What is an Epaulette?

A. A small woodland creature, native to Canada

B. The French word for an ‘Estate Agent’

C. An ornamental shoulder decoration

Well of course the answer is C, those other options were ridiculous. But I had never heard of them before joining GF Europe. Now I have become somewhat of an expert in all things epaulette related. Everyone has seen an epaulette before but do not necessarily know what they are called or the purpose they serve. It’s time to change that with some epaulette education!

An ‘Epaulette’ is a general term for a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. They are fastened to the shoulder strap parallel to the shoulder seem.

It is thought that the earliest form of epaulette were ‘pteruges’; decorative skirts of leather worn by ancient Roman soldiers on both their waists and shoulders. But the real origin of the epaulette can be traced back to the 17^th Century. They were originally bunches of ribbons on military coats, serving both a decorative and functional purpose as they prevented shoulder belts from slipping. This established the basic design and it then evolved over the following centuries.

Random Fact: 'Monkey handles' were a common 19th Century slang term for epaulettes that developed in British colonies of the African sub continent. British officers would often take baby monkeys as pets and the monkeys would commonly seize the epaulettes as a means of hanging on to their owner. This behaviour mimicked their holding onto parents in the wild, isn’t that lovely?!

These days epaulettes are less decorational, you won't see many big gold epaulettes with bullion fringe when your out and about. They are now mainly used for ceremonial purposes. You will however have seen the rather more discrete 'shoulder board' or 'slider epaulette'. These are used in all sorts of organisations; including the police, military, paramedics, security officers and border patrols just to mention a few. They clearly show the public their level of rank and authority over both subordinates and in some cases the general public.

At GF we have 30 years of making epaulettes giving us the experience and expertise to meet all your requirements, from supply and customisation through to branding, we can do it all. We make epaulettes for all sorts of organisation that serve the people of this nation from paramedics to security guards.

If you have any questions or queries about our epaulette making service or would like to discuss specific designs with our friendly team then get in touch today, call GF on 02920 755733 today and we will run through all your requirements and advise on the best options available to you.

Many of us here at GF Europe are avid Cardiff City supporters and the news pre-season was somewhat of a shock. The new Malaysian owners decided to completely rebrand the club leaving many supporters with both red faces and red shirts. The move followed after several discussions between club directors and Malaysian investors Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Dato Chan Tien Ghee. The changes were introduced as part of "major and significant" investment by the Championship club's Malaysian owners.

The idea behind the rebranding was to exploit and maximise the ‘Cardiff City’ brand and commercial revenues in the growing Asian markets. The rebranding provoked disappointment and anger among many fans of the club. Many supporters refused to reorder season tickets; one fan even went as far as to auction off his support on ebay to any other football club. The badge was also changed from the traditional 113 year old bluebird crest to a red dragon with the phrase ’Fire and Passion’ underneath it.

The reaction from the city fans showed that despite serious financial gain they would rather keep tradition; wearing blue with the embroidered bluebird badge on the left chest. This goes to show how important a badge is to people. A lot of memories and meanings can be assigned to a badge; the Bluebird badge was worn when we won the F.A cup in 1927. The Bluebird badge was also worn when we were growing up and supporting the team as children. The Bluebird crest gave everyone a sense of belonging; it represented the history and tradition of the club. But that is no longer! 

But this season is the start of a new stronger Cardiff City team both on the pitch and financially. Although the badge has changed, we are still the same club. We have the same supporters, the same team and the same history. I’m sure the phrases ‘Cardiff City Redbirds’ or ‘Fire and Passion’ will not stick in a hurry. But a fresh start has given Cardiff City FC a new lease of life and we are currently sitting pretty at the top of the table.

At GF we supply many teams with badges; creating a sense of pride in the community. Badge making is a skill we have developed over thirty years. We produce quality computer programs which deliver high class designs using only the very best materials.  For a high quality, low cost badge making service then call GF today on 02920 755733, visit our eshop or send an email to info@goldenfinishes.com. 

