Cheshire East mayor Coun Judy Snowball recently visited Curtains and Comfort Interiors in Alsager to meet the family team behind one of the town’s long-established businesses.
Coun Snowball met business owner John Steele, his wife Beverley, his son Jack and Mr Steele’s nephew Lewis Jones to hear more about the company’s history, its family heritage, and how it had continued to grow and adapt over the years.
Curtains and Comfort Interiors traces its roots back to the 1960s, when Harry Steele founded the original business, Tower Furnishings, in nearby Tunstall.
With four young children to support alongside his wife Sheila, Harry made the decision to strike out on his own, building a business around his passion for upholstery and furniture repairs.
He moved the family to Alsager and rented premises on Crewe Road, where he continued to develop the business.
The former shop unit is now Indian Heaven, a restaurant that John and his family still visit.
John said: “When I walk in, memories still flood back of being a child and watching my dad sew, pleat and trim – sometimes under a magnifying glass to get the detail just right.
“I remember making buttons, stripping furniture and hiding in the fabric rolls.
“My dad would be very proud to see his grandsons working in the industry.”
Harry died in 2012, and John took over the reins from his father.
John said the mayor’s visit was “a huge boost”, adding: “My dad would have been proud to see what we’ve done with the business, and so would my mum.”
