REMINISCENCES

Visitors' Contributions - Page One

From Ian Walker of Newbury I have just read "On the Press" and found it utterly fascinating. personally, I know nothing about the old methods of typesetting and as an engineer this really grabbed me. Is there a museum anywhere in which can actually see the mechanics of the process? [REPLY: Yes, you should contact Martin Maw, the OUP Archivist, who will be pleased to show groups around the OUP's fabulous museum.] Though I am Oxford born and lived there until I married in 1965 I never had anything to do with OUP, except that I did date a daughter of Vivian Ridler briefly. I actually went the way that you did not. In 1955 my mother also encouraged me to apply for an apprenticeship at AERE Harwell, from which I went on to a career in electronics. I do remember the aptitude test with the bent wire mentioned in your book but I do not recall the 60-second test....but that was all a long time ago!

From Rob Slaymaker I've just bought "On the Press" and I want to congratulate you on it for bringing back to me so many fond memories of the Press. I've only read the first chapter so far, but I know so many people mentioned in the book and the memories are flooding back from when I was there from 1971 from 1977/78 (I think I must have left just prior to the 500th anniversary!). From the OUP I joined the exodus to the "Rads" for a year, then returned to the printing industry at Oliver and Son in George Street, followed by Bocardo & Church Army Press, Katerprint, FreeNewspapers, CCH Editions (for 17 years, being made redundant from there a year ago), and now Omfax Systems in Bicester.

From Peter Hyde Congratulations on the publication of On The Press. ... I had a brief flirtation with OUP from 1978-80 when I worked in the design studio for the Academic and General Book Division as a young graphic designer. If memory serves, the head of department was Susan Le Roux and my immediate line managers were Bob Elliott and Paul Luna (OUP men through and through). I didn't stay long because the lure of London and magazine publishing enticed me to bright lights and fat-cat wages (the former materialised the latter didn't). However, the time spent at OUP was genuinely an education. I met some very interesting people, some very learned people and some who though they were both but were in fact neither. I certainly learned an enormous amount about design, publishing and printing which has stood me in good stead ever since. I still quote Hart's rules to people who have only ever known type to come from a computer.

From Peter Martin I have read the review of your book in The Times. It sounds great and I intend to order a copy from Smiths. I have also looked at your gallery. I think this is a great idea. I was made redundant after 41 years in the newspaper industry. I started on hot metal Linos and Intertypes. I have loads of photos and memorabilia from Linotypes, Rotary Presses and some of the characters of the last 50 years. Good luck.

From John Randle The Whittington Press Congratulations, I am so enjoying it. As you may know, we have all the OUP Monotype kit at Whittington, and the last proof press to come out of Walton St, on which we completed the last pages of the 1913 Fell prayer book. Harold Dotterill called in a few times, and gave us his seal of approval for sorting it all out. You've done a brilliant job. I've never laughed so much when reading a company history before.