pleased with this uncharacteristic measure of self-restraint but I’m stopped short of the door by another voice, this time the cashier. “So, er…shall I put that on your account then Mr West?”

I look at the post-hole digger in my hand with a mixture of contempt and unbridled joy. “Oh yes,” I say, meekly, “sorry about that…too much on my mind.” And I have. I’m thinking of my new toy, wooden posts, nails, chicken wire and how fencing the rabbits in and keeping them off other people’s plots is about as community-spirited as it gets at an allotment.

See? I needed it after all.

Memories of the old days

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0000

We recently swapped emails with a former employee of ours, Rick Fernay, who is now 89 years old. Here is the story of how he found us again, together with some recollections of his time with us.

I recently received an email from a relative in the Midlands containing a clipping which describes 'The world's biggest spade' manufactured by Bulldog Tools. I then spent a considerable time on your excellent website which brought back many memories of my time at Clarington Forge.

Even though it's 29 years since I left I still have many memories of the old days.

I started work at 14 years of age in 1935. One of my earliest memories relates to my first job as 'office boy'. Twice a day I had to load up a brief case and trek from Clarington Forge to head office in the Wiend, Wigan. Occasionally I would be instructed to call on the way back at the Pepper Mill in Darlington Street to pick up extremely heavy phosphor-bronze bushes etc Whenever possible I always tried to arrange my journeys to coincide with the times when the directors would be en route from Head Office, hopefully to be offered a lift! Eventually I was able to buy a pushbike for the journey which was great until it was stolen from outside the Wiend office. However the directors very kindly provided a free replacement.

Another of my tasks was to go across the road to pick up hot pies for the more senior staff members' lunches. One very wet day I dropped the whole lot in the middle of the road where they came in contact with a variety of foreign deposits, consisting mostly of that left by horses which were occasional road users in those days!

During the early days of my career 'on the road' as a sales rep I recall the first time I worked this local area. On calling at Popletts the ironmongers in Peacehaven I was confronted by a notice in the window which read 'WE SHOOT EVERY THIRD REP-THE SECOND ONE JUST LEFT'.

I also recall an endless journey home one Friday after staying in Portsmouth. I was en route to Barkingside in Essex where we then lived. Just as I entered the London area a typical 'pea-souper' fog descended reducing my speed to a crawl. Eventually I realised I was in the Elephant and Castle area of London and I continued to proceed in the direction of home (I thought!). Twice during the next couple of hours I found myself back at the Elephant before the fog finally cleared. So much for my powers of navigation!

I really did enjoy those days. Apart from the actual travelling around my area there were the visits to Wigan for the annual Reps' Conference and annual shows such as Hardware Trades Fair, Public Works Exhibition and various agricultural exhibitions.

Fortunately I didn't have to carry a sample of 'the world's biggest' around with me back then!!

I trust you'll keep the old firm going strong and I send my best wishes to you all.

Rick Fernay.

Bulldog Tools at the International Hardware Fair

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Our giant spade will soon be on show in Germany! We are exhibiting at the International Hardware Fair in Cologne (Koln) which is a gathering of hardware, hand tools and garden tool manufacturers from around the world. The show lasts from the 28th February until the 3rd March 2010 (the show is for trade buyers only).

The Cologne fair has been around for the last fifty years and we and the Rollins Groups of which we are a part have been exhibiting there since the show began. The fair attracts about 70,000 visitors and around 3,400 exhibitors from around the world.

We find the show is an excellent time to show our English-made tools to the world.

We will be exhibiting in one of the massive tool halls and you can find us at Hall 4.1 Stand C21. If you are at the show, come and visit our stand to see our full range of gardening and contractors tools.

Cologne is a wonderful city, built upon the banks of the Rhine around the massive ancient cathederal. The city is linked across the river by massive imposing railway bridges that also allows pedestrians to cross by foot. The exhibition centre is on the opposite side of the river from the cathedral. Don't forget to visit the chocolate museum while you are there!

Famous Fans: Monty Don

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Monty Don recently wrote an article for the Daily Mail called: The quest for a truly fulfilling life: As more and more of us search for richer lives, the result will be a kinder society.

He writes:

Once, we were a nation that made everything from buttons to ships - and we made them well. But now? Now, we make hardly anything. Politicians constantly point to the ready availability of anything we want that can be made somewhere in the world much cheaper than we can produce it. But there is a terrible price to pay for this. Losing our factories and tools is one thing - but losing the sense of self-worth that comes from doing something well yourself? How can you put a value on such a thing?

And then goes onto say:

I have a spade that was made for me at the Bulldog Tools foundry in Wigan on November 28, 1990. I remember the date so well not only because I was there, but also because it was the day Mrs Thatcher left Downing Street. I watched every aspect of its manufacture, from pouring the molten metal to the sanding of the handle. It took 58 steps, each one involving human skill. Twenty years later, I use my spade almost every day - and with age it only gets better. I have replaced its handle three times, but I wouldn't sell it for £1,000.

The spade he is talking about has a UK forged stainless steel blade that unfortunately we stopped making shortly after he visited our forge. But his comments have got us thinking. We've started to look into the viability of forging these kinds of heads again in the UK. Watch this space!

You can read the full article here.

Making The World's Biggest Spade

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

To be an exact replica and eligible for the Guinness book of records our record-breaking spade had to be made to the same design and from the same materials as our normal garden spades.

Here's how we did it.

The blade was made from a 6mm thick piece of sheet steel. After being laser cut to the right size, the giant blade was rolled in order to achieve the curve of the original. Making the shank that attaches the blade to the wooden handle was probably the most difficult part. Made from a single piece of steel it was machined using CNC machines to achieve the correct angle. Next, the handle was turned from a solid piece of ash by a company who normally turn large fence posts. Finally, the plastic handle was made from ABS plastic, using 3D sampling technology.

All the component parts were brought together at our factory in Wigan. The massive blade and shank were welded together in a difficult manoeuvre due to the sheer size of the parts. After welding the joint had to be ground and finished.

This left us with the question, "how do we paint something this large?!"

Despite weighing over 120kg the blade was mounted onto our powder coat conveyor belt in the same way as a conventional spade head. Because of it's size we had to apply the powder coat by hand spraying, but we were able to use the oven in the normal way. The handle was finished in our wood work department and stained in the normal manner.

The spade was assembled to create a spade with a total weight in excess of 180 kg and over 3.6m tall. The world's largest spade is just one of the ways we'll be celebrating our 230th anniversary. Keep checking back in for more!

The World's Largest Spade!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Bulldog Tools is proud to announce that we now have the Guinness World Record™ for the largest garden spade in the world! Here's a picture of it at our factory:

As our regular readers will know, this year is our 230th anniversary. We wanted to mark the event with something special and making the world's largest spade seemed just the job! The new record stands at 3.61 meters high (the same as one tall person standing on another tall person's shoulders) and weighs in at 180kg.

Made here in the UK, it required 160 hours to build and included every department at our factory in Wigan. The new record beats the previous by half a meter in height and has been verified by Guinness World Records™. Here's a video about it:

Fred Foot from Bulldog Tools says:

"This record marks 230 years of British manufacturing for Bulldog Tools. This is an achievement of which we are all very proud."

We will be taking the world's largest spade on tour around the UK and you'll be able to keep up to date with its progress on this blog. Next week we'll be talking about how we made it - be sure to check back in!

If you would like to come and see how solid forged, top quality tools are manufactured we would be delighted to take you on a tour of our factory. To keep in touch with us and the location of the world's largest spade you can become our friend on Facebook.

What is a Bulldog Tools lifetime guarantee?

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 00:00:00 +0000

All our Premier tools come with a lifetime guarantee. This means that they are designed to grow old gracefully, not snapping or bending just because they have a few years under their belt. If your Premier tool breaks through normal use we will happily replace it. Please note that this does not include tools that have been misused or modified.

To find a stockist in your area or to buy a Bulldog Tool online, click here.

Gardening in January, by Ken Crowther

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ken Crowther) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Let us hope now that the worst of the bad weather has passed and we can get on in the garden. In between the cold spells I have been helping plant trees with Vivienne my wife and friends, a mix of trees varying from just 15 inches to five feet high, and yes planted quite thickly so as they grow they can be thinned. We also fenced it to prevent wildlife making a meal of the trees as they try to develop. The next project is to add native bulbs and perhaps some wild flowers.

At this time of the year you should dig the area where you want to grow vegetables such as brassicas, broad beans, peas and runner beans, but only if the soil is not sodden or frozen solid. Whilst digging, why not add well-rotted manure from the bottom of your compost heap, or the matured results from a pile of stable manure. Or you may have to buy bags of organic matter derived from a combination of various sources. Any organic material dug into clay soil will improve drainage and structure to make digging easier and reduce the splits and cracks that often occur in hot, dry weather (just dreaming of those days ahead!). On sandy and chalky soils it will increase the water and nutrient holding capacity of the soil and reduce the tendency to dry out. Any soil improver can also be spread over the root area of existing plants such as roses, shrubs and fruit to reduce evaporation of moisture from the soil and to give the worms a good source of organic material to drag down to root level.

Don't walk on the grass while it is frozen or frosted. Crushing the frozen blades of grass results in a burn that turns brown and the footsteps will be visible for weeks. In mild spells you may want to cut the grass to keep the lawn looking trim, especially if we get mild spells. Don’t be tempted to cut the grass to it’s shortest summer setting, but leave it much longer to reduce any harmful effects from subsequent frosts. Trim the outer edges of the lawn into shape to provide a clear definition between lush green lawn and the surrounding flowerbed. Remember do not feed it yet, it’s too early.

