James Hardy
James Hardy is the last of a long line of Hardys involved in the firm his grandfather and great uncle founded over a century ago and is the last direct link between the company and the founding family. James is the son of one of the late joint Managing Directors, William Hardy.
After finishing his education at Uppingham in 1944, he served with the Derbyshire Yeomanry in North Africa and the 15th/19th King’s Royal Hussars in Palestine. In 1948 he undertook a special engineering apprenticeship with Vickers Armstrong in Newcastle-upon-Tyne before joining Hardys, where he spent a year ‘working at the bench’ and learning the ropes in various departments. He then studied work study engineering before setting up the company’s own Work Study Department. He joined the board in 1959 as Works Director and shortly after the firm was bought by the Harris and Sheldon Group was appointed Marketing Director.
Like all Hardys, he is a fervent and very knowledgeable fisherman, having been first introduced to the sport at the age of seven. A formidable competition caster, he won three Professional Casting Championships and took thirty-five British and Allcomers Professional Casting records.
He retired from the company in 1992, after forty-four years. He and his wife Gwynne, also a keen angler, live a few miles from Alnwick, in his beloved Northumberland countryside. They have two children, Roy and Rona.
His history of the Hardy company, The House the Hardy Brothers Built, was published by Medlar in 2006.
After finishing his education at Uppingham in 1944, he served with the Derbyshire Yeomanry in North Africa and the 15th/19th King’s Royal Hussars in Palestine. In 1948 he undertook a special engineering apprenticeship with Vickers Armstrong in Newcastle-upon-Tyne before joining Hardys, where he spent a year ‘working at the bench’ and learning the ropes in various departments. He then studied work study engineering before setting up the company’s own Work Study Department. He joined the board in 1959 as Works Director and shortly after the firm was bought by the Harris and Sheldon Group was appointed Marketing Director.
Like all Hardys, he is a fervent and very knowledgeable fisherman, having been first introduced to the sport at the age of seven. A formidable competition caster, he won three Professional Casting Championships and took thirty-five British and Allcomers Professional Casting records.
He retired from the company in 1992, after forty-four years. He and his wife Gwynne, also a keen angler, live a few miles from Alnwick, in his beloved Northumberland countryside. They have two children, Roy and Rona.
His history of the Hardy company, The House the Hardy Brothers Built, was published by Medlar in 2006.
