Eve McLaughlin wrote: >They bleached the straw - and there were machines with a ring of holes > >with sharp cutters on which split the straw lengthways, into very narrow splines. I imagine there is an illustraion on the net somewhere. Try Luton Museum to see if they have such a page. > > Thanks, I will. It's kind of cool to think my ancestors were engaged in an important industry back then. :-) Lila. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * An Fhirinne in aghaidh an tSaoil - The Truth Against the World