Comments on: At W. F. Arber & Co Ltd, Printing Works

By: Tom Old

Tom Old — Fri, 25 Jul 2014 20:10:30 +0000

To all the people who have discovered one of life’s last true eccentrics, and without doubt the nicest ! my dear old friend Gary Arber,
I have known Gary for roughly fifty years now, and love him like an elder brother,
Its only Now, that Gary has retired, that I am going to tell you all out there, Half of a Secret , that only two or three people in the Whole World now about !

Over forty years ago, whilst purchasing fluorescent coloured sheets of cardboard that I used to buy from Gary , to put on the windscreens of the cheap (very cheap ) second hand cars that I used to sell every Saturday on the corner of Lyal Road, the street facing Gary’s shop, and where I lived for twenty four happy years,
It was whilst buying the cardboard that Gary said, Tom , I’m going to tell you a secret that very few people in the world know !!!!!!!!, He then told me his Secret,
I wasn’t born with the name Gary ! it was Never my real name !!!!!, he then told me that he had never liked his real name, and when he was a teenager he decided to call himself Gary, after one of his favourite film stars, —–Gary Cooper ! He then laughed and said to me, I shall give you a week or two , and the next time you call, tell me if you have guessed my real name ! and he challenged me that I never would !!!!!!, as I left his shop, he again laughed and said, You will Never guess it !!!!! Gary was right, I never guessed it, and neither will ANY of you !
Gary eventually told me his real birth name, and so, I’m going to ask you All, if you can keep a Secret ??, Well, So can I, !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Best wishes to you all, and wishing Gary a well deserved happy retirement,

from his friend, Tom Old

By: Kieran

Kieran — Tue, 13 May 2014 19:25:24 +0000

I’m surprised a movement hasn’t been made to save the shop.

By: Nicholas Birchall

Nicholas Birchall — Thu, 31 May 2012 09:06:46 +0000

I admire crafts men, determination and the massive fount of knowledge they have.

The machines, type and ancillary equipment of the old letterpress era do indeed
have at least their own character, if not soul.

By: TokyoDon

TokyoDon — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:49:08 +0000

Would be great to hear more stories like the ones above from Gary. Hope the Gentle Author can make another visit one day soon!

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 14:24:57 +0000

Hi Gentle Author
I was surprised when making my daily visit to your site to find that it featured me.
I notice that you refer to the back room as the “trimming room”, the mighty Furnival would be very upset to be called a “trimmer” he cuts with great ferocity, we call the room the “cutting room” , You will notice that I called the machine “him”, We printers think that the machines have souls and know what we think, Fred Carter who used to run the Supermatic press hated his machine and thought that it watched him and put a sheet around the rollers if he turned his attention elsewhere, Alfie Watts who ran the Heidleberg platen used to whistle the German national anthem if his press played up, to pacify it. I am glad that you enjoyed your visit.
Happy new year
Gary

By: jane petrie

jane petrie — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:42:28 +0000

Really great post and photo’s.