Taken from the 1971 Bonnet Guild Festival Guide

I'll bet there are not many people who know that a Stewarton-made bonnet once sat on top of the world. You don't believe me ? Well hear this: The first man - with Hillary - to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Sherpa Norgay Tenzing, was at the time, wearing a balaclava that was made in "the bonnet toun." Whaur's yur big Kilmarnock bunnets noo ?

This was only one of the things I learnt when I visited the factory where that particular bonnet was made, Robert Sim of Stewarton, whose premises. Nether Robertland Mill, stand on the left bank of the Annick near Dean Street forenent the new bridge. Many folk will hardly know of its existence, for by comparison, it is a small firm with no illusions of grandeur. The two storey building, which was built in 1847, has no great outward appearance and some might even say it was shabby. However, as the senior partner Mrs. Jenny Sim modestly admits: "We don't have a show place here but we do the best with what we've got."

The founder, Robert Sim, bought the property and land where the factory stands, in 1834, when the following advertisement appeared in "The Air Advertiser" on Thursday December 19, 1833. House and Garden For Sale.
"There will be sold, by Public Roup, . . .. within the Buck's Head Inn of Stewarton on Thursday the 23rd day of January 1834 at noon.
"All and whole that superior slated House, Offices and Garden pleasantly situated near the Water of Annick at Stewarton, the property of William Aird, late Bonnet-maker in Stewarton. Apply to Robert Miller, Writer in Stewarton who is in possess ion of the Title Deeds and Articles of Roup".

That spelling of 'Air' for Ayr is not a printing error for that is how it spelt throughout the paper which Mrs. Sim possesses.

Tenzing's balaclava was only one of the countless bonnets of all kinds that have been-made at the Mill over the years, where nowadays they also turn out tartan Tarn o' Shanters ( or Tarns as they call them in the trade ) and bob caps by the thousand.

When I called at the factory, Mrs. Sim's brother and partner, Mr. Norrie Bowie, was busy feeding a long length of knitted multi-coloured wool through a brusher, and he explained that this was one of the processes in making bob caps. Norrie interrupted his work to tell me briefly about bonnet making.

"First of all, " he said, "the hanks of wool are wound on to bobbins, " and he guided me across to where Mrs. Grace Wilson was performing this operation.
"Then, " continued Norrie, "the bobbins of wool are transferred to the knitting machines and made into balaclavas or bob caps."
We then watched the nimble fingers of Mrs. Maisie McBride, Mrs. Nan Wilson and Mrs. Jean Wallace as they expertly converted the strands of yarn into knitted fabric. It looked a tricky job but I suppose it's a case of every man or in this case woman to her own trade.

The next stage is stitching and Norrie introduced three long-serving employees, Mrs. Annie McQuhue, Mrs. Nana Hamilton, and Mrs. Isa Fulton ( who as Isa Blair used to be in my class at Stewarton School ). They were stitching the knitted wool into the recognisable shapes of bonnets. Nana Hamilton started with the firm in 1933 and except for the war years, has been there since then.

Across a crowded room to the ironing section where Mrs. Mary Donnachie, Miss Alice Marshall and Mrs. Annie McGregor were ironing and pressing away merrily and I was told that this was an important part of the work. "Topping" is the final job and the ladies who were sewing on the toories included Miss Alexa Ewing, Mrs. Buchanan and Mrs. Smith - "wee toppers" you might say.

Mr. Bowie stated : "Our bonnets are exported all over the world, to Canada, New Zealand, America, Sweden and Switzerland."
"Do you send any to Russia?" I asked thinking of the Russian winter.
"Not as far as we know, " replied Norrie, "but of course many of our goods are sold to agents and then we don't know their final destination".

Mrs Jenny Sim 

(Provost David Sim in the Picture)

One thing I noticed was that all the workers were smiling or laughing. Either they were very happy at their work or they were practising saying "cheese" for the benefit of John Hall's camera.

At this point we were joined by Mrs. Jenny Sim who was tastefully dressed in a powder blue woollen suit. Jenny was once a high jump champion at the Bonnet Guild Sports.

"As far as I know, " she said, "most of the Stewarton Sims are related and I understand that the family line began when two Sim brothers came from Dunblane over 200 years ago to start up in business at the Block, Irvine. One of those brothers was my late husband David's great great great grandfather. Later the founder of our firm, Robert Sim, David's great grandfather, was bought out of the army by his father who set him up in the bonnet making business in Stewarton, at High Street, then Dean- Street, and finally here at Nether Robertland."

The Smiling Stichers

"My husband's grandfather was Provost David Sim early this century and he was a great Liberal. During his provostship, he was instrumental with the Council at the time, of bringing sewage and running water to the town. He was succeeded by his son J.O. Sim who died in 1949."

We then made another short tour of the works and saw Jenny's other brother, Russell Bowie manipulating the warp machine which is a system whereby spun threads of wool are extended on a loom and woven, and this process is the start of tartan tammies. This warp machine once stood in the old Lace Work in Rigg Street and is over 60 years old. The firm also possess the only wauk mill left in the town if not in existence, but since they stopped making the traditional Stewarton bonnet and army caps, it is seldom used except for milling heavy tarns.
In another part of the building, I spotted a man wearing a red American golfing cap who bore a remarkable resemblance to Sir Francis Chichester. He was 83-year old Andrew Caldow, a part-time worker. After a chat we discovered we had family connections from 'way back'  In a wee toun like Stewarton you never ken who your relations are - sometimes it's better not to dig too deeply, if you know what I mean.
 

Another youthful veteran who also works part-time is Owen Donnachie, and the employee with the longest association with the firm is Mrs. Brown of Dean Street who still does "home work". As I was told by Norrie Bowie, "You'd better mention all the workers or you'll get your heid in your haun's tae play wi', " I'd better say that the overlocker is Mrs. Betty Gray, Mrs. Margaret Gardiner is a winder and Mrs. Prue Gallacher is a member of the "topping" team.

Before leaving, Mrs. Sim produced two old bonnets; one was a Stewarton Bonnet which had been knitted with "pekie" pins maJiy years ago and really was a work of art. The other was a crocheted maroon bonnet which once belonged to Mrs. Sim's uncle and his name "John Brown Russell" was printed inside. Many older Stewartonians will remember John Russell who lived in Standalane House and was known locally as "Lord John".

Many of the tartan tammies made at Robert Sim's are worn on the heads of Scottish football supporters on the biannual jaunt to Wembley - sometimes transferred from head to pocket if the team gets a licking.
 

As I said at the outset, Robert Sim of Stewarton is not and does not pretend to be a large organisation. But for around 150 years "the oldest firm in Stewarton" has made the town's traditional product, the woollen bonnet, which in spite of changing fashions in headgear, continues to find a ready market. Although it has been superseded for every day wear, it is in the recreational and sporting world that these bonnets are to be found, and Stewarton made bob caps,

tarns and balaclavas are worn extensively by skiers, weekend sailors and mountaineers etc. the world over. Only last year, members of the famous Annapurna expedition wore bonnets made at Sim's. In the United States, tartan tarns are popular with teenage girls and in Britain woollen caps in club colours are worn by football fans.

When J.O. Sim died, followed five years afterwards by his son David, it looked like the end of the road for the firm. But Jenny Sim, with little or no experience, with her brother Norrie and a handful of faithful employees, have not only saved the business, but extended its prosperity.

Let's hope they "knit weel" for a long time to come.