Birmingham gold beaters Habberley Meadows, suppliers of gold leaf to memorial masons, carvers and conservators, took advantage of an opportunity to visit the antipodes by joining a Trade Mission to Australia and New Zealand organised by Birmingham Chamber of Industry and Commerce.

Habberley Meadows director Jon Meadows reported: "Although we have had contacts with both Australia and New Zealand for some years, we felt the time was right to expand our customer base over there and reaffirm the need for gold leaf.

"There is still a demand for traditional products and gold leaf skills in every country, and I am pleased that we are able to service those industries."Today\'s communications network is such that doing business with someone half way round the world is as easy as doing business with the monumental mason in the next town."

The internet has helped make communications easier, of course, and Habberley Meadows have their website at the address below.

Habberley Meadows are a family business manufacturing a range of gold leaf products in various carats and thicknesses.

At the turn of the last century Birmingham boasted 150 gold beating firms. Today there is just Habberley Meadows, who are still working to produce a quality product for delivery all over the world.