'Floods of tears' on glassware shop's final day

The manager of a well-known glassware company said all of its staff were in "floods of tears" as it finally closed after nearly four decades in business.

Bristol Blue Glass Factory announced back in April that increasing rental costs and fuel prices had created an "overwhelming" financial strain, forcing the company to close.

David Barry, the factory's hot floor manager who has worked for Bristol Blue Glass for 17 years, said: "I am very anxious for the future, the day the furnaces went off, that was the day it really died."

Bristol Blue Glass was set up 38 years ago to re-establish a glass-making tradition which had been lost to the city for more than half a century.

The city was popularly known for bottle-making in the 18th and 19th Century. The last factories closed in 1920 and it was not until Bristol Blue Glass opened in 1988 that the skill was revived.

Its managing director, Suzanne Adlington, said rises in National Insurance and fuel prices had made it harder for energy‑intensive firms to operate.

Barry said the last few weeks of the company's tenure had been a "turbulent time".

"There was so much to sort," he said. "It was so stressful. Breaking down the furnaces is not an easy feat."

He added turning off the furnaces had been like switching off the company's life support.

Barry is hopeful that he can continue to use his skills in some capacity, but is doubtful he will ever have another full-time job making glass.

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