50. The Knitted Polo Shirt

50. The Knitted Polo Shirt

From The Factory Next Door by Steve Duke

April 21, 2026 · 36 min

About this episode

The episode explores the history and craftsmanship of John Smedley’s knitted polo shirt, featuring insights from Managing Director Jess McGuire Dudley.

When you’ve been learning your craft for almost two and a half centuries, you can confidently call yourself ‘the world’s finest’. John Smedley have been making their knitwear in Derbyshire since 1784. Number 50 on our list of the greatest things we make here is The Knitted Polo Shirt. On this week’s The Factory Next Door we head to Matlock to visit John Smedley’s historic Lea Mills. Managing Director Jess McGuire Dudley gives us a tour as she reflects on her first year in charge. We hear why there’s a renewed interest in apprenticeships at the factory, consider the therapeutic qualities of linking, discover which job requires the steadiest hand, and chat about collaborating with actor Bill Nighy. Say hello on Instagram @thefactorynextdoor The Factory Next Door is supported by AVEVA, a leader in industrial intelligence.  Sign up to their bi-weekly newsletter about manufacturing here: www.aveva.com/factory Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Steve Duke

Guest: Jess McGuire Dudley

Topics covered

  • knitwear
  • apprenticeships
  • manufacturing
  • craftsmanship
  • collaboration
  • business leadership

Keywords

  • knitted polo shirt
  • John Smedley
  • apprenticeships
  • craftsmanship
  • manufacturing
  • Bill Nighy

Sponsors

AVEVA

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: John Smedley

Places: Derbyshire, Matlock, Lea Mills

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