You can still plant some fruit trees, bushes and canes to provide tasty apples, gooseberries, redcurrants, blackcurrants, strawberries and raspberries. If your family don’t appreciate the health promoting benefits of home grown fruit, then it’s time to educate them.

Last but not least clean up any green mould growth on the patio slabs, brickwork or walls with one simple treatment with Patio Magic! Just water or spray on during a dry spell – the active ingredient works for several weeks to give great control of mould, lichen and algae.

Bulldog Tools: The next 20 years

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

There have been monumental changes in the home over the last 230 years. We used to wash clothes with a tub and mangle. Now we use automatic washing machines. However, many gardening tools have hardly changed at all. In fact some have found new niches. An example is the rabbiting spade which was developed back in the 1700's to help dig out dogs or ferrets that got stuck down a burrow whilst hunting for rabbits. Nowadays the narrow and rounded shape of the blade makes it ideal for transplanting shrubs or plants.

As we look forward 20 years to our 250th anniversary, what do we think is in store? We think the demand for high quality, British made tools will continue to rise. We also think the increasing trend for people to grow their own food and towards greener living will also make Bulldog tools still more popular.

Eddie Stobart has many, we have one!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuary Elsom) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Eddie Stobart has a fleet of vehicles travelling up and down the country, delivering pallets and parcels nationwide. At Bulldog Tools we have just the one and to celebrate our 230th year we had it re-sprayed and liveried:

The cab crown with its Bulldog Head can be seen from a great distance. I'm sure you'll agree our lorry looks 'Top Dog.'

As you can see the back highlights our 2010 advertising campaign which urges people to reduce their carbon footprint by buying British:

Snow shovels

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Can you remember the last time we had snow like this? In one month we have sold more Bulldog snow shovels than we did in the last two years!

Whilst we build up stocks of our snow shovels again, we can heartily recommend our Evergreen shovel as a worthy replacement. It is solid forged and built to last. As with any shovel the sides of the blade are curved up allowing a great deal of snow to be scooped up on each lift. In addition the handle has a soft grip which helps when you are trying to push it along underneath the snow. A wide range of garden centres and websites stock this shovel. To see a list of our stockists, click here.

2010 is a very special year

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:00:00 +0000

It's our 230th anniversary! We have many celebrations instore and we hope you'll enjoy the fun. A local legend says our forge is built on the site of a monastery where the monks had their own forging process. History as we know it began when our factory was founded in 1780 by William & Henry Parkes. In fact, we've been producing high quality tools for so long now they can be in all sorts of places:

On Trains
In the York Railway Museum is one of our Fireman's Shovels. These had a narrow blade to allow the fireman to feed the boiler with coal.
On Submarines
You can see a Bulldog shovel being used to clear ice from the top of a US Navy submarine after it had broken through the Arctic ice on YouTube.
In a First World War Trench
An episode of "Time Team" uncovered a WW1 trench that had remained sealed for over 90 years. They found a Bulldog general service shovel as issued to the British army. Here they are on YouTube.
Used by Tony Robinson, aka 'Baldrick'
The Daily Mail recently included a picture of the presenters of 'Time Team'. In the picture, Tony Robinson (aka 'Baldrick') is leaning on a Bulldog spade. We can now say that we've done our bit to support British comedy.
Used by John Bercow, Speaker of the House
The Sunday Times recently showed a picture of the Speaker of the Houses of Commons, John Bercow, holding a Bulldog spade as he prepared to plant a tree outside of Stowe School.

If you see a Bulldog Tool in an unusual place, let us know! We'd love to hear about it.

If you would like to come and see how solid forged, top quality tools are manufactured we would be delighted to take you on a tour of our factory. You can also become a friend of Bulldog Tools on Facebook.

Christmas

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Christmas is a time for reflection and family. We would like to thank all our customers and blog readers for their support during this last year. We would also like to say thank you to all our staff who continue to do outstanding jobs. Being part of Wigan and its community is a continual source of pride for us.

One of our oldest colleagues passed away in December. Harry Wond, who was in his early 80's, drove our London delivery van and was known by most of our customers situated within the M25. He will be sadly missed.

Next year is our 230th year anniversary and we will be having a special celebration in the spring. We'd tell you to keep a special eye open for it, but it shouldn't be too hard to miss!

A snowy Wigan

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Like most of Britain we have had a bit of snow! Below is a photo of our factory in Wigan, with a dusting of the white stuff.

If you would like to come and see how solid forged, top quality tools are manufactured we would be delighted to show you around. Click here to learn more.

British tools: Come to our factory and see them being made!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Our Wigan-based forge is now the only one of it's kind in the UK, producing 2000 solid forged tools per day. If you would like to come and see how solid forged, top quality tools are manufactured we would be delighted to show you around. Here's a video to whet your appetite:

To reserve a place on one of our tours please email your details to Fred our tour manager at fred@rollins.co.uk. A typical tour will normally take approx three hours including introduction, tour and refreshments.

Our next two tours are on the 21st of July, the first at 10.30am and the second at 1.45 pm. There is a maximum of 12 people per session, so make sure you book early!

Quality Garden Tools Awards 2009

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

We are delighted to announce that we have won two supplier awards this December. Quality Garden Tools have a number of different awards for various categories, with the winners chosen being by their website blogger 'The Fat Gardener.'

Bulldog were proud winners of 'The Best Digging Tool Award' for our Shrubbery spade, which you can find at on our website by clicking here or on their website here.

We were also winners of 'The Best Cultivating Tool Awards' for our Evergreen compost fork, which you can find on our website by clicking here or on their website here.

To see all the awards visit the Quality Garden Tools Blog. Bulldog would like to thank 'The Fat Gardener' and Quality Garden Tools for the two awards.

Winter gardening

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ken Crowther) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

With winter here we need to think of presents, not just for Christmas but a living present, and what better than to plant something with a little perfume. Witch Hazel (Hamamelis), winter Honeysuckle (Lonicera ‘Winter Beauty’) and Daphne will add attractive fragrance to your winter border. Plant variegated shrubs such as Eleagnus, Osmanthus, Phormiums and Pieris which can create great colour in the borders with their highly attractive gold or silver-edged foliage.

Even the most boring gifts can be made totally individual and exciting with the addition of a packet of seeds. All you need to do is have the recipient’s garden in mind. If its jam-packed with plants then think along the lines of climbers such as Sweet Peas, Morning Glory (Ipomoea) or Black Eyed Susan Vine (Thunbergia). Everyone can find a piece of fence space for these lovelies to clamber up, or you could splash out with a clematis plant. Men will tend to prefer a packet of vegetable seeds and an unusual variety of runner bean or tomato should hit the spot. Yes, pop a packet of seeds inside those socks or in the pair of pyjamas or naughty nighty you are giving as presents, it will cause a laugh if nothing else.

Children will appreciate a complete kit rather than a simple packet of seeds. Choose one that includes some compost and a plant pot so they have everything they need to start growing immediately. For windowsill gardening try Geraniums, Bonsai trees and decorative ferns to give children hours of enjoyment and years of interest. So too will simple packets of vegetable seeds that can be sown in patio pots where they are to crop. If the child you have in mind has little growing experience, buy them carrots or courgettes as results are almost guaranteed. For the more experienced teenager perhaps sweet corn or climbing beans are more appropriate. Never rule out tools for the garden, all youngsters like to own their very own spade and fork don`t they.

Its amazing how much we spend on our feathered friends protecting and fattening them up with bird food, regular fresh water and nesting boxes. With the demise of natural populations of song birds around the country we can all do our bit to make gardens a safer haven for them all. Sprinkling seed onto a bird table is likely to encourage unwanted visitors such as wood pigeons, bullying magpies and hungry grey squirrels. That’s why double caged bird feeders make such good gifts. They allow easy access to the central core of seed or nuts for small songbirds such as robins, finches and sparrows, while the outer cage helps to keep out bigger birds and squirrels.

Providing clean fresh water for garden birds to drink and bathe in will not only improve their well-being, but it will also increase everyone’s enjoyment of their antics.

Looking back at 2009

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

2009 has been a year of mixed blessings. During the summer one of our main competitors ceased trading and so we bought the assets of the business. This has given our factory a new lease of life with additional woodworking lathes, racking for storage, machinery and packaging. We also had to put our workers onto short time due to the downturn in world trade, but as we are seeing a resurgence of interest in top quality, British made products we are pleased to say that we hope to return to full time working in the new year.

Looking forward to 2010 we will be launching a range of garden tools for the National Trust. A selective range of "old feel" tools like the ones that your father or grandfather kept in his shed. It is a real honour that the National Trust, who are known to look after the treasures and heritage of England should choose to work with the Bulldog factory.

2010 is also a special anniversary, we shall be 230 years old! To celebrate this marvellous milestone we'll be unveiling a special memento in early January. It's currently 'Top Secret' but we'll be sure to tell you all about it when the time comes!

Autumn is here, by Ken Crowther

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ken Crowther) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Shorter days, cold nights and regular falls of colourful leaves herald the start of Autumn. It’s time to tidy up, prepare for winter and finish off planting new roses, shrubs and trees. But don’t be depressed because Autumn gives us some fantastic colours; from the large shrub Rhus through to Acers, Colchicum or Autumn Crocus`s with their attractive purple flowers and those gorgeous Cyclamen nestling in shady places.

