News

by Nigel Hinton · Published January 22, 2009 · Updated December 3, 2016

20th September 2010

Funeral Service of Frank Belok former Managing Director of Silhouette

12.15pm Shrewsbury Catholic Cathedral Town Walls Shrewsbury

No flowers please but donations to Macmillan Cancer Support

Frank died peacefully aged 90 on 6th Septembe;r following an earlier stroke, he was in Surrey near to his children

Frank was born 1920 in Chorzow, Poland.He moved to England in 1947 and gained a degree in Economics at LSE, he then went on to qualify as an accountant.

He joined Silhouette in the London office straight away and quickly gained promotion; he and his family relocated to Shrewsbury in 1969 where he became Managing Director of Silhouette.

Frank left after the takeover in 1979, he bought and ran a nursing home in Birmingham. He was passionate about golf and played at Hawkestone and Shrewsbury Golf Club and continued to play until recently.

A staunch Catholic he attended Mass regularly and his faith gve him strength when his wife Rita died in 1985 aged 53. He was a strong family man and he leaves children and six grandchildren.

12 September 2010

Heritage Open Days Lecture at Bear Steps Gallery in Shrewsbury 5pm = 6pm

“From Cologne to Shrewsbury the story of Silhouette and the Little X”

An illustrated Lecture by Nigel Hinton

7 March 2010

Party for the company and helpers at Lord Hill

6 March 2010

Nigel to do a book signing in Waterstones The Square Shrewsbury 12 noon

28th February 2010

Re-run of Silhouette to commence at Theatre Severn another six performances in the Walker Theatre

1st February 2010

Inside Out to broadcast TV program based on Silhouette.

10th December 2009

Re-run of the play sells out in hours.

When the remaining available tickets for the February/ March run went back on sale there was a queue at the Theatre Severn box office and all available tickets were sold inside two hours.

22nd November 2009

Ticket Sales for re-run suspended whilst arrangements are made for thursday ticket holders to be reallocated seats.

21st November 2009

Sellout musical play a triumph.

Audiences love the play and so many favourable comments have been made the producers are delighted that everyones efforts have been received so well.

19th November 2009

Tonights play was abandoned just before the interval when a member of the audience had a heart attack and died. As a mark of respect for the former Silhouette worker the play was stopped.

15th November 2009

Fantastic response from Market Drayton audience

14th November 2009

12 Noon St Marys Church Shrewsbury

Exhibition of photographs, magazines and catalogues from Silhouette

14th November 2009

Play second night at Market Drayton Festival Centre 8pm

13th November 2009

Play opens in Market Drayton Festival Centre 8pm

12th November 2009

Book available in the shops

10th November 2009

Silhouette the new book written by Nigel Hinton is launched.

Launch Date to be 10th November 2009 at the Pump House Coton Hill Shrewsbury

7th November 2010

Memorial celebration of the life of Tom Blumenau in London. Nigel Hinton joined the tributes from friends and family members and enjoyed some excellent live music during the celebration of the life of the former chairman of Silhouette who died on 5th September 2009.

31st October 2009

Extra dates – following the very good sales for the March 1st 2nd 3rd the producers have agreed to add a matinee and an evening performance on 28th February 2010 at Theatre Severn Shrewsbury

18th September 2009

“New book almost ready for printers” says Nigel Hinton

The new book written by Nigel Hinton called “Silhouette” a short illustrated history of the Silhouette company is almost ready to be delivered to the printers.

Nigel has spent some of the last three years researching the Silhouette company based in Shrewsbury. Once a major employer in Shropshire for over forty years and now the subject of a musical play written by Chris Eldon Lee to be performed at Theatre Severn Shrewsbury and Market Drayton in November.

The book starts with the origins of the business in 1887 in Cologne through the 1930`s in Paris and London right up to date in Europe. Tracing the Lobbenberg and Blumenau family connections with the company through three generations. The book features the origins of Little X the most successful product in the company`s history. The book also contains stories from the employees and looks at the present products being made in Europe.

The book is priced at £10.00 and can be reserved at Pengwern Books inside St Alkmunds Church in Shrewsbury.

The book can also be reserved by contacting the website and giving your contact email address. You will be kept up to date about progress and availability of the book later in 2009.

15th September 2009

Extra Dates for Play in 2010

We are delighted to announce that the company has agreed to re-run the play on 1st, 2nd and 3rd of March 2010 at Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury so contact the Theatre on 01743 281281 or via the website and book on line. Tickets are selling fast so to avoid being disappointed book now.

5th September 2009

It is with deep regret I have to report the news of the death of Tom Blumenau OBE; the former Chairman and Managing Director of Corsets Silhouette Limited.

He was awarded the OBE in 2002 for his work in the field of Human Rights. He was a supporter of Amnesty International and one of the founders of Prisoners of Conscience.

Tom was born in Cologne on 6th September 1927 had come to England with his family to escape Hitlers persecution in 1938 at the age of 11.

The Blumenau and Lobbenberg family business moved to Shrewsbury whilst London was being bombed and set up a factory on Monkmoor Road and Coton Hill.

After completing his schooling in England he joined the company and then spent time some time in America studying the way the corset business worked there.

He moved to the London sales offices and had joined the board of Corset Silhouette Ltd before it became a public quoted company in March 1959.

It is their family`s story that is the inspiration behind the musical play “Silhouette” that is being performed at Theatre Severn in November.

Chris Eldon Lee and Nigel Hinton visited him in April 2009 and he was very helpful with details, information and insights into the family business.

He was very interested in the project and had given permission to use some of his personal archive in the production.

He will be missed.

31st August 2009

Market Drayton a sellout.

4th August 2009

Theatre Severn Sold Out

13th July 2009

Wace Morgan join project as sponsors

3rd July 2009

Theatre Severn Autumn Brochure launched and huge demand for tickets

6th June 2009

Band members agreed and some rehearsals scheduled

31st May 2009

Casting now completed and rehearsals scheduled

24th May 2009

Nigel and Chris visit Tom Blumenau and Peter Lobbenberg in London and get detailed insights into the history of the company.

15th May 2009

Information for actors attending the audition on Saturday 23rd are available Contact Nigel Hinton for the draft scripts to audition with.

25th April 2009

Audition Date confirmed as 23 May 2009

Auditions at Cross Houses will take place on 23rd May 2009 Please contact us through the website if you intend coming along.

20th March 2009

Due to the high demand for tickets for all performances we have decided to add a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon.

Tickets are available from the Theatre Severn Box Office 01743 281281

15 March 2009

Information for Actors Singers and Musicians is available on a new page of the website

Auditions 23rd May details on new page “Our Policies”

12 March 2009

It was decided to have a matinee performance in Shrewsbury on Saturday 21st November Tickets will be on sale shortly.

10 Feb 2009 – Interviews

Following the coffee morning so many people have offered their stories we are trying to get as much information as possible and see as many people as we can

29 Jan 2009 – Tickets selling fast.

Tickets for all performances are going very quickly already over 50 have been sold for shows at Market Drayton and 150 sold for Shrewsbury performances. Book now to avoid disapointment.