About

Veronica Main’s journey with straw began in the 1970s when she discovered her fascination for this art material through making corn dollies. Realising that she wanted to share her love of straw, she trained as an adult learning teacher, resulting in a teaching qualification from the University of Wales. Having developed a successful business selling at craft fairs around the U.K. and teaching straw work in the USA, Europe and around the U.K., in the 1980s she started to research straw plaiting for the hat industry.

In the New Year’s Honours List 2021 she was awarded an MBE for her services to Straw Plaiting for the Hat Industry and Endangered Crafts.

Luton is the U.K. centre for the straw hat industry and so it was natural for her research to begin there. Wardown House Museum and Gallery has the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of straw plait and braids, hats, tools and machinery as well as a comprehensive paper archive. 

The then Principal Keeper, Marian Nichols embraced Veronica’s enthusiasm, enabled access to the collections and assisted her learning. Within two years Veronica was appointed the museum’s Straw Plaiter in Residence. With Marian she co-curated four highly successful exhibitions featuring the museum’s extensive collections of straw work objects.

Hats are still made in Luton today and from the beginning of her research Veronica was a frequent visitor to the town’s manufacturers and suppliers, some of whom took her under their wing and encouraged her learning. Happily these highly valued friendships continue today.

Passing on knowledge of the industry and it’s heritage has always been central to Veronica’s work. She has taught and lectured around the U.K., the USA and throughout Europe. After completing an MA in Museum and Gallery Studies, majoring in the History of Costume and Textiles, early in the 2000s she was appointed as a curator for Luton Culture. Perhaps not surprisingly a large part of her role was to look after and develop the Hat Industry and Headwear collection which was her dream career. She stayed in that role until her retirement in 2015. Retirement hasn’t ended her passion for the subject and she continues to work as a forensic curator sharing her original and often groundbreaking research. She also continues to teach and promote straw work in all its forms, and to mentor upcoming makers.

Veronica has also rigorously researched the links between the Swiss straw materials manufacturing industry and its links to Luton, working closely with Schweizer Strohmuseum, Wohlen and many very talented Swiss straw workers who are seeking to continue the traditional Swiss skills. She has also worked with Caroline Felber, hat designer and maker based in Luzern. Her research resulted in the publication of Swiss Straw Work - Techniques of a Fashion Industry which is regarded as the most authoritative book on the subject. The book was translated into German and published the same year with the title Zauberhaftes Stroh.

Her authoritative book, Straw Plaiting Heritage Techniques for Hats, Trimmings, Bags and Baskets was published by Herbert Press, part of Bloomsbury, and there can be no doubt that it is fast becoming the subject’s must-have reference book since it includes international histories with making and instructions for recreating traditional hat plaits. She now developing and sharing ways to make these old techniques available to a wide new diverse audience so the skills are kept current and alive.

Her thirst for knowledge has taken her on research trips to many places in Europe as far as Transylvania and the USA. Undiminished in her retirement Veronica continues to research, write, advise and appear on TV, including twice on Countryfile most recently where she returned to her roots, talking about harvest tokens (corn dollies) and helping the presenter, Helen Skelton, to make a love token. Previous TV appearances include Made in Great Britain, Countryfile, Flog it, Heir Hunters and Look East all of which featured her demonstrating hat plaiting and talking about various aspects of the straw hat industry. In March 2021, she appeared on ITV Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh where she talked about the heritage industry of straw plaiting and involved Alan in plaiting. More recently she appeared on Celebrity Antiques Road Trip and a yet to be released episode of No Place Like Home with Amanda Abbington.

Radio interviews include BBC Women’s Hour on Radio 4 and many for local radio stations including BBC Three Counties and other independent regional stations, which have recently invited Veronica to discuss the status of straw plaiting as an Endangered Craft, and the current pressures on the UK hat industry created by the pandemic.