There are bulbs to plant, winter Pansies and Polyanthus, the displays in your local garden centre can be enough to prompt you into action. It will soon be time to dig up Dahlia tubers after the first frost has blackened the leaves. First take time to wash the tubers carefully to remove the earth between the fingers. Then leave them for a few days upside down in a shed to allow the stem to drain and the tubers to thoroughly dry. For maximum protection dust the tubers with yellow sulphur before storing in several layers of dry newspaper in a cardboard box, and keep frost-free.

Gladioli corms should also be dug up and stored in a frost-free place to protect them from “average” winters that freeze the ground for several days. Again cut off flowering stems close to the corm and allow to dry for a week or so. You could then wrap them in newspaper or hang in an old onion bag, again, somewhere frost-free.

For the earliest Sweet-pea flowers next summer, sow seeds this Autumn to give them all a head start. Individual seeds sown one per cell, or even use old toilet roll centres filled with compost will give great results. Store them in an unheated greenhouse or frame and remember to pinch out the tops as soon as they have produced three or four true leaves.

If you have already fed your lawn with an appropriate Autumn feed such as EverGreen Autumn it’s now time to improve drainage and repair bumps, hollows and bare patches. Drainage should be improved each Autumn with an overall spiking of the surface. If your soil is fairly light then use a garden fork to drive holes into the surface about 10 cm (4in) deep. On heavy clay soils, and where the lawn gets a lot of traffic, you would be better to use a hollow tine fork that removes plugs of soil. Simply push the special fork into the lawn and then sweep up the plugs. The resulting air channels then provide much better drainage and aeration, especially if you sweep in a ‘top dressing’ of Lawn Soil mixed 50:50 with sharp sand.

After a time lawns start to look thin and show bare earth between the individual grass plants. This indicates that you need to sow some new grass over the whole area to thicken up the turf and provide fresh young grass that will enliven the whole look of the lawn. First check on the height of cut of your mower as scalping the grass will gradually weaken it over time.See that the grass is being left to a height of at least 2cm (1in) during the Autumn and Spring so that existing grass has the energy to recuperate. Now you need to feed and reseed the whole area. Simply rake the soil to roughen up the compacted surface and use an all purpose grass seed, which will work wonders really quickly.

Cut the edges of the lawn with a half-moon edger to give a sharp definition between the great expanse of lush green lawn and the replanted flower borders that surround it.

Last but not least my second book a novel about two young lads on a holiday in Southern France in the 60`s is out now. ‘Two Weeks in Nice’ is published by Pegasus costing £8.99 and available from www.pegasuspublishers.com

Looking forward to Spring

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Despite the cold weather, November is the time to get the garden ready for the new year by planting spring bulbs.

When choosing bulbs avoid any that are damaged or feel soft. Instead select firm and plump bulbs as these will give the best flowers. After you buy them it is important to get them into the ground as soon as possible to prevent them from sprouting (use a cool dry dark place if you need to store them for a period). Bulldog make a transplanting trowel that despite its name, it is fantastic for planting bulbs due to its thin blade.

If you are looking for bright colours, you cannot go wrong with traditional bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. There are many different varieties to choose from and a good mix is sure to make your garden look good in the spring. Another favourite for the spring are crocuses. These bright flowers can be planted in lawns to give a more 'natural' look. To do this, scatter bulbs around a tree where it is moist and damp and plant the bulbs where they land. Once they begin to sprout, do not mow but instead leave it long for a lovely result.

When planting, ensure that the bulbs are planted at least 2 or 3 times the depth of the bulbs and roughly 3 bulbs apart with the tapering part of the bulb facing upwards. Replace the soil ensuring that any big clumps of soil are broken down. If you have a problem with squirrels or other rodents it might be a wise idea to cover the bulb area with chicken wire or similar, to prevent them from destroying all your hard work.

If you have a large area to plant you may be interested in the Bulldog Bulb Planter. This special tool is solid forged from a single piece of steel and attached to a long shaft. This allows you to quickly and easily plant a large number of bulbs. This tool is very popular with councils who, as you can imagine, have a large number of daffodils to plant in time for spring!

And as the trees begin to drop, don't forget that Bulldog also produce a lawn rake. This lightweight rake is fantastic for taking the leaves off your lawn and your beds. Have a look at our rakes section for other alternatives.

Have a good week!

Land Rover: You can go fast, I can go anywhere!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 00:00:00 +0100

"You can go fast, I can go anywhere" is one of the window stickers you can see on the back of many Land Rovers around the country. Whereas the Land Rover is not the quickest car upon the road, the chances are that it can go just about anywhere leaving your standard road car stuck on a grass verge!

At Bulldog we take you a similar approach. Our tools are well built and functional. They do the job for which they are designed. You can buy spades with shiny blades and snazzy forward tilting shock resistant handles...but put them under a tough root and there is a good chance they will bend or break!

Bulldog Tools: Built to get the job done!

Land Rover - Built to Last

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

In last weeks blog we wrote about the similarity between the great British marque that is Land Rover and our own brand of Bulldog tools. It is a well known fact that a very high percentage of all the Land Rovers ever built are still on the road today. The figure is more than 50%. This brought us to compare Bulldog Tools in the same light. If you buy a Bulldog shovel or fork it is normally for life, or at least a very long time. How else is Bulldog like Land Rover?

One way that springs readily to mind is the way in which many Land Rover enthusiasts customize their cars to their own specific requirements. Soft tops, winches, split windscreens, snorkels for off-roading through water, the list goes on! They have taken the brand and made it their own. Indeed, when we show at exhibitions such as Saltex or the RHS, Bulldog enthusiasts will take the time to tell us about their customisations.

Landscapers are one group of people who regularly modify our tools to suit their needs. The most popular tool for customisation is our narrow trenching spade. A six foot piece of steel tube is welded in place of the steel shaft. This turns the spade into an excellent post hole digger. The weight of the pole helps to make the tool even more effective when digging into heavy soil or clay.

Our Trenchmaster is a direct result from listening to our customers conversion stories. By trimming down their shovel blades, they made a tool ideal for both digging and shovelling. This was such a popular customisation that we decided to save them the bother by making it ourselves!

A Brighter Future for British Manufacturing

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Wow! What an incredible time we have had at GLEE this week. The show was smaller than in previous years, but this resulted in a higher standard of exhibitor. We saw a huge increase in interest from buyers wanting to purchase a better quality range of garden tools. At Bulldog Tools we were able to help. The launch of our "Bulldog Green" collections helped to focus the garden centre buyers to the best selling tools in our extensive range.

With the message now appearing to get through to the garden centre buyers that gardeners and landscapers alike are looking for better quality tools that are durable and by design "greener" due to the fact that they last so much longer.

It is believed that the Land Rover is in fact one of the greenest cars on the road! Not because of their fuel consumption, but by the fact that over 60% of the Land Rovers ever built are still on the road. At Bulldog we like to think that our tools are of a similar durability. You only have to buy a Bulldog once: Not every season!

At Bulldog we are looking forward to a brighter, greener future. Bulldog Tools, the last forge of it's kind in England!

GLEE is Coming

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarrington) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Next week sees the start of the GLEE trade show at the NEC in Birmingham. GLEE is one of the main trade exhibitions for the garden and leisure industry in the UK.

As in previous years we will be exhibiting in our own right as the last forge of it's kind still manufacturing our British made garden tools in this country. Over the last five years we have seen the Bulldog brand climbing back towards it's rightful position in the gardening tool market.

This years exhibition will see Bulldog launching the "Bulldog Green Collection". A selection of slightly unusual tools for which we have had a high level of interest and sales at the various RHS flower shows that we attend. We are hoping to pass on to the garden centre owners our experience of what sells and what is popular in the Bulldog range.

The Bulldog Green Collection is made up of four small ranges of tools, all of which are "special and different" in their own way. We are hoping to show the garden centres that there is a demand for more unusual tools rather than the run of the mill spade and fork set.

One example of a tool in our new collection is the Tree planting spade. This isn't a tool you see very often at garden centres, but we've found it's a very popular item at the Chelsea flower show.

GLEE is not open to the public, but if you are visiting the show, please come and visit our stand situated in Hall 5. We look forward to showing you around!

Bulldog - Still Manufacturing in Wigan, England

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Stuart Elsom ( Marketing Director)) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Rollins Bulldog Tools Ltd, are the last remaining factory in the UK still solid forging spades and forks. We are pleased to announce that we have been able to return to normal production at our factory in Wigan, England, where we employ over 60 highly trained staff.

At Bulldog we pride ourselves in the fact that we are the ONLY factory still solid forging forks and spades in the UK. We make the complete tool on the Wigan site, from raw material to finished product.

We are so proud of our heritage that we would like to offer an “open invitation” to anyone who would like to see first hand our manufacturing facility at Wigan. Alternatively you can take a virtual tour on this site.

The year 2010 will see the Bulldog factory celebrating 230 years of manufacture on the same site! We will be celebrating this achievement with an unusual challenge on an existing “Guinness World Record”. We will of course keep you informed.

In the current climate we wanted to share this positive news as we look forward to a more positive future for British Manufacturing in which Bulldog can play it’s part.

