Brian Cox's Jute Journey - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQHHKCbE1UM 

Hollywood actor Brian Cox is a son of Dundee. The city is the big constant of his life. He grew up amid the clatter of the jute mills, where both his parents began their working lives. The jute trade, making hessian from India's 'golden' fibre, dominated Dundee for over a century, linking it with Kolkata. It is now fast becoming a memory. Documentary journey into Brian Cox's past, and on to Kolkata in the footsteps of the Dundee jute workers who left to seek their fortunes in India. I do NOT own any of the material used in the making of this video. No copyright infringement intended. All copyright remains with the original broadcaster.

This formed part of my life and history of my company and my life, firstly one of the Jute Factory owners came to live in my village in the 6o's and brought their manufacturing of sacks for the agricultural market, importing from their factory in India, I grew up as friends with one of their sons. I did not know I would one day be reliant on the jute wrapping of products from India, no containers in the early 70''s We sold imported straw shopping school baskets from China and Asia as well as Indian silk scarves, leather items and Arts & Crafts. I was then I travelled to India and Calcutta, It was a terrible time at that period as millions of families had fled from what is now Bangladesh to join the poor and overcrowded people of West Bengal & Calcutta, there was terrible starvation. Where they had come from grew a poorer jute and they carried their few possessions wrapped in jute and some with bags, with painted designs . This was the start of employing people to make and paint bags with Indian Deigns for my company to sell into the UK Market at first as school bags, but they became fashionable and we exhibited at UK Trade Fairs and Fashion Fairs, Some of the major stores and advertising companies approached us for purchasing them with their brands, you may remember the time and at some stage your family purchased some or received items gift wrapped in jute, I can tell you now you allowed many very poor people to survive in those terrible times and keep the mills working and people employed. I know the conditions were bad in the mills but we had no control with the mill owners, but it gave many people a living, we kept our profit margins to a minimum as my village was a Quacker Community in the 60's which influenced my life and the way my company traded.

Best Wishes

Peter RAS