IN November 1964 the Singer plant at Clydebank – already the world’s largest sewing-machine factory, with 7,000 tons of machines being exported from the port of Glasgow the previous year alone – began to modernise and diversify, opening a new main £4m factory building. New electric sewing machines in pastel colours were also introduced, as a new generation of customers was sought.

In Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, the company had a long-established, popular showroom; Here, two customers are being shown how to operate a knitting machine.