For more information or to arrange a visit to see our forge facility please contact:

Stuart Elsom
Marketing Director
Rollins Bulldog Tools Ltd
Rollins House,
1 Parkway, Harlow Business Park
Harlow, Essex. CM19 5QF

stuart@rollins.co.uk
01279 401571 (T)
01279 401580 (F)

Alan Titchmarsh shows us how its done...

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

After the launch of our Alan Titchmarsh range last year, we have continued to put together a package for both the retailer and the customer so that they can see the products in action. We are now delighted to have a range of videos with Alan himself showing the tools in action. If you were lucky enough to see us at Gardeners World Live you may have seen the screen with Alan in action, if not check out a couple of the videos below. If you would like to add the Alan Titchmarsh video content to your site, please contact ed@rollins.co.uk for more information.

Alan Titchmarsh

Traditional English Solid Forged Range

Bypass and Ratchet Secateurs

Representing Britain with Bulldog Tools

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Luke Denby) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Hi all this is my first post into the blog, so I thought I would start with an introduction to who I am and what I do. Firstly my name is Luke Denby, 18 years old and from Skipton, North Yorkshire.

It all started last year around April. I and a fellow student at Craven College were to compete in a landscape garden competition against a rival college. The plans came through and we had begun to practise, after winning this competition we were then put through to the national heat against three other colleges at the IOG show at SALTEX in London.

For 22hours each college fought for the 1st place position and after the tiring 4days we finished with Bronze, all was not finished with just yet! The training manager for Landscaping at WorldSkills asked us to come along to a few training sessions.

What is WorldSkills your may be wondering? ‘Every two years, over 900 of the best young professionals from trades, service and vocational programs around the world gather to showcase their talents and abilities. This thrilling, high-performance, four day WorldSkills Competition is the biggest event of its kind in the world.

WorldSkills was established in 1953. Today it is made up of 49 Member Countries/Regions worldwide. Participants compete for gold, silver and bronze medals – striving to set world-class standards in over 40 skill categories ranging from cabinetmaking to web design’.

After a trip to Brathay, Ambleside and a trip to Askham Bryan College, York, the eight selected members including me went down to London to compete in a selection process at the EXCEL event.
After been put through our paces and another tiring 4days we were then seated in front of a panel, including members from UKSKILLS. Five of the eight were chosen for the UK SQUAD and sent to Slough, where we meet up with other selected squad members from other skills.

Where the fun starts!

After been selected for the team and an introduction to what may happen over the next year. I then left London for the long drag back up to Yorkshire!

A few weeks later I received info from my training manager about the dates of our training sessions to progress us further and with an understanding to what will be needed to make us world class competitors. I knew I would then need some tools for practising with, and this is where Bulldog came into play; I had used their tools before and been on a tour of the forge with college so I sent an email asking for sponsorship. With the company being connected to Rollins Group I would also be able to ask for the other specialist equipment such as AMI levels, Marshalltown Trowels, Estwing hammers etc. Bulldog were very excited and sponsorship was granted. I knew with tools supplied by Bulldog, I would be able to strive above my competitors, due to the quality and passion which flows through the Business.

January 2009, Training Starts

Well it finally came! The first date for training although my tools had not arrived, what a week it was. The start was slow as it had been a while since November but Tuesday morning showed all five of us were back in business.
The first part of the week concentrated on two jobs so i was split into a team with Grant (squad member), we were to construct a timber Pergola with cedar roofing boards. Work went well and the day quickly went.

Wednesday included us swapping with the other group, we set on with a mitred brick pattern in a 1.5X1.5m square to test our cutting skills. We had finished by dinner so in the afternoon it was onto, setting out of a complex curved path.

Thursday + Friday Competition time! Placed into groups of 2 we set on with the garden, I was to build the wall, pond and lay the turf. The wall had a ‘lunky’ type stone for water to pass through the wall and create a feature to the garden. The pond was created from large slabs of limestone rock and filled with pebbles and other small rocks, as an eye catching point I decided on my break to go find small moss to put around the wall to give it some age.

Turf was cut into and around the exposed rock and also had a gentle curve connecting the wall to the pond and patio which Simon my team spent doing.

February, Training Continues

Another week spent at Askham Bryan College, York. Base-camp for landscaping. The weather is becoming warmer and so is the nearing of Team selection in June and the news of a trip to Norway in April for a competition against the Swedish and Norwegian teams!

My tools had also arrived, so this month so ‘jobs a good’en’ already, this week we had a specialist dry-stone walling coming to teach us. Although I have experience in walling it was good to see the master teach me useful tips and see what I could improve on. As the week progressed we had learnt how to wall limestone and sandstone to completely different stones the sun was beaming, so out with the Marshalltown cap, thanks guys its working a treat! The tools are also becoming very handy now surprising how often I’ve used them this week even when walling.

Friday came round quickly and a small competition was held, we were to construct a wall to the best of our abilities taken into account, height, batter, courses of stone, and strength.

For each competition there is a winning and the name of the winner is put onto a shield and this week it was my name! So all went well, really good month training for March starts on the 23rd and includes 2weeks as more training is needed for Norway in April.

All for now folks

Manufacturing an Ash YD Handle

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

At our Clarington Forge site we not only manufacture solid forged spades and forks, but also manufacture a variety of handles for our tools and other tool companies. The range of handles we produce is vast, as different tools require different handles. For the majority of our Premier Range, we use an Ash YD handle. The Ash we use is from sustainable sources in either Germany or the USA.

The manufacturing process for an Ash YD handle is as follows and is shown in the video below:-

The Timber is chosen for the straightness of grain, only A grade timber can be used for YD handles, anything else will split or snap.
The timber is then sawn to the length required, and turned to the correct diameter.
It is then sawn down the centre, forming the beginning of the handle.
The sawn end is then steamed to the correct temperature.
Once at the correct temperature we split the wood on a pneumatic press. It pushes the timber into a cast iron mold, forming the split part of the handle.
The timber is then dried for 3 weeks.
After drying, sanding takes place. The inside of the handle is sanded first, then work begins on the length of the shaft. This takes some skill, the wood shop team use a waxed glove to 'spin' the wood on the sanding belt, this makes sure the handle is sanded equally along the length of the shaft.
Holes are then drilled, and the handle put in place, it is the riveted. We also rivet just below the split in the wood, this makes sure that the timber cannot split further down the grain.
The handle is then ready for final sanding, before sanding and varnishing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PiijDGOhhM

Ratcheting Up The Interest

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Bulldog team have just finished the Hampton Court Flower Show. Despite the intermitant and very heavy rain, we had a successful show. Our position, to the north of the long water was perfect, with easy access to the grow your own tent which sold the most delicious home made Blueberry cookies!

It is wonderful to attend these garden shows. Not only does it allow us to show off the extensive range of unusual tools that Bulldog makes at our Wigan factory, but also, we get the chance to demonstrate many of the tools as well.

One of the best tools to demo has got to be the Ratchet Secateurs. At a retail price of just over £12.00 (inc. VAT) this tool is exceptional value for money! The ratchet action allows anyone with a weaker hand to cut through branches up to 20mm thick. It is the demonstration that always sells the tool as you can see how easily the ratchet helps the cutting edge to make it's way through the material. Cut once, then release....the ratchet will then let you cut again. Repeat this action as many times as you need to cut through the wood.

So next time you consider buying a new cutting tool, remember that at Bulldog we don't just sell the strongest solid forged tools, we also sell great quality cutting tools....and they are innovative as well!

See you at Tatton Park, Cheshire next week.

Hampton Court Flower Show

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

We are only a few days away from RHS Hampton Court 2009. Hampton Court show is regarded as one of the best flower shows of the year. There is always such a good mix of gardens and stalls, as well as the entertainment from the brass band. If the weather is anything like this week, I'm sure it'll be a great success, especially for the ice cream vans! This is what the Rhs say about this year's show "Gardening’s best gets down to earth at this year's show, so be ready to make the most of your garden. There’ll be ideas on how you can grow your own, enjoy healthy outdoor living and much, much more. With something for everyone this summer, join us for a day of home-grown fun the whole family can get stuck into – and don’t forget kids go free!"

Bulldog Tools are showing on two stands this year. On the Bulldog stand we will be showing the Premier and Pedigree ranges. Our Titchmarsh range is being shown by a customer of ours, Garden Images. We hope that this gives all of our customers the choice that they need to choose the right tool for the job.

For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk/whatson/shows/hamptoncourt2009/ or send me an email at blog@bulldogtools.co.uk.

Hope to see you all there!

In other news, thank you all for your entries to the BBC Gardeners World Competition, stay tuned for Hampton Court's Competition next week.

Congratulations to Luke Denby

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Bulldog Toosl and our parent company have been sponsoring Luke Denby, a student at Craven College in Skipton. We have been sponsoring both the college and Luke this year providing them with the tools they need to train up young landscapers for the future. I am delighted to inform you that Luke Denby has now progressed to the finals of the World Skills 2009 in Canada. Below is the press release from his recent success. Stay tuned for future and archive blogs on his progress!

Congratulations to Luke Denby

Congratulations go to Luke Denby, 18 from Craven College in Skipton for being selected to represent the United Kingdom in the Landscape Gardening competition at World Skills 2009. Luke who is from Skipton will team up with William Gadd 21, from Bury St. Edmonds (Country Life Landscapes and Otley College).

