From humble beginnings to iconic brand: Laura Ashley story wows Probus club

The village School in Wales, in 1925, was damp, dank and hated by Laura, who was frequently smacked. Hating the dismal conditions, she wore a boater to protect her hair from creepy crawlies or spiders within the roof and a long dress (like the now familiar ‘granny’s’ nightdress) swaddled round her ankles against mice. Mum had what is now known as post-natal depression so, each day at four and half years old, going home to prepare Dad’s lunch meant late back to school and another smack. Avoiding school, gave an opportunity instead, each day to go to an auntie's house, with an elegant, beautiful front room. This ex-headmistress not only taught her but introduced Laura to the finer things in life. Adored by Aunty Elsie meant childhood memories include shopping at Liberty’s in London, while this involved choosing furnishings, dresses and wallpaper with a matching sofa.

These ‘extreme contrasts’ of life seemed to be a thread throughout Laura’s life for, at times opportunity presented itself to her ‘bad boy’ husband, who was not one to take home to meet parents but joined the Gurka Regiment during the war. Adverse to schooling, at 14 she went to live with her dad. He said, Laura needed ‘a job and a life’ because she was not meeting people. Then, she took shorthand at Pitman college before she and a friend Margaret, met prospective husbands at a village hall dance. Subsequently the ladies joined the WRENs; they had to have heads shaved and scrub floors. However, contrasts again in her life, was a posting to HMS DYAD, a Manor House in Portsmouth where, wearing a uniform she mixed with aristocrats, fabulous influential people and using Morse code, was involved in Operation Overlord. Posted to Europe she quickly learnt to drive but once home and married to Bernard after the war, their honeymoon was three days in Cleethorpes and living with her mother-in-Law. Not expecting love and romance, they did not have two pennies to rub together but their first home was a dungeon, politely called a cellar. 

Bernard was not one to work, instead he met up and made ‘contacts’ down the pub. As a family, ‘Fagan’ would describe their living conditions luxurious. Yet, simply bringing these contacts into their lives, led to their initially buying a chateaux in France, a private jet, and a 4-story town house. A qualified engineer, he never wanted his wife to work but raising a family she needed income and was employed by WI working in the V&A so, she merely ‘claimed to have joined the WI.’ 

Holidaying with Terrance Conran in Rome, Laura saw Audrey Hepburn on a scooter wearing the red neck scarf and saying, ‘every secretary in London would want to look like that so, quickly returned to print her own fabrics and sell them in Liberty and Harrods. Moving onto tea towels Bernard refused to print, associating them as ‘women’s work’ so, this led to being printed in her own name and she challenged Bernard to build a warehouse using the first house they owned. Both the family and empire grew from those humble beginnings, with many challenges such as when the factory, which Bernard had not insured, was flooded but the business was established and became synonymous with quintessential English style. After a challenging life of rags to riches, Laura died unexpectedly at her daughters Cotswold cottage. On her 60^th Birthday Laura and Bernard were visiting to celebrate and she fell downstairs following structural renovations. 

Retired or semi-retired, professional or business ladies meet on the first Thursday each month at Chase Golf Club, 12 noon, to share meal, fellowship and speakers with outings and other activities. New members are welcome, annual membership is only £16 and two course lunch £22. Further information contact: Membership Secretary, Barbara on 01889 882166 or Chairman Anne 01922 418037. Speaker on 4 September is Martin Wood ‘Has A Bell, Will Yell.’