THE SUNDAY POST November 19 th 2006

All because his kids wanted warm feet in their wellies!

It only took twenty minutes on a freezing cold day last March for sheep farmer Simon Wood to come up with the answer to a problem that has beset youngsters since time began.

How to keep your feet warm in wellies!

Simon (45) tends 300 breeding ewes on 150 acres of rich grazing land at Hillfield Farm, in picturesque Walton, Cumbria.

“I’ve four young children and they were all out with me on the farm on a chilly day during lambing time earlier this year,” he explains.

“After standing for about twenty minutes they began to complain that their feet were freezing, despite wearing thick socks inside their wellies.”

Cosy

Chloe (6), Isabel (4), and two and a half year old twins Archie and Tom were wearing traditional unlined welly boots and the foursome were far from happy.

“I’ve been wearing neoprene lined boots for about six years and my feet are always cosy in them,” say Simon.

Neoprene is the type of insulating material that keeps scuba divers warm when they are diving in freezing conditions. It is also used for fishermen’s waders and in the industrial world for insulating cables, etc.

Once the kinds were tucked up in bed that night, Simon and his wife Clair, set about browsing the internet to find a stockist of lined wellies for their children.

Amazingly, all their enquiries drew a blank. However, they e-mailed a company in China that made adult sized neoprene-lined wellies asking if they made children’s versions.

“They replied saying no-one had ever asked. But they said they could produce some samples to let me see what they could do.

That’s when the idea sparked. If no-one could supply them here then why not get them made and imported here myself?”

Simon could find no-one in the UK prepared to take on the contract, so after a bit of business research he decided importing from China was the best way to go.

In May he flew out to the Far East to visit the factory and meet up with the company director he’d chatted to by e-mail.

Happy

“I wanted to make personal contact as by this time I planned to start an on-line business and sell children's wellies myself,” explained Simon. “I met up with the sales people and built up a working relationship. Back home I designed the range along with Clair and The Warm Welly Company was born.”

Simon continues, “We decided on three colours – pink, blue and green, all in bright shades, and we had the perfect testers! The children tried out the first batch and announced they were happy wearing them as their feet were nice and cosy.”

Simon also did a business start up course at a local college to learn the basics of importing, marketing websites and PR.

A few weeks later the newly crowned company director and advertising manager flew out again to finalise the arrival of the very special wellies in the UK.

In September 6,000 pairs of brightly coloured boots with a moulded sole for extra grip arrived at the farm. Initial sales are going well. They sell at £14.99 a pair up to a size 2 and are proving to be the answer to every parents nightmare.

And it’s not just Mums and Dad’s who have shown an interest.

Simon continues, “A researcher from the Paul O’Grady show phoned to ask for a pair to be sent to them. I hope they show them on air as that would be a great start for us.

I enjoy farming. It’s a great way to bring up a family. But a farm this size isn’t economically viable so I have to look at other ways to get an income. So hopefully the wellie business will take off as well and help out financially