World Skills is held every two years and this year is to be hosted by the Canadian city of Calgary, starting on 1st September. The event is often likened to a ‘Skills Olympics’ and when event comes to London in 2011 the profile of World Skills in this country is likely to get a massive boost.

The 26 final team places covering 25 disciplines were announced by Simon Bartley, chief executive of UK Skills at a packed House of Lords event on 30th June. Landscape Gardening is one of 45 competitions in which over 1000 competitors (all under 23) from 51 countries will compete. Other competitions at World Skills include Floristry, Carpentry, Bricklaying, Electronics and Hairdressing.

At the squad announcement Simon Bartley told the assembled dignitaries and team members, "WorldSkills is a beacon of aspiration, we can be the best in the world, we must not loose sight of the investment and life changing opportunities. Despite challenges, of which there will be many, we must get behind the team and competition and celebrate going to Canada."

Guest speaker James Cracknell OBE, the double Olympic gold medallist and TV adventurer, told the audience "luck is something that you earn ... good things happen to people who deserve it".

Luke’s journey to Canada began back in June 2008 when he competed in and won the regional heats of the UK Skills Landscape Gardening competition at Askham Bryan College along with fellow Craven College students, Andy Brier and Polly Throup. Luke and Andy subsequently competed in the national final of UK Skills in September 2008, a competition in which they came a credible third.

Both Andy and Luke were among 12 young landscapers asked to attend a selection competition from which five or six were invited to train for possible selection onto the UK squad. Luke was selected and since Christmas has spent several months training at the World Skills landscape training centre at Askham Bryan College. In addition to learning new skills, Luke has also built show gardens at the Malvern Show, BBC Gardener’s World Live and a Scandinavian competition held in Norway. At World Skills in Canada Luke and William will have to build their show garden in 22 hours over 4 days, part of their final preparation will be to practice building the garden at the forth-coming RHS Show at Tatton Park.

Michael Myers, Horticulture Co-ordinator at Craven College said he was extremely proud of Luke’s achievement and wished him luck in Canada. Luke began his horticulture career at Craven College on the 1st Diploma in Horticulture and progressed onto the National Diploma in Horticulture. Prior to the World Skills event Luke had been considering a degree course after his current studies but may need to reconsider if successful in Canada. Whilst at Craven College Luke gained valuable work experience working for local landscaping firm, Roderick French Groundworks and it quickly became apparent that he was a skilful and highly competent worker. Luke has received a generous donation of tools from Rollins/Bulldog tools to enable him to practice techniques with tools he is familiar with. Bulldog have also supported Craven College in their successful UK Skills and Harrogate Flower Show competitions.

Updating The Site

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

As regular visitors may now be aware, we are in the process of updating our website in order to make it easier to navigate. We are cleaning up the site categories as well as updating some product names!

Please bear with us whilst we undertake these changes...

Forging A Spade

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 +0100

We are delighted to bring you an updated version of our factory tour video. This is the first part of a series of videos that show the different stages of manufacture at Clarington Forge. This video focuses on forging a Junior Spade, stay tuned for other videos of the different processes which go on at Clarington Forge, Wigan, England.

Forging a Spade

Chelsea Flower Show Success

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

Thank you to all of the Chelsea visitors that took time to call upon our stand during Chelsea Flower Show 2009. It was a massive success for Bulldog Tools, with an increase of 30% over the previous year. What a delight it was to talk with all of the garden enthusiasts that use the Bulldog brand, or were only discovering the brand for the first time.

What struck the team us most was the enthusiasm by our visitors for the fact that Bulldog tools are still made here in Wigan, England. Quality was also a big talking point. It was good to hear that many members of the public are tired with buying poor quality tools. Instead they want tools that will last "a lifetime".

One woman in particular took time to tell us the story of her own particular Bulldog spade that had been handed down to her by her grandfather. We worked out that the tool was probably in excess of 100 years old and still being used in the garden to this day!

As always our ratchet secateurs, mini pruning set and topiary shears were a massive success. However this year we saw a big increase in the number of spades and forks purchased. One of our best sellers was the Bulldog Hedging Spear. This is one of our favourites and always is a success at the flower shows. Its narrow blade makes it perfect for planting and transplanting, as well as digging in smaller spaces.

It was a brilliant week, the weather was kind to us and we feel encouraged that the Bulldog brand is growing once again in the mind of the consumer-gardener to be recognised for the quality brand that it is.

Thankyou to all of our visitors, we look forward to seeing you again at BBC Gardeners World, at the NEC in June.

How Big Is Our Carbon Footprint (Pawprint)?

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sat, 09 May 2009 00:00:00 +0100

At Bulldog we are very aware of the need to try and reduce the amount of energy that we use during our manufacturing process. We make every effort to reduce the amount of gas that we need in order to forge the heads of our spades and forks, indeed we are currently looking at the possibilities of induction heating.

Induction heating uses electricity to create a magnetic field around the item to be heated. The magnetic field aggrevates the molecules in the steel, creating heat within the item within a matter of seconds. Investment in such technology is not cheap! As a British manufacturer we get very little help in investment for such technology, but there are loans available from the Carbon Trust. We will be applying to see if we can obtain any assistance. We will keep you updated on how things progress.

A recent survey of our site at Wigan, England, showed that we generate approx 1600 tons of carbon emmissions during the year in the process of manufacturing. This has now allowed us to understand our energy footprint and address the issues of trying to reduce our emmissions.

A recent internal survey has shown that by manufacturing in the UK for the UK market, each of our forged tools produces over 40% less carbon than a similar tool imported from China. The fact that we do not have to ship our product over 10,000km as many of our competitors do allows us to make tmassive saving.

Our saving by manufacturing in Britain is over 1100 tons of carbon: equivalent to a seasons mowing for 300,000 petrol lawn mowers!

We will continue to try and reduce our energy use in the coming years and will keep you informed of our progress. One thing we can promise you is that we will continue to manufacture here in the UK.

At Last I Get The Point!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The weather this weekend was so wonderful that I spent most of the day in the garden this Saturday.

I have cut a new bed just recently of about one metre by four. I took the opportunity to visit my local garden centre and they were a real help in assisting my plant purchase. I came away from the nursery having spent quite a large sum on plants that would be suitable for a sunny, south facing border. Now to plant them out!

The ground where the new bed is situated is on the site of an old green house, so you would have thought the soil would be well fed, but unfortunatley it is full of glass and rubble from where the green house was demolished by the previous owner. Time therefore to try and put some life back into the ground!

I am lucky enough to have a double compost heap, so there was plenty of material to put onto the bed. In the past I have used a conventional fork to dig out the compost, but found it a hard job, it is never easy to dig into the compost heap........bring on the Bulldog Evergreen Compost fork.

They say that there is always a tool for the job, you have just got to find it. Well find it I have! This tool is nothing short of brilliant for digging compost. The tines are just the right width to stop the material from falling through, plus they are machined to a fine point, making it easy to push into the compost without catching on the various roots and rotting material that is to be found in a compost heap. With a light tubular constrction and "T" handle the discovery of the compost fork is a revelation! In the future I will always try and find the right tool for the job. I will keep you posted of my findings.

If you'd like to see it action, check out this video posted by a customer the other side of the world!

The Chelsea Flower Show, Coming Soon!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

The Chelsea Flower Show is coming! As the last forge of it's kind in Britain, it is important that the Bulldog factory is represented at the world's most prestigeous flower show, proving that in Britain we can still make some of the best quality tools in the world today.

If you are sponsoring or building a garden at Chelsea work starts months in advance. For companies such as Bulldog Tools, there is still plenty of planning and preperation work, from the layout of the stand to the stock that we take with us.

The design of the stand is important, as we need to make sure that the display is not only functional, but also attractive to visitors. We try to use flowers and bushes on our stand that are in season and keep to our corporate colours of yellow and green for the floral designs.

Over the four years we have attended Chelsea, we have come to understand the tools that our customers want to see. The unusual tools that one does not normally come across in a garden centre. Tools such as our Hedge Planting Spear, Rabbiting Spade, West Country Shovel and "Wizard" rubber rake are always favourites with the gardeners that visit our stand.

Although the hours are long, from 8 o'clock in the morning to eight at night, Chelsea is an opportunity to meet the gardeners who use our tools and very often support the factory by buying our English made, solid forged tools throughout the year at their local garden centre. If you are visiting Chelsea Flower show this year please come and say hello. We are situated on Eastern Avenue, about half way up on the left hand side. Alternativley, we will also be at Hampton Court and Tatton Park in July, plus the BBC's Gardeners World Live show at the NEC in June. See you there!

What's In a Name?

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

It is amazing what a difference a name makes! Put www.bulldogtools.com into your search engine and you will find a family run business in Lewisburg, Ohio, USA . This company makes component parts for false limbs. Alternatively if you choose to visit www.bulldogtools.net you will find a company that manufactures farrier's tools. From hoof knives through to wooden shafted hammers. Owned by Butch Hockaday, this organisation has been making tools in Virginia, USA since 2004.

It just goes to show that the Bulldog name is alive and well in many different areas of industry. Interestingly the two examples we have found both manufacture their own tool ranges, just as we do at our forge in Wigan, England. The only real difference is the length of time that we have been producing. In reality , since the United States of America was less than five years old, back in 1780.

