How I Beat The Odds: Cressida Granger of lava lamp pioneer Mathmos
Cressida Granger, owner and MD of lava lamp specialists Mathmos, on almost going out of business, and why she's keeping manufacturing in the UK.
I was selling vintage furniture from a market stall in the 1980s when I first came across lava lamps, in an old box. At the time they were really unfashionable, but I loved them.
My then business partner and I approached the inventor, Edward Craven Walker, and asked if we could buy the formula to make our own lamps. He said: 'Why don't you come and take over the business instead?' And that was that.
