Largest pair of gloves ever made in Torrington

What is believed to be the largest pair of gloves ever made by a local firm has been supplied by Sudbury’s Gloves Ltd. to the King of Tonga in the South Pacific. Made in grey nylon fabric for use on formal occasions, they measured 6 inches across the palm. The average man’s palm measures 3½ to 3¾ inches.

King Taufa’ abau the Fourth of Tonga stands about six feet five inches tall and weighs some 25 stone. He succeeded his mother, the late Queen Salote who won so much affection from the British people when she attended the Queen’s coronation.

Because of their exceptional size, the gloves had to be hand-cut at Sudbury’s Torrington factory by Mrs Sylvia Gilbert (above) one of their most experienced workers as their set of knives could not be used to do so.

Gazette article 1 March 1974