Maria Hopwood was inspired to set up Deckchairstripes in 2007, after a trip to india. She had come across a fabulously bright striped fabric and decided it was the right time to revamp the traditional retro stripe and give it a modern twist. Originally the fabric was sold for renovating old deck chairs. The idea of renovating old deck chairs had been around since Edwardian times and had continued until the 1960s and it is great to see it back and thriving.
 
In fact the internet business has been a great success. There is now a range of over forty striped canvas fabrics. Traditional folding deck chairs and many other garden products have been sold too and and their products have even appeared on television dramas such as Downton Abbey.
 
However in all the years that they have been selling deckchair canvas they have been regularly asked to hire them out for events, weddings parties and concerts. So in response to demand they have now set up Heritage Deckchair Hire.
 
They have been able to do this because they were lucky enough to have acquired all of Blackpool's 6000 iconic deck chairs in their beach worn original glory. There is an incredible history which comes with these deck chairs too. Blackpool was an extremely popular resort town before and between the wars and up to the 1960s. The history of the heyday of the British seaside is well documented by many photographers and writers. Many will associate deck chairs with lovely old memories of knotted handkerchiefs, rock, fish and chips, and ice cream. It was also a good money earner for councils. At its peak, Blackpool Council between 1958 and 1960, banked over £6 million from the takings of deckchair hire alone.
 
Some of the locals and tourists may miss these heritage items but Blackpool Council had already put the deck chairs into storage in September 2011 when their popularity declined. Now you can sit on an original renovated deckchair with this incredible history at your own event. For hire details contact Deckchairstripes.