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A photograph of the construction of a community art workshops at Plattfields Market Garden in Manchester. The image shows the community project using sustainable materials recycled from Stockyard North.

Sustainability: Stockyard North X Manchester Urban Diggers.

By Blog

Creating a More Sustainable Industry.

Stockyard North has a long history of prioritising sustainability and recycling. We recognise the need for a more sustainable future in the creative and screen industries, as a result, a few years ago created a scenery salvage and recycling department at our site in Trafford Park.

A photograph of the construction of a community art workshops at Plattfields Market Garden in Manchester. The image shows the community project using sustainable materials recycled from Stockyard North.

Thankfully sustainability is now a huge priority for the creative industries. In particular ground-breaking organisations such as Albert which provide sustainability support, training, and certification have led the way in reducing the environmental impact of productions. We continue to be inspired by such organisations to continually look at the ways we can help productions reduce their waste and carbon footprint.

When recycling a set from a production we truly let nothing go to waste. Whether it is props to be sent to local charities, creative supplies finding a new home in schools, or scenery broken down and repurposed in new and imaginative ways; we always find a purpose for salvaged materials.

Recycling materials, building relationships.

We are lucky to have many fantastic beneficiaries of our recycling service, however, there is one particular organisation that has had a huge impact on the local community. Platt Fields Market Garden, is a project by the not-for-profit social enterprise Manchester Urban Diggers.  which not only grows and supplies vegetables to the local community but also hosts events and runs a community café.

A photograph of reclaimed wooden and stained glass window panels being used at sustainable garden project, Plattfields Market Garden A photograph of a recycled water drum used at Plattfields Market Garden

Collaborating with Mike Hodson and the team at MUD CIC has been mutually beneficial. For us, it has meant being able to rehome resources to an organisation that shares our ethos. It has also allowed us to utilise materials that otherwise would have been difficult to rehome. For instance, at Platt Fields Market Garden, recycled staging from a TV production was used to build a winter events space, and assorted materials from a film were repurposed to build a new art hut.

We are incredibly proud to work with Mike and the rest of the team at MUD CIC and support their reluctance to buy new materials when so much can be repurposed. Furthermore, we are inspired by their passion for giving community gardens a new lease of life. Our collaboration illustrates that the positive impact of recycling and sustainability initiatives from the creative industries can be immeasurable.

A photograph of an indoor event at Plattfields Market Garden. The event is taking place in their sustainably sourced polytunnel with fairy lights and people sat at picnic benches Sustainably sourced wood photographed at plattfields market garden

If you think your production or company would either benefit from our recycling services or would like to be a trusted beneficiary of our recycled materials, please contact our friendly team.

We look forward to hearing from you or perhaps even seeing you at the lovely Platt Fields Market Garden Café for a cuppa soon!

14. March 2024. Written by Kate White/ Images by Mike Hodson.

Tiled images displayed a selection of vintage beauty salon furniture and props.

New in: Beauty Salon Props.

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Take a look at our new salon setup.

We are excited to have acquired some beautiful retro beauty salon props. All of the items below are available to hire from our Trafford park-based prop house along with a plethora of furniture, smalls, and textiles to compliment any set or event.

If you have any questions about these or anything else from our vast catalogue please get in touch with our friendly team at mail@stockyardnorth.com.

Tiled images displayed a selection of vintage beauty salon furniture and props.

Books for Hire

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From Shakespeare to Law Reports, and everything in between.

Whatever your literary needs we have you covered with our extensive selection of books for hire.

Whether it’s long runs of Law Reports for a police drama, or a curated selection of vintage prose we have got it.

We can hire books out individually, by shelf, or by custom measurements. If it’s colour blocking you need we can also cater for this.

 

For all price enquiries feel free to call us on 0161 872 9206.

 

 

children's coin operated horse ride

New Props in Stock

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The latest additions to our catalogue.

