Stephen Merrett & Stephen Nash originally worked in the Renovation Department of the very prestigious tannery, CONNOLLY LEATHER, based in Wimbledon, London. Stephen Nash joined in 1978 & Stephen Merrett in 1984. Whilst there, our duties were mainly in a trouble-shooting capacity, plus maintaining / restoring the upholstery of the various customers their quality hide had been used in over the years.
Many people know about their automotive customers, such as Rolls Royce, Bentley, Aston Martin, Jaguar, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Morgan, etc. They also supplied the Queen's Coronation State Coach, Concorde, House of Commons, House of Lords, The Old Bailey, QE2, British Museum & too many top London hotels, theatres, banks, headquarters & government buildings to count!
Most of CONNOLLY's leather basically had a coloured, surface coating which eventually would dry out, wear, scuff, crack & split if not regularly maintained. We would reapply these worn tannery coatings with the same finishes CONNOLLY had originally used, to give the upholstery a second lease of life at the fraction of the cost of replacement. So was born the term, "CONNOLLISING"; a term they were very protective of!
We left Connolly Leather & London to move to Cheshire to set up LEATHERCARE back in 1988 to bring our vast experience & knowledge to the Northwest. Initially based at a large Rolls Royce, Ferrari & Mercedes dealership in Wilmslow; very soon afterwards, CONNOLLY's made the unprecedented decision to offer us the exclusive licence/franchise opportunity to use their name & products in the North West. We were the only external company to ever be officially granted use of it in their 125 year existence! In 1989, they even posted quarter page adverts in all the major motoring publications of the time!
That was over 30 years ago now, & despite CONNOLLY LEATHER ceasing trading in June 2002, we have tried relentlessly to maintain their name & reputation for high standards. We have aimed to keep their (and their rivals) leather upholstery maintained & restored ever since. We work alongside the top tannery finish suppliers to constantly adapt, develop & improve the quality of our products & service as the industry changes.
Over the last 20 years, we have found that bad results from amateur , or DIY "Connollising" attempts have given the industry a very poor reputation. Be assured, when carried out professionally, the process can truly enhance your tired leather upholstery. Sadly, as the DIY market has expanded, 80% of our workload has gradually evolved in putting poor "attempts" right again for discerning customers, as you may wish to see our Gallery page? Cracking, peeling, flaking, poorly colour matched leather interiors flow through our doors regularly. Some very expensive cars with leather previously coloured with cheap online DIY kits, shoe dyes & even household & car paint, some complete even with grey primer!
We also work alongside a number of time served, highly skilled coach trimmers who can carry out everything from minor stitching/panel/foam replacement, right up to full/partial retrims including carpets, headlining & hoods.
Plus we keep in contact with other useful Connolly Leather related companies, who may be of interest, including
Jonathan Connolly, UK Hide Ltd & Hide Care Ltd.
We are more than happy to discuss, or advise on any maintenance & restoration requirements you may have on your automotive, marine, contract or aviation leather upholstery.
Either telephone, or email with photos?
No other leather renovation company has
Connolly Leather
"tannery" background, training, endorsement, vast experience & knowledge.
Why would you trust your leather upholstery with anyone else?
