The specialist Norfolk reed thatcher roams the British Isles. He is proud of his work. If he is called in to repair more often than every ten years, he knows that it is his own fault and that he is letting down the reputation of his craft. In fact, he is a proud professional artist and craftsman, whose living is obtained from creating works of art that last and so his workmanship is always of the best. He does not do what is merely adequate and look toward further income from repairing that work at frequent intervals.

Norfolk Reed Thatchers Ltd., are concerned with and recognise a high degree of moral responsibility in this connection both to their clients and to the insurance world where differentiation (in the form of reduced insurance premiums) has come to mean that the higher first-cost of Norfolk reed thatch proves generally, over the years, not in fact a higher cost at all, but an economy.

HAROLD E. G. SALKILLD.

Extract from a letter from Mr. D. J. Howe, M.Inst.C.E., M.I.Mun.E., Borough Engineer and Surveyor, County Borough of Brighton, relating to the thatching of the great Barn at Court Farm, Falmer, by Norfolk Reed Thatchers Ltd.: "... I should like to express my appreciation of the way in which you have handled this contract and to congratulate you on the quality of your workmanship. It is indeed a roof of which both the Brighton Corporation and yourselves can be proud."

FOR a quarter of a century one of the founders of Norfolk Reed Thatchers Ltd. (the company's technical director), has been engaged in thatching activities and we are consulted by owners in all parts of Great Britain and elsewhere. It is our experience that very few owners, whilst priding themselves on the possession of, and enjoying the particular amenities afforded by their thatched residences, have sufficient understanding of thatch or interest themselves in maintaining their roofs in a condition necessary to derive the fullest and most economic advantage therefrom.

It is contended that every owner of thatch should in his own interests take the trouble to understand it. After many years, any thatch, even the very best, requires some attention probably at a very small cost; if through indifference it is neglected it is apt to deteriorate rapidly and eventually entails a major expenditure which could have been avoided.

All roofs, whatever their construction, require attention at some time. The fact that a really good Norfolk reed thatched roof is reckoned to last at least a lifetime, does not mean that it can meanwhile be utterly ignored. Dependent upon situation and the incalculable elements, minor deterioration inevitably occurs as the years pass—notably on the ridges, which are most vulnerable to wind and weather. No thatched roof can be regarded as sound and water-tight if gates or rain (the varying forces of which no one can predict) have injured ridges or, not unusual, displaced some vital part of the main thatch. If you possess a good thatch, do be fair to it. It is up to you!

Reasonably early attention is not a difficult or expensive matter, but if a defect is neglected until the rain penetrates it will inconvenience you seriously and you will only have yourself to blame. Defects are usually apparent long before they end in trouble; the first indication is slight displacement of the hazel spars, or brotches, as we call them. After all, if tiles blow off a roof or crack, one would call in a builder to restore them; that occurs quite often, and if the cost be totalled over a period of 60 to 80 years it will be found to be quite considerable.

Those who are wise ask us to 'inspect' their thatch periodically or as they may consider desirable; this is part of the company's normal service. The owner who thus studies his thatch, apart from protecting himself from trouble which is avoidable, can often reap certain advantages in respect of insurance costs. The careful and responsible type of owner receives consideration by insurance assessors and underwriters. A well maintained thatch in which the owner takes pride is a comparatively low fire risk and so warrants a reduced rate of annual premium.

The company specialises in providing a service and materials of the highest quality obtainable, and desires to inspire owners to appreciate the point that the best is the most economic in the long run. No one will deny that Norfolk grown reed is the best of all thatching materials. To thatch it efficiently requires specialised craftsmanship, and skill entailing many years of practice and experience. The craftsman in Norfolk reed is no ordinary 'thatcher' and is not of the farm-worker or agricultural school. He is that specialised type of craftsman for which Britain is famous. Thatching, and thatching only, is his occupation. He has undergone an arduous apprenticeship, followed by years of practical experience before his colleagues regard him as a fully adept specialist in the crafts—a man who knows not the name of bad workmanship in this most difficult of all methods of thatching.

Straw, which in some parts of the country is also called 'reed' is not the most desirable of thatching materials. Its life is comparatively short. Most straw has a short life because of the deterioration of its qualities after being passed through combine harvesters.