I can remember visiting the United States of America in 1976, with my parents. The year that the USA celebrated 200 years of independance from Britain. An enduring memory for me was watching the re-inactment of the battles against the Britsh army, fought using flint muskets, cannon ball firing field guns and soldiers on horse back! How the world has changed since the 4th July 1776, yet we are still making Bulldog tools in more or less the same manner and to the same high quality as we did over 200 years ago.

So, what is in a name? With a web address it is really just the difference of a suffix that can lead you to so many different organisations with one common name. We will keep looking for other "Bulldog" related sites and keep you up to date with our findings.

How Green Is Your Garden?

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

We all like to think that we are doing our bit for the enviroment. Composting the grass cuttings, using the brown bin that the council provides, and re-using those plastic pots that we have to buy every time we put a new shrub into the garden.

Do you ever give any thought as to where the tools you are using actually come from? At Bulldog tools 100% of our solid forged tools are made here in the UK. We burn gas in order to heat the steel, but we do not have to ship our tools half way around the world in order to get them to you!

As gardeners we should give thought as to where our tools come from and how they are made. All of the timber that we use to make our handles comes from renewable sources, either FSC from Germany or from the USA. In both cases we use best quality Ash. A resource that is farmed and sustainable.

We should also give thought to the environmental effect of buying cheap. Not only do the tools have to travel thousands of miles to reach your local garden centre, but quite often they do not last very long either! Hit the first tree root and the spade or fork can bend or break. A cost not only to your pocket , but also to the enviroment to make a replacement!

At Bulldog we pride ourselves that our Premier Solid Forged Range comes with a lifetime guarantee against faulty workmanship*. Buy a Bulldog spade or fork once and it should last you a life time. Though Bulldog tools cost a little more, they are likely to last a lot longer making them far better value in the long term.

As we start gardening this summer please give some thought, not just to the sustainability of your garden, but also the tools you use to keep it looking so good. Happy gardening!

* For the lifetime of the tool, not the user. All of our spades and forks far exceed the requirements needed to reach the relevant British Standards.

My Garden Edger & The Start of The Season

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 00:00:00 +0100

This weekend the weather has been delightful. At once point in the afternoon I believe the temperature got into the early 70's. I love working in the garden at this time of the year , it is a preiod when plants and shrubs are coming back to life, but there is still a bit of tidying up to do.

So, having cut the grass into nice green stripes it is time to re-shape the edges and redefine the lawn from the flower bed.

For this job I use my Bulldog solid forged edging knife. The version that we make at Bulldog is probably one of the only forged edgers available on the market. The strength of the head means that you can not bend the shaft as you cut into the sometimes solid lawn. There is nothing more frustrating than to use a tool that bends as you try to apply preassure to the task!

With a "T" grip handle, the design is ideal for rocking to get that perfect edge. A job that only needs to be done once or twice a year, but is incredibly satisfying, especially when using a Bulldog solid forged edging knife. For more information on the Edger look at Part number 5680083210 on this web site. Have a great Easter weekend, I hope the weather stays kind and allows us a chance to get back into the garden again.

The Ace of Spades

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Albert Hall in London is probably one of the finest venues in Britain, if not the world for music and entertainment. Last night we attended a charity event in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. To learn more about this worthwhile cause please visit www.teenagecancertrust.org. Topping the bill for the night were the Stereophonics www.stereophonics.com who entertained the full house with over two hours of brilliant music. As you know we are always thinking about the Bulldog factory, the Last forge of it's kind in Britain! During one of the songs I heard the words "The Ace of Spades". Although we love the gravelly voice of the Stereophonic's lead singer, I could not help thinking of that other band who has made "The Ace of Spades" so famous. Why don't you check out this link to see what we mean www.youtube.com In the mean time, please don't forget to visit the TCT web site to see what a brilliant job this charity does to support young people with cancer.

Even in a Railroad Museum!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I spent Sunday browsing around the National Railway Museum in York as I have wanted to visit the museum since I was a boy. But even on my day off I could not help finding yet another example of Bulldog Tools being forged into our country's history.

There, in one of the glass presentation cabinets was a Bulldog Fireman's shovel with it's "T" shaped handle and "Bulldog" branding stamped clearly into the front of the shank.. Thousands were used in the days of steam to allow the fireman to keep the fire stocked with coal. The tapered blade was especially designed to allow the shovel to fit neatly into the fire box of the engine. There are many references to the fireman and driver cooking their bacon and eggs on the blade of this trusted shovel. Not only do we make the strongest tools, it also looks as though we used to make cooking utensils as well! For more information on the National Railway Museum please go to www.nrm.org.uk.

Plant Vegetable Seeds Soon!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

It's coming up to that time of year when Vegetable patches will need to be sowed. Despite the weather today, and perhaps this whole week, we are now in Spring!! Growing vegetables if a good way to get out into the garden, it doesn't matter whether you have a window box or acre plot, you can grow something to suit your needs.

The best thing about growing vegetables is the satisfaction of putting them on your plate. You certainly can taste the freshness of a Tomato which has just been picked that day. It is also an interesting way to get children into the gardening. Switch off the games console, nip to your local nursery and pick up a few packets of seeds. Someone in store will be able to provide any information you need to start planting, as some seeds are easier then others, and some vegetables for instance Cucumbers are even easier to grow from seedlings. Children will enjoy monitoring the progress of their crop and it will give them appreciation for the work which goes into producing the food which goes onto their plate.

We manufacture Children's Tools which make it that little bit easier for them to get involved. It is also our product of the week! Often when purchasing children's tools they are billed as toys rather then tools, but this is not the case with ours. They are made in the same way as the full size tools and are just as strong!

Growing your own fruit and veg is also a good way to cut your food bill, and in these tough times it appears everyone is feeling the pinch and with growing fears for the environment we should all be doing our bit. Check out this article from The New York Times www.nytimes.com. Obama is the first president to have his own vegetable patch since World War 2!

Good luck with your crop! If you've got any pictures or blogs on your progress feel free to send them to blog@bulldogtools.co.uk

Happy Planting!

Bulldog Garden Stage 2

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Groundworks team have now completed the improvement of the garden area at our Wigan Site. They have cleared away any debris, broken up the soil and filled the beds with new top soil, ready for planting. As you can see its beginning too look good, all we need now is some nice plants and some furniture. Soon we'll be able to put our Bulldog Tools to the test in our own on site garden. I'll keep you posted on the progress.

6ft Under, Yet Still Alive and Kicking

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Bulldog Tools have been used for many years in many different places and for hundreds of different purposes. Having just seen the last blog post, i decided to do some research into other uses of Bulldog Spades and Forks throughout time. A while back now we were given a well used Bulldog Premier Spade by a customer wanting to purchase a new one. The spade had clearly been put through its paces. The blade had lost all of its paint coating and had halved in size, white the wooden YD handle had clearly worn to the users hands. Despite this obvious wear and tear the spade remained in perfect working condition, the ash shaft had not split or splintered, the socket was still firmly riveted in place and the blade was still in one forged piece, it just goes to show how well Bulldog tools are made.

However, there was one creepy thing about this spade, what it had been used for. The spade had been used by a local grave digger, his profession, as you can imagine, meant that he had to dig 6ft holes into the ground. The tool was essential to the task at hand and without such a good quality spade the job would have been much more difficult, that is why time and time again professionals choose Bulldog Tools.

Some modern graveyards use industrial diggers to do the work but more traditional church grounds require more delicate work in confined areas. The Bulldog Premier Spade is good for digging heavy soil but if the soil is very heavy clay, the user might choose a Bulldog Strapped Spade for extra strength. All I can say is when it comes to my time to kick the bucket, I'm buried in a hole dug by a Bulldog Spade...

To further information about the Bulldog Premier Range click here.

Another Odd Place to Find a Bulldog Shovel

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

One of Bulldog employees stumbled upon this interesting piece of footage from Channel 4's Time Team programme. The show which focuses on historic digs and events. When shelling turned the battlefield of the Somme into a hell on earth, Britain's best miners and engineers created a maze of tunnels and dugouts that would become the setting for a secret war waged underground. One of the last dugouts constructed has been drained of water, enabling the first people to enter it in 90 years.

When entering the tunnel, the team found many interesting articles. As you can imagine there was the usual debris of war, but what was more interesting for ourselves, was the find of Bulldog Shovel! This was a type that had been specially produced for the Royal Engineers. The modrern equivalent is the Bulldog General Service Shovel. The other tool they found was a Bulldog Grafting Tool, and these are still popular today.

Check out the video below to see the Dig Teams find:-

Bulldog Garden

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

For over 200 years we have been manufacturing tools at Clarington Forge, Wigan. But despite the quantity of Bulldog Spades and Forks we manufacture, we haven't got a garden of our own to use them on.....until now.

We are very grateful to be working in partnership with Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan. They have been helping us to build some raised beds in an unused area of the factory, giving our workers a nice area to sit and relax in their breaks and lunch times in the summer months (if we get a summer this year). In return Bulldog have donated some tools for them to use in their many worthwhile projects. Groundwork Lancashire West and Wigan is part of the 50 Groundwork Trusts in England, all working together to meet the needs of local people. Groundwork Trusts are registered charities. If you'd like to find out more information visit their website www.groundworknw.org.uk.

The ground has been neglected for years and needs some serious work, but it is beginning to come to life, check out the pictures below..We will keep you updated with future progress!