Our vast array of props, set dressing and furniture never stops being curated. We constantly source new items to add to our collection and to increase the availability of props in the North West for productions of any size and budget.

So whether you need a traditional Urn, a laundromat washing machine, or a vintage coin-operated horse called Bess, we always have new props for hire at Stockyard North.

If there is anything you would like to see in stock, do let us know. We are happy to source props if you can’t find what you are after in our collection.

 To enquire about these or any other items please use our contact form or give us a call on 0161 872 9206.

 

cremation boxcoffin standscremation urncream washing machinewrist watch display casestand on for fire bucketschildren's ridelarge prop bull cowprison door bluetool trolleycouncil street cleaning trolleyblack plinthsdisplay case gunSelection of bonesstainless steel handdryer

Display of vintage office dressing. Includes a Marble bust of the greek god Apollo. Wooden index box units and a cream fringed lampshade.

Welcome (back) to Stockyard North.

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And what a few years it has been!

To say it has been a challenging twelve months for the film and TV industry would be putting it mildly. Therefore, as the industry starts gathering steam once again, we want to use the opportunity to introduce (and re-introduce!) ourselves.

So here it goes….

We are Stockyard North. The largest prop house outside of London, and as a result we have a vast array of props, set dressing, and furniture for hire. We stock everything from mid-century modern furniture to prison cell doors. As well as practical vintage lighting and unique smalls.

Our warehouse is home to a myriad of styles to suit any set, production, photoshoot, or event. No project is too big or too small and we enjoy working alongside you to curate orders to fit all budgets.

So whether you are a student wanting that hero prop for your final year film, or a member of a busy Art Department on the next big police drama – we have got you covered.

 

 

How we work

In short – we will work around your needs!

Whilst we encourage people to visit and hand-pick props themselves, we understand that isn’t always possible. As a result, we have a flexible approach and our experienced team can assist with orders via email and phone.

Take a look at our process below, and if there are any questions please contact us.

 

 

It’s not just about the props

We may be known for prop hire but we also offer a handful of complimentary services for your production needs.

Our art department supplies store is always full to the brim of SFX sprays, specialist tapes, adhesives and so much more. We also welcome requests – if we don’t have it in stock we will do our best to source it for you.

Stockyard has been offering scenery salvage and recycling for many years and has a dedicated team who are always available to offer advice, quotes, and assistance with logistics. In an industry that is often wasteful, we are proud of our services in this area.

As a trusted set storage supplier, we can offer bespoke storage needs at our Trafford Park warehouse. This area of our business is often highly sought after however, our team will always do our best to accommodate everyone looking for a personal, reliable, and high-quality storage solution for their production.

 

What are you waiting for?

We are incredibly proud to be a trusted part of the industry in the North West and we pride ourselves on our reliability, professionalism, and passion. As a result, we have an impressive and ever-growing client base and look forward to working on all projects, both big and small.

 

For all of your prop hire and production needs please contact us on

0161 872 9206 or via email at mail@stockyardnorth.com.

handmade vintage doll

NEW ADDITIONS: Unique Handmade Props for Hire.

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Aunt Ena’s Handmade dolls find a new home at Stockyard North.

Written by Kate White.

Two Handmade Dolls dressed as William Shakespeare and Queen Elizabeth. The dolls are stood side by side in their display cabinet.

We often get enquiries from people asking if we would purchase or accept donations of everything from sofas to entire kitchens. As a result, we are able to  provide a varied collection of furniture and props for hire.

Recently we were contacted by a member of the public asking if we could rehome his late Aunts handmade doll collection, and we couldn’t resist.

A silk Embroidery set from the collection of Miss Ena Lynn. A green silk pouch with the hand embroidered word 'embrodery' and a small collection of multi coloured silk thread.

In the 1970s Miss Ena Lynn , from Shirley UK. made this collection of dolls by hand to entertain her friends children.  The dolls are made in the likeness of famous figures throughout history and include Queen Elizabeth and William Shakespeare, as well as Marie Antoinette and Henry IIIV.

