Wooden Windbreak Poles for our Beach Windbreaks are probably one of the most challenging items that we have to source…
So far we have been sourcing windbreak poles from companies which may have ceased to trade with unused warehouse stock, and we were lucky enough to acquire hundreds of unused 1950’s poles made from beechwood as part of the Blackpool Deckchair trove.
Trying to find new poles in this day and age, of the correct size and quality, is more difficult than one would imagine. No UK business that we contacted is geared up to this type of manufacture. Furthermore, any other poles readily available are made of unsustainable poor quality wood from dubious Oriental sources.
When we asked our Indonesian suppliers if they could make new poles for us with the same high spec as our other furniture, the price quoted was not a viable option. However, they came up with a surprising alternative…
Vintage Poles
They have sourced some ready made vintage poles made of a strong native wood of surprising quality and endurance, together with the additional bonus of being the correct width and length. They just needed a point carving at the end like a large pencil, but as luck would have it, they were already painted along the length years ago, in bold horizontal red and white stripes.
Perfect Poles for The Stripes Company
It transpires that they were used for Indonesian Independence Day celebrations each year. Please read the story below as told to us by our lovely suppliers – it is a great provenance for our windbreak poles, and we acquired all that were available! The poles are left in their original worn condition with all the marks and scratches of their long history – stripping them back to the natural wood would have robbed them of all character, and as most of the pole is hidden anyway, we did not think that this was necessary.
We hope that you agree when reading the story below.
Their Story ….
“Every August each year we are remembering the struggle and sacrification of our national heroes in fighting for our national independence.
There are usually celebrations and parades on the street, performing arts and cultural attractions where the boy scouts and students take part.
Together, they create performances like dancing, marching band, theatrical art show, etc using many red and white poles.
The Red and White colours have a very long history.
It is the triumph color of the ancient kingdom named Majapahit. This is once ruling the regions from the Nusantara archipelago until Singapore, and some parts of Malaysia and Cambodia.
This ancient kingdom is located in East Java. They were the biggest and strongest kingdom in Indonesia’s history, even in Southeast Asia.
At that time the archipelago hadn’t been named Indonesia yet but it is Nusantara that means archipelagos.
The Red and White colours then became the legacy or sign of the power of the kingdoms ruling the Nusantara after Majapahit falls, until Indonesia became a republic.
With the spirit of the greatest kingdom, our founding fathers decided to use the Red and White colors as our national flag.
The Flag was first fluttered on the 17th of August 1945 in an independence proclamation event in Jakarta which marks Indonesia’s Independence Day”.
Our New Beach Windbreak Poles
We will now be using these fabulous poles when we make our 4 pole, 5 pole or 6 windbreaks. Available in a variety of our brightly striped fabrics that look wonderful on the Beach or in the Garden.
Each windbreak has a handy pocket (2 on a 6 pole) and a storage/carry bag in matching stripes.