New Boy at The Forge - Week 2

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Continuing my condensed apprenticeship at Wigan, I am now looking at spade and fork production in some depth. After spending my time with the engineers last week it was my turn to make a spade and fork of my very own. To achieve this, I would be spending time at all stages of manufacturing from the forge through to final assembly. The idea being that I could manufacture my own spade and fork from the raw materials of steel and timber through to the finished article.

Stamping Out From The Steel Bar

I was going to manufacture a shrubbery spade! Despite its small size it still requires a lot of work. At the start of production, the bars of steel are heated by gas burners to approx 1100 degrees, when they are red hot! At this point the steel is soft enough to be stamped into the ‘T’ shapes that will start the production process to make the spade head. Once cut these "T" pieces are taken to the main production cell area in the forge where the sockets are made.

Creating The Socket

The socket is the piece of the spade head that creates the fit between the spade head and the handle. It is formed through a number of processes. First the smaller side of the ‘T’ is stamped into shape, then drawn out to the required length and thickness through a pair of ‘chills.’ If you watch our video, you’ll see that chills are two rotating steel blocks, which draw the red-hot steel into shape. It is key to insert the hot steel into the ‘chills’ at the right moment, so that the correct length and thickness can be achieved.

The socket is then stamped to shape, with the excess material removed and recycled as scrap. The newly formed socket is still flat at this point, and is stamped with the year of manufacture, Bulldog name and model number. It is then that the flat piece of steel is closed up into a socket. This is done through a series of presses, depending on the size of socket required. It is checked for quality and moves onto the next cell for the creation of the blade.

Creating the Blade

The tools is again re-heated on a rotary furnace, to ensure the steel is hot enough for the next process.The blade of the spade is then drawn out in a similar process as the socket. This time it is placed on to a "truck". This is a slide that is operated by one of the forge workers. The "truck" will slide the newly formed blade into another pair of ‘chills.’ The worker slides the blade into the chills a total of three times. Each time the ‘chills’ are pneumatically placed closer together to draw the blade out to the correct thickness and length.

Stamping Out The Blade Shape

The desired shape of the blade is now stamped out. You will now see something that looks like a spade with its completed socket and correct head size. The next step is to press the spade to the correct angle and once this is done, the finished head is ready for hardening.

Hardening

As we use Boron Steel, the hardening process is very simple. The tool is heated and then quenched in a water bath. If we did not harden the blades, then they would be weak and bend on the first application.

Shot-Blasting & Painting

Each tool is shot blasted to make sure there are no blemishes or rust on the steel. Once placed on to the painting conveyor, the spade is taken through a series of sprays which coat the spade in powder coating, it is then heated in an oven to give the required finish and durability.

Handles

Our handles are all made from the raw timber at our factory in Wigan.Our timber comes from FSC sources in Europe and also from renewable sources in America. The handles are turned, stained and varnished on site. Starting as a block of ash timber, the handle is spun on a lathe and depending on the handle required, a set of tools is used to cut the wood to the correct shape. It is then stained and varnished as required. Due to the time involved in making an MYD handle...... in the style of Blue Peter, I used one they had made earlier!

Assembly

The head and the shaft are pneumatically pushed together to ensure a snug fit. the shaft is then drilled and riveted. After being checked by quality control, the finished product is ready to be sold.

On paper, or in the blog in this case, it may seem that the tools are relatively easy to manufacture. This however is not the case, it takes months of training and years of practice to get the product to be manufactured to high standard that Bulldog Tools require. allowing us to be sure that they are made to the top quality and with pride by the workers at our forge. This is as you are aware is The Last Forge of its Kind in Britain

To find out where your nearest Bulldog stockist click here.

You Say "Yard Tools" I Say "Garden Tools"

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Gardening is a universal pastime, bringing people together in one common interest, yet we are still dvided by the terms to descibe the garden tools that we use. I want to use my "shovel"......are you sure you don't mean that you want to use your "garden spade?" It is no different to one person calling two peices of bread with a filling a "Sandwich", while the next person would refer to it as a "Cob". When we take calls from interested customers on our Bulldog Tools help line it is interesting to hear secateurs refered to as pruners or shears, sometimes garden shears or even clippers. None of these descriptions are incorrect, yet they describe what is essentially the same tool.

I can understand the obvious difference in language between the UK and USA. What would be referred to in Los Angeles as a set of yard tools would be refered to in Hampshire as gardening tools. I guess that the difference also stretches to the different style of tools that we use either side of the Atlantic. Our American cousins tend to use long handle tools, while we use more conventional tools with shorter handles, there are however very distinct regional preferences within the United Kingdom. In the south of England we like to use the D handle shovel, while further north we like to use the "T" style wooden handle. What made you want to talk about this subject I can hear you say! Well we were asked by one of our site visitors "Why is the Bulldog product range so huge?". The answer is simple. As The Last Forge of it's Kind Britain still making heavy duty tools we have got to try and cater for the needs of all our customers and supporters. When you have got time please take a browse through our web site in more detail. You will be amazed at the different type of tools that Bulldog Tools make!

'Dig For Britain' with The Bulldog Potato Fork

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

I was interested to learn recently that the National Trust is making land available on it's own land for allotments. The Trust have allocated approximately 40 sites at this time aournd the country. To advertise the campaign they are using the "Dig for Britain" approach as seen during the last war when the public were encouraged to use any land available for growing food. (See the WW2 poster below) With the current trend towards "grow your own" we think that the campaign will be a success.

Bulldog is the last forge of it's kind in Britain, still making solid forged tools as they were back in the war! We are keen to see the National Trust succeed. It has even been roumoured that the Trust have asked Gordon Brown to designate some land at 10 Downing Street to an allotment. If you do decide to start your own allotment, don't forget to use your Bulldog Potato fork as featured on this week's "product of the week". The flat tynes on this particular tool make it ideal for digging potatoes, the blade design means that the blade will move past the vegetable when digging rather that cause it damage. Our friend the Fat Gardener at www.qualitygardentools.co.uk also tells me that anglers use the potato fork for digging bait such as lug and rag worms on the mud flats at low tide. The flat tines reduce the amount of suction caused when digging. It is interesting how different people can find different uses! Happy gardening, or fishing...

Get Britain Building!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

As the "Last Forge of it's Kind in Britain" Bulldog has been interested to see the formation of " Get Britain Building". This is a coalition of organisations from within the construction sector who are calling for the creation of a new business environment to help the UK construction industry thrive and prosper in these difficult times.

The campaign, which is spearheaded by British Precast, the Builders Merchants Federation, the Federation of Master Builders and the Modern Masonry Alliance, focuses on the need to help all those involved in the UK construction industry survive in the current economic downturn, with an emphasis on minimising excessive control, regulation, and taxation.

At Bulldog, we hope that their efforts are successful. As a British manufacturer of Bulldog Spades and Forks, employing 65 workers at our factory in Wigan, England, we understand just how important it is to kick start the building trade which supports so many other industries in the UK.

For more information visit www.getbritainbuilding.org

The New Boy at The Forge - Week 1

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Ed White) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

As part of my induction training at Rollins Group (the parent company of Bulldog Tools) I have been asked to spend a month in the forge at Wigan in order to understand exactly what goes on in the manufacturing process. I arrived last Monday after a four and a half hour journey, thank you M1 roadworks, keen to learn.

After my Health and Safety briefing, I was taken on a guided tour of the factory. It had been a long time since my first visit to the forge and I had forgotten how much skill went into the manufacturing process. It is very unusual to see a forge of any kind in the UK now, as it is the 'Last Forge of its Kind in Britain,' it was pretty special to see the place in action. (Check out the factory tour video below). The heat and noise off the forge is immense. The speed and skill with which the guys in the forge produce the one piece tools is quite incredible.

The majority of my week has been spent with the in house engineering team. The engineers are an important factor in keeping the factory manufacturing, one of their main tasks is to maintain the forge machinery. As well as routinely checking the machines, the engineers have to be ready to fix breakdowns on the production line. Their knowledge of the machines and tooling is invaluable, only acquired through years of hands on training and experience. A number of the engineering team came through an apprentice scheme which once took place on the Bulldog site, thereby giving them the knowledge they needed for the job.

Another aspect of the engineer's job is to prepare the forge for production. Each different tool head and socket requires a different set of 'tooling.' These vary in shapes and sizes, depending on the tool itself. For instance, the size of a Premier Garden Spade would be de different to a Premier Border Spade. In order for production to commence, the tooling for the job needs to be in place and ready for use. It is important that this takes place on time and done correctly so that production isn't halted, down-time is very costly for any factory.

Due to the nature of the forging process, tooling becomes warn and damaged, either needing replacing or re-working in order to be used again. Behind-the-scenes a lot of work is done to keep the tooling in good working condition and preparing it for the next time its needed. New tooling is an expensive option, we no longer have the facilities to manufacture tooling on site, so it would have to be sent out and manufactured externally increasing the cost. The same costs are also a factor in designing new products or changing existing designs.

Whilst working in the engineer shop it was decided that the design of one of the spade shapes should be amended in order to reduce production time. This meant that the tooling had to be changed so that the new design could be manufactured. The skill and ability of the engineers made this task look relatively easy. It involved 1) stripping the to tool down to it's constituent parts,2) changing the component which stamps out the shape of the head, 3) testing , 4) when finished putting it through its paces on the production line. This took a team of four men, three days, and just shows how much work can go into what seems a simple product change.