Miss Ena’s nephew became the beneficiary of this unique collection and rightfully deemed them too wonderful not to share. Therefore he contacted us to see if we could offer them a home—and in short, we happily obliged!

Display of handmade dolls and a newspaper clipping about their make Miss Ena Lynn.

This collection is  now be part of our prop hire department  and above all, are destined to adorn some of the unique sets created by the wonderful Art Department here in Manchester.

We love to hear about curios a like these and encourage you to get in touch if you think there is something we just cant miss out on!

If you have any queries regarding this new collection give us a call on 0161 872 9206 .

Even better, come in for a peruse of our vast collection and a cup of tea.

 

to hire modern office furntiture

NEW ARRIVALS: Modern Office Furniture

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You asked, we listened.

For the passed few months we’ve been sourcing modern office furniture, to expand our modern office section.

We now have large runs of modern office desks, filing cabinets, waiting chairs, office chairs and tambour units.

Please email or call us for more information.

to hire modern office furntiture

 

 

PROJECT – Who’s That Girl exhibition

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Est.1761 recently commissioned Salford Makers, led by local artist Sally Gilford, to seek out the hidden and neglected stories of those women in the Bridgewater Archive Collections. Sally sought inspiration from the archive’s fascinating documents and information to create a new limited edition collection of work in collaboration with other female makers from Salford Makers.

Launching on the 7th December, the ace range of products will be available to purchase in the Salford Museum shop and are all displayed using a variety of pieces from our warehouse; including various jewellery display pieces, an antique haberdashery counter, a selection of mannequins and a vintage display cabinet lined in velvet.

Do get in touch if you are planning an exhibition or similar and are looking for pieces to display your wares. We have a wide range of display cabinets that are ideal for museum/exhibition display and are more than happy to help advise you on what would be most suitable for your needs. Contact us on 0161 872 9206 or email on toni@stockyardnorth.com.

 

Photos: Joe Smith Photography @joeolismith

Salford Makers

PROJECT – Salford Makers shop fit

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Salford Makers

We recently had the very great pleasure of being asked to help design and fit out a pop-up shop on Chapel Street in Salford for our friends, Salford Makers – a collective of artists, designers, educators and makers. Using a carefully curated selection of our antique furniture and salvaged materials, sourced in our sister business Stockyard North Salvage, we chose a range of pieces to complement the treasures being sold by the Makers.

Salford Makers

After a site visit to the shop, we had great fun picking and staging a range of furniture and salvaged finds to provide the perfect backdrops for their beautiful wares, including: a reclaimed science lab bench to form the central focus of the small shop space with a range of chunky industrial style crates to be used as reconfigurable display units for the main window merchandising display.

We also sourced a slim-line seventies glazed bookcase to fit in a difficult to fill small space behind the entrance way, a lovely slatted wooden double bed for cushion displays and an ace a-frame unit to hang things from in the secondary window area. A small selection of smalls from our shop have also made their way to Salford Makers and are available for purchase; including lots of salvaged science-ware, ideal for unusual floral displays, along with some vintage glassware and ceramic dishes.

The key piece for any shop-fit is always an eye-catching counter/service area and we luckily had recently taken delivery of a huge reclaimed iroko wood shop counter with a light up display panel and super useful storage shelves beneath.

As an extra special feature, we had the total brainwave of using a huge pair of incredible gold frames to act as moveable screens to conceal the built-in kitchen space and we also supplied lots of other finishing touches; including brass jewellery display stands and prop-made display plinths to show off their wares.

Salford Makers

We would absolutely love more shop fit and commercial styling commissions, so do get in touch if you would like to commission our help in sourcing and styling your interiors with our salvage and antique finds.

Give us a call on 0161 872 9206.

All photos – Joe Smith Photography / @joeolismith