About Henry
Henry is Britain's most iconic vacuum cleaner, instantly recognisable by its cheerful smiling face and bowler hat design. Made by Numatic International, Henry was born in the mid-1970s at a Lisbon trade show when company founder Chris Duncan MBE dressed up a vacuum with a ribbon, Union flag badge, and chalked-on smile. The amused reactions from passers-by inspired the creation of a proper face design, and in 1981 Henry became the first Numatic model to have its own name on the lid. Numatic was founded in 1969 in the Somerset town of Crewkerne when Chris Duncan identified a need for rugged cleaners to service boilers. Starting with just six employees in a factory smaller than a garage, using an oil drum and washing-up bowl design, the company rapidly expanded. By 1971 they had moved to a watermill in Yeovil, developing commercial vacuums like the NV-2 and NV-250—many of which are still working 30+ years later. Further moves to Beaminster in 1974 and finally Chard, Somerset established their current manufacturing base. Since 1981, over 14 million Henry vacuums have been produced, making him a genuine British institution. The Henry family has expanded to include Hetty (pink with eyelashes, launched 2007 for female customers), Harry (green for pet owners, originally Henry Hound from 2003), and James (yellow professional model). Henry holds a unique distinction: he is the only mass-produced consumer vacuum cleaner still manufactured in Britain, with all units built, tested, and packed in the UK. Genuine Henry accessories including dust bags are available at UK supermarkets like Asda. Using authentic Numatic parts ensures optimal performance and maintains the vacuum's legendary reliability—those original steel machines from the 1970s are still going strong, testament to quality British engineering.