Gallery - SPR

Our Gallery

The board that held the names of people who had served the Company for 20years. Originally it was at the Great Titchfield Road site in London--- then moved to at Unwins Bros. at Woking, when that later became the 'Head Office'. It is taken from a photocopy.---- I am 8th down from the top on extreme right. GTC

Board at Head Office with dates of employment going back to 1916

On the left of the picture are the representatives of the company in Japan from whom Staples Rochester purchased the Printa-X.

Steve again with the Printa X delivery. The red lines on the pile of sheets indicated Customer or Special copies. To the right is a four colour Miller TP 36

Tony Styles, Works Director(left)- Supervisor from J.M.Printing Machinery Co Ltd., Japan (centre)- Jim Gilmore, Head Office, (right) in charge of Group Purchasing, at the arrival of the Printa X litho perfector at Love Lane.

Graham Link (Machine Assistant) checking the blankets on inch over on the PX56. In the background is the second Printa X being installed at the Med. City Est. site. This was a PX50.

Steve Want (right) and SOAG Engineer at Med City Estate site plating up on the Printa X. The black square on the printing plate is a sponge that would have been dipped in a pot of gum. This was rubbed across the suface of the plate and the press rollers would have flattened and tesioned it as the machine was inched round. The gum would prevent the ink from the rollers dirtying the plate surface.

The book produced to try to eliminate problems between the Studio/planning, the Machine Room and the Bindery, most of the work on it was done by Dave Southworth the Binding Manager and Geof Curtis Production Manager. I believe that it had a great beneficial impact on production.

This is an equipment and production facility sheet produced at Love lane. Can you date it?

This list produced at Head Office, shows just how many branches there were at one time. As far as I know the only thing left in operation (2010) is the bindery in Bodmin that became MPG Books, which was subsequently subject to a mangement buy out.--------- E.A weeks was a craft and leather binders and went early on, Unwin Bros Woking is a housing Estate and Kettering is covered by a supermarket. Jim Rock left Love Lane to run Kettering and later Paul Dixon left to run Bodmin.-- GTC.

This is a copy of the original sheet produced that was faxed to customers and suppliers to show the position of the new factory, when the move was undertaken from Love Lane to Neptune Close on the Medway City Estate.

This list produced at Head Office, shows just how many branches there were at one time. As far as I know the only thing left in operation (2010) is the bindery in Bodmin that became MPG Books, which was subsequently subject to a mangement buy out.--------- E.A weeks was a craft and leather binders and went early on, Unwin Bros Woking is a housing Estate and Kettering is covered by a supermarket. Jim Rock left Love Lane to run Kettering and later Paul Dixon left to run Bodmin.-- GTC.

Lorry Cox right, Ken Morrist centre and Roy Howe, can you name the lady on the left?

The machine room Love Lane. Bob Woodlands left, Phil Gunningham next to him. Lorry Cox centre (with Glasses) and Eric Rosier behind him. I think next to Lorry, on the right with the cup, it could be Ken Warren.-------In the corner are packets of paper waiting to be loaded into the machine feeder, either reams (500 sheets) or half reams (250 sheets). The machine on the left could be the old 'fly stick' perfector as Bob spent many years on that particular machine. Can you name any of the others?

Barry Cox as father Christmas at the childrens party with Bernard Jacksons daughter. The hand belongs to Kenny Morrist

Love Lane Jolly Boys Outing. Picture from Barry Cox who tells me that Phil Gunningham is front left of it, Eddie Whitnell and Jim Foy at the back. Can you name anyone else?

Lou Blackman right and Lorry Cox seated, at the Rochester Castle wall. Can you name the man on the left?

A very young Lorry Cox. Can you name the man on the left?

Paul Dixon M.D. makes the presentation to Horace 'Ossie' Pocock on his retirement at the Medway City Estate. Amongst those in the background are from the left-- Maurice Kent, George Johnson?, Val Blakeley, Keith Jarrett, Alan Luckhurst.--- 'Lorry' Cox, Pat Grey, Francis Dalton, Wendy and Suzanne are behind Ossie.

Harry Greenland the Machine Room Overseer (left) and Lorry Cox. Harry was a 'rough diamond' who had an amazing feel for colour. Once I was trying to mix up a special green to match for a customers logo and was getting nowhere,----- Harry looked at it and in his gruff voice told me to "put a big dob of pink in it".------- I thought, 'what a twerp'-- but I did it ---AND IT WAS SPOT ON! - GTC.

One of the Childrens Christmas Parties put on by The Social Club or Cida. I am at the back (out of focus thank goodness) in a brown top and I wonder if the girl on the left of the picture is Sylvie Dunn and the guy on the right is Barry Cox.

Eric Rosier right, with the brew and Lorry Cox centre. it looks like it was taken at the back of the Quad Crown feeder. Can you identify the man on the left?

Jim Freeman at his retirement at Love Lane. Under the paper and the balloons is the proofing press that he worked for many years, it is made up into a boat in recognition to the time he spent in the navy.---- Jim had no sense of smell. ----The white parcels top right contain pages of type wrapped up and stored and behind the ladders are the metal 'chases' filled with pages of type to become formes with red labels, ready to go to the printing machines. To Jims left is a metal topped table for type use, called a stone.