British Council Logo UK Films Database
Project Detail

The Lost World of Mr Hardy

Synopsis

'Mister Jim' is how the employees respectfully addressed their boss Jim Hardy, the last Hardy to work in the family business and now retired. It was Jim's Grandfather and Greatuncle, who in 1873 opened a small shop in the far north of England. Both passionate fisherman, they invented fishing tackle and began to sell it. Their skill, devotion, and innovative marketing strategies allowed them to conquer the world. The name Hardy's has now been synonymous with fishing for 130 years. Vintage Hardy's handmade tackle stirs the heart of many a fisherman with Prince Charles amongst the enthusiasts, these are now prized collectors items.
Today the skills involved in hand made fishing tackle are dying although the company does survive. Under Hardy's and Grey, Richard Sanderson, current managing director has adapted the company to the modern world, made redundancies and transferred most of the production to China.

Mister Jim takes us on a journey through fast fading times to recreate this charming old family business loved the world over. We follow through changing times and the struggle to survive as a sustainable business in a modern world. Are the original values the Hardy Brothers held dear all now lost in our modern world of capitalist globalisation?
 

Details

Year
2007
Type of project
Features
Running time
80 mins
Format
HiDef
Director
Andy Heathcote, Heike Bachelier
Producer
Heike Bachelier, Andy Heathcote
Editor
Heike Bachelier
Director of Photography
Andy Heathcote

Categories

Fiction Documentary

Production Status

Complete

Production Company

Trufflepig Films

4 Manor Cottages
Selmeston
East Sussex BN26 6XB
UK

T +44 (0)13 2381 1977

heike@trufflepigfilms.co.uk

Sales Company

Trufflepig Films

4 Manor Cottages
Selmeston
East Sussex BN26 6XB
UK

T +44 (0)13 2381 1977

sales@trufflepigfilms.co.uk

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

Suggest amendments

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

Elenya, the self-proclaimed Elvish Princess, sitting at Hackney Marshes. The Lost Princess of Hackney

Director: Fenton Dyer

Year: 2026

A self-proclaimed Elvish Princess finds herself stranded on our world in the Hackney Marshes. Without any magic to return home, she searches for purpose but develops an unlikely friendship with a sceptical student filmmaker.

Fantasy
Rehearsals for a Revolution Rehearsals for a Revolution

Director: Pegah Ahangarani

Year: 2026

Through five portraits of relatives and mentors, five expressions of resistance, director Pegah Ahangarani sketches her life story. Drawing from personal archives, home videos, street protests footage, newspapers, and recorded voices, she retraces more than 40 years of Iran’s history. From the early days of 1979, until the war that began in 2026, she pieces together intimate and collective memories, forming the portrait of a country shaped by political repression and in constant hope for a revolution. Official Selection Cannes Film Festival 2026 - Special Screenings Official Selection Telluride Film Festival 2026

History Human Rights Woman Director
man seen from behind carrying a bottle/missile Stop the boats

Director: Aneel Ahmad

Year: 2027

Overwhelmed by grief and anger, a distraught parent arrives at a mosque with a makeshift firebomb, intent on seeking revenge against those believed to be responsible. But as they confront the imam outside the mosque, an unexpected conversation challenges the hatred and begins to unravel the lies fed.

Asian Drama