Week two sees me working in the forge itself, stay tuned. Please feel free to comment or leave a question, I will try my best to answer it.

Is It Time To Rake The Lawn ?

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

This weekend the weather was wonderful. I have a reasonable size lawn, but it is full of moss and thatch. I took the opportunity to scarrify the grass with my trusty Springbok rake. The tines are so much firmer than lesser rakes. The forming of the head means that you cannot bend the head out of shape during use. When raking grass you not only want to take out the dead moss but also the thatch that restricts the grass growth. I raked for nearly four hours, the Springbok held up to the job far better than I did! I just hope that this is the right time of the year to do the job. Can anyone clarify this for me?

It's Show Time!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:00:00 +0000

We are now in the 2nd day in March, and fast approaching the summer of RHS garden shows. These events are a fantastic day out, if the weather stays nice, and provide a great opportunity to speak to experts, look at new products and purchase some new plants and tools for the garden. We will be showing at a number of the RHS shows this year as well as BBC gardeners world live. Each show offers something different, with fantastic gardens and stands, as well as the chance to have that first glass (or two) of Pimms of the summer. Although we don't show are full range, we will have a good selections of Bulldog spades, forks, cutting tools as well as the New Alan Titchmarsh range, our helpful team will be able to answer your questions and give you advice, so why not come along and find us. Below is the full listing of the events we will be showing at:-

RHS Chelsea Flower Show, 19th-23rd May, Tickets and Details

BBC Gardeners World Live, 10-14th June, Tickets and Details

RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, 7th-12th July, Tickets and Details

RHS Tatton Park Show, 22nd-26th July, Tickets and Details

If you'd like to be sent a reminder for these events, join our Facebook page by clicking here.

Gardening with Ken Again & Again

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

One of our dearest friends in the horticultural world is the gardener and broadcaster Ken Crowther. We got to know Ken a few years ago after he interviewed one of my colleagues on his Saturday morning BBC Essex radio show. Ken talks on the show with great knowledge about both gardening and cooking ( also available on the BBC Essex web page if you are out of the area).

In 2007 Ken designed our display stand at Chelsea, for which we won three certificates of commendation, one for each of our RHS stands that year. Chelsea, Hampton Court and Tatton Park.

You can go to Ken's dedicated gardening web site at www.gardeningwithken.com. Whichever way you look at it, Ken will give you the right information again and again and again.

The Best of British...Music!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

This years Brit awards were staged last night at Earl's Court. The show, presenting the best of British musical talent is always a hit amongst music fans in the UK and the world. The star studded event was also shown live on ITV. This year's presenters were James Corden & Matt Horne, two of the stars of BBC 3's hit comedy series Gavin & Stacey, coupled with pop superstar Kylie Minogue.

The show featured some fantastic performances from the likes of Coldplay, U2, Take That and many others although, the oddest performance had to go to Take That. The British band arrived into Earl's Court via a floating platform, with an alien theme James Corden even joked 'could they clean the guttering' whilst they were flew to the top of the arena.

The real winner of the night was Duffy, she recieved a total of three awards. These were for Best British Female, Best British Album and Best British Breakthrough act. She held back the tears as she was presented her final award, stating that it was the result of 'five years work.' However she had time for a joke in regards to her Best British Female Award, "I don't know what that means, but it's a good job my mum didn't have a boy.'

The biggest losers of the night were Coldplay. Despite a successful year and hugely successful album, the band walked away with no awards, despite being nominated for four awards.

Below is the full list of winners:-

Best British Male - Paul Weller

Best British Female - Duffy

Best British Group - Elbow

Best British Live Act - Iron Maiden

Best British Single - Girls Aloud-The Promise

Best British Album - Duffy-Rockferry

Best British Breakthrough Act - Duffy

Best International Album - Kings of Leon-Only By The Night

Best International Male - Kanye West

Best International Female - Katy Perry

Best International Group - Kings of Leon

For more information on the Brits their website.

Only a year till it all happens again!

Clarington

Who Ate All The Pies??

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Wigan is infamous for it's pies, but it seems that some of the locals like pies more than most. Every year Harry's bar in Wigan holds the annual world pie eating competition.

Traditionally the winner was the person to consume the most amount of pies in three minutes, but due to a government scheme to cut down on obesity and promote healthy eating, this years competition was different. The winner was the one who could eat their pie in the shortest amount of time.

The rules are strict, the pies have a filling of meat and potato, although a vegetarian option is available. The dimension needs to have a depth of 3.5cm and a diameter of at least 12cm, the precise measurements also include an angle from base to the top of the pie of between zero and 15 degrees. All this means a lot of pie to consume in the shortest time possible, which has led to attention from media around the world. The competition is now available to watch on a pay per view channel via the internet. Viewers miles away now have the opportunity to have a little insight into a traditional English pie eating contest.

Although competitors travel from across the country, this year's winner was from Wigan itself. Fred Wyatt gobbled his pie down in 56.28 seconds!

I guess the competition is no longer 'Who Ate All The Pies' instead its become 'Who Can Eat The Pie Quickest!'

Pruning Just For Fun!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

It is always good to tidy the garden at this time of the year. Damage to some of the higher branches over the winter calls for some remedial repair work. The ideal tool for this is our Bulldog Tree lopper. Packaged in two parts, the head and the handle can sometimes be difficult to fit together, so I thought you might like to know how it is done.

Remove the cutting head from the packaging. Fold the plastic control arm away from the body of the cutting head.
Turn the end of the pole handle to "open" and insert the cutting head post into the end of the pole. Turn the end of the pole back to close to lock the handle in place.
Having released to locking screw located on the control arm, clip the locating clip around the pole handle.
Re-locate the locking screw on the control arm and tighten. Your Bulldog Tree lopper is now ready to use.
If you have any further problems, please call our customer help line on (44) 01279 401572
For more information on the 2 pulley tree lopper click here.

From Little Seeds to Grass Roots

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

If you teach gardening to children it will stay with them for the rest of thier lives. This is why we are working with the RHS to help them reach out to the next generation. Bulldog tools are giving away £15,000 of tools to schools that register through the RHS Website.

Our range of children's tools are just that ..."tools". They are not toys, so the teachers can be sure the schools will get years of use out of any tools they purchase. For more information on how Bulldog Tools are getting involved look at our "Tools for Schools" button on our home page or click here.

It may only be a small contribution in the greater scheme of things, but anything that we can do to help develop the gardeners of the future has got to be worthwhile. As the only manufacturer still manufacturing solid forged tools in Britain we are proud to be supporting our school children in this way.

Bulldog on Amazon

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The New 'Alan Titchmarsh Range' is now available on amazon.co.uk. The range is offers both Solid Forged and Stainless Steel tools, from Forks and Spades to Hoes and Rakes and a selection of cutting tools.

Alan Titchmarsh has hand picked this range with advice from the Bulldog team. With Alan's unparalleled garden knowledge and Bulldog's manufacturing experience, the new range of tools are built to last and designed to make gardening much easier.

Here's what Alan had to say about the range when it was launched "Bulldog has an enviable reputation synonymous with high quality skills and craftsmanship as the top priority. My new range holds true to this testament due to the high specification of steel used in the forging process and durable ash wood shafts creating a robust and reliable tool."

So check out the range on Amazon by clicking here or on my website here. Amazon offers a speedy delivery for this new range, so if you're in need of some new tools take a look!

An Odd Place to Find a Bulldog Shovel!

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 00:00:00 +0000

One of our readers asked 'What's one of the oddest places a Bulldog tool has been used?'

Bulldog shovels are used all over the world for many different purposes. This video shows a submarine surfacing in Antartica. As the crew exit and begin clearing the snow you can see that the shovel is one of ours! A Bulldog!

Tools Forged in England for Centuries

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

Bulldog Tools have been made at the Clarington Forge, located in Wigan, England for over 200 years. Generations of Farmers, Contractors and Professional Landscapers stand testimony to a quality of product upon which their livelihoods depend. The skill and craftsmanship that were the key to the company's success in years gone by are still maintained. The same forging process is used to this day by British craftsmen.

The Bulldog Factory has the only full time working forge still making spades and forks within the United Kingdom. We produce over 2000 garden and contractors tools every day.

We currently employ over 60 people, most of whom are multi-skilled. It is quite common for several generations of the same family to have worked for the company. Indeed, the Kelly family can trace their ties back four generations. Last year we presented four long service awards to people that have served 25 years with us and this year will see long service awards going to people that have been us for 40 years.

You can see a list of Bulldog stockists here.

The History of Bulldog Tools

blog@bulldogtools.co.uk (Clarington) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:00:00 +0000

The Bulldog company was founded by William & Henry Parkes in 1780. A nearby road, Henry Parkes street, is named after one of the founders. The Factory has been an important part of Wigan life ever since, providing jobs for many people in the local community.

During the 1960s the factory employed over 300 workers many of whom were housed in company houses close to the factory. The factory had a large catering division, social club and even it's own Bowling, Cricket and Football teams. Even today, we support the local boys football team by sponsoring their kit, enabling us to put something back into the community.

Several companies have owned Bulldog over the years. In 2004 the company became part of the Rollins Group, a company that can trace it's own history back some 150 years. The Rollins Group, with it's solid commitment and substantial investment in the Bulldog brand has improved efficiency and delivery times and is proud to own such a reputable name in the market place.

You can see a list of Bulldog stockists here.