Here at GF Europe we specialise in providing high quality printed sashes for a wide range of uses. You may most commonly associate a printed sash with a group of rowdy women wearing them on a hen night emblazoned with some sort of flirty and often vulgar statement. But the traditional message behind the sash is as far from ‘Naughty Nikki’s Hen Do’ as possible. Sashes are traditionally worn as part of formal military attire and are part of most European royal families regalia.

Sashes are also part of many traditions such as military orders like the French Legion of Honour; they award a sash as part of their most senior grades. Sashes are also used in Latin America and parts of Africa where the President will wear a special presidential sash to indicate their authority. It is also commonplace for many public authorities and local officials in France and Italy to wear sashes featuring the national flag tricolours.

Admittedly it is not very often we have European royalty placing an order with us, but sashes are still worn ceremonially in many less traditional and more modern activities. There are many weird and wonderful modern uses for a sash.  They are used in many schools of Chinese martial arts to denote rank as opposed to the Japanese system of using belts. They are also used to indicate achievement in the United States with sashes being worn at higher education commencement ceremonies. You may also be more familiar with their use in beauty pageants and in the boy and girl scouts.

These are just some uses for sashes that have a more ceremonial and less practical use. But sashes are a very versatile item of clothing and we can produce them for any and every occasion. They can be used to set you apart from others, convey a message and give you a sense of camaraderie when showing support for a charity or local project.  Or indicate to customers that there is a sale or promote a new product in the retail environment.

These are just some ideas of uses but we would love to hear more from you. If you are in need of sashes whether printed or blank then contact GF Europe today for high quality and competitively priced sashes. With 20 years’ experience selling and personalising sashes, we are expertly placed to fulfil an order of any size. Please call us on 02920 755 733 or send us an email at info@goldenfinishes.com .

It’s being described as one of the greatest and most dramatic comebacks in sporting history. After the US took a commanding lead at the start of the competition the result of the event looked inevitable. But the European team captained by Spaniard Jose Maria Olazabal had other ideas. The team captain was tactically brilliant.  By front-loading the strongest players for the Sunday singles matches, Olazabal helped Europe build the momentum that was desperately needed going into the last day. This momentum was almost lost in a dramatic turn of events as Rory McIlroy was nearly disqualified for missing his tee-off time. He had got his time wrong and was rushed to the course in an unmarked police car. McIlroy then went on to win a crucial point with his victory over American Keegan Bradley.

Before the event the European team weren’t given a chance by many. But with an extraordinary performance the team managed to overturn a 10-6 deficit to defeat the United States by 14½ points to 13½ points on a thrilling final day in Chicago. They had retained the cup they won in Wales two years ago. The victory was dedicated to the captain’s compatriot and close friend, the late Seve Ballesteros. The overzealous and over confident American golf fans who had once shouted ‘Get in the hole’ after every US tee shot had now been silenced. Instead they were left despondent and disappointed. The US players left the course with their heads in their hands.

But the victory was sweet for team Europe and their fans, including GF’s John Sheppard and Nigel Cames who had travelled over to Medinah Country Club to watch the event. The smug pair were kitted out in GF custom polo shirts and fleeces, embroidered with the European teams logo. The custom clothing helped them stand out from the star and stripe clad Americans. Accompanied with the beaming smiles post victory it was very clear who they were there to support.

We have received today a great testimonial from Mr Alan Soloman from Actwell International Ltd. 

Recently we order a number of iron on transfers for shirt with our company logos on. When received the finish was absolutely brilliant with a wonderful delivery service having the goods to us within 2 working days of confirming the order. Prior to order confirmation we were sent an electronic version to show the product. Finally I phone to confirm the method of attaching them to the shirts and was given advice in a pleasant and helpful manner by Suzanne. If all companies supplying products were like this business would be a much easier place. Please carry on the good work. A picture of the transfer on the shirt will shortly be available at our website www.actwellintl.co.uk

Once again many thanks

Alan S Soloman - Managing Director

Actwell International Ltd.