The last Dutch pipe factory

25 March 2020

The renowned factory of Big-Ben pipes, also known by its own name Gubbels, is located in Herten in the vicinity of Roermond. As everyone knows, sales are not going well and so is the production of pipes. Due to the anti-smoke, there are fewer smoking moments, in many places smoking is no longer allowed at all. Inevitably, it is time for Big-Ben to move to a smaller location. Today we visited the factory to see if there was any historical material suitable for our museum. We had an open and honest conversation about the past and the future, with the previous generation also taking a seat. Then a tour around the company, which really is a model of orderliness and efficiency. After returning home a head full of impressions, also a few boxes with old and new pipes and other material for our collection.

News archive