Stephen Wilson’s Lister Shearing Experience

Stephen Wilson, the proud recipient of Ulster Wool’s 2023 Training & Development Programme, recently visited Lister Shearing.

After the visit, Stephen expressed to us that he was thoroughly impressed. He was especially fascinated by the equipment and is excited about the possibility of joining a scouring tour in the future. We caught up with Stephen to see what else he has been doing this year. 

Take a look at what he had to say below!

“During the summer, I travelled to a number of sheep shearing competitions alongside my day job as a swimming teacher. At some of these competitions, I have acted as a timekeeper and helped with wool packing. Even if I’m not very successful, I enjoy watching and assisting, as this gives me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who share similar interests and learn different techniques, which will hopefully help me become a better shearer. I am always grateful to those at the shows who assist by taking care of my pen and to those who offer advice or help in any way to improve my shearing and wool handling. 

At the end of August, I was invited to tour the Lister factory to learn about the shearing equipment they manufacture. Our group was shown the various processes that different products go through on the production line to become usable items. 

The tour was interesting. Most of the equipment I use is made by Lister, so it was quite fitting to see how the equipment is made. I enjoyed watching the various pieces of equipment take shape as they progressed through the production line. The main highlight for me was seeing some shearing combs that had been rejected from the production line. These combs had minor faults, but it was reassuring to see that they would not leave the factory. 

Whilst in England, I also visited Salts Mill, a historic building that was once home to a large textile manufacturing business. The scale of it was simply breathtaking, and I enjoyed reading about the activities that once took place in the building, especially those involving wool. 

I am already thinking about what I would like to do and achieve next summer regarding shearing. I hope to find a local shearing contractor who can provide me with a few days of experience shearing larger flocks, as this is something I lack when working with hobby flocks. The Training & Development Programme has given me a deeper appreciation for wool and a desire to learn more about the wool processing industry. I would like to visit a wool scouring plant and observe some downstream manufacturing processes to see the end product. My long-term goal is to advocate for the widespread use of wool.”