Comments on: Gary Arber, Printer

By: Chris Sawyer

Chris Sawyer — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 17:50:09 +0000

Well, Gary, your old Heidelberg 10×15 is located in one of me sheds after taking stall apart, lifting it through a hatch in floor with Graham Pressman, I use it two or three times a week sometimes more, printing , die-cuttting, cutting and creasing, of all the platens I have operated, this, albeit the oldest, it is sweets as a nut, I love it, wife cannot understand my passion for letterpress printing. It has found it’s one in the village of Holbrook in Suffolk, the young children come round every now and then to watch it working when hear me working.

By: Antony Hart

Antony Hart — Thu, 22 Sep 2022 11:47:51 +0000

Hi G.A.
I just tried emailing Gary Arber but got a fail on his old address. Do you know how he and Ruby are?

By: Neil D

Neil D — Sun, 24 Jan 2021 17:06:40 +0000

The shop closed May 2014. I was living around the corner at the time. I went in only once, it happened to be the day Gary was preparing to remove the print press he used for the Suffragettes material. He told me it was going to a museum. He went on to explain how the shop was about to close because of council parking restrictions and increased business rates (he had posted this information for all to see on the outside of the shop). I enjoyed the unexpected history lesson – not bad seeing as I was only looking for a bit of bubble wrap. I hope Gary is doing well.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Sun, 01 Sep 2019 07:36:00 +0000

Sad to know it’s long gone, but thank you for sharing the memories.

By: Eric Forward

Eric Forward — Thu, 29 Aug 2019 02:13:31 +0000

Ha ha! You got me with that last line GA – ‘you would rather not know’.

By: David Tarrant

David Tarrant — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 20:29:43 +0000

Dear Gentle Author, your masterclass in the use of the english language to communicate the wonders of a bygone age is indeed a wonder to behold and also a humbling experience. Respect!

By: Paul Loften

Paul Loften — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 12:28:15 +0000

Gary is a polymath and that makes him always interesting to read. and that is apart from his own local hstory and knowledge. His visit to the National Physics Lab in the 1950’s where he first saw a computer that could play chess brings back memories. My father was the editor of the Civil Service Chess Handbook /Magazine in the 1960s. He was a Chess lover and taught me how to play from five years old . He died in 1981 before computers had really made their impact but he once said to me that the one thing that computers will never do is to beat a human at chess .There are too many tatcical variations . Little did he know I often play an online computer but cant get a win past level 7 unless I cheat and take back moves . One day I will win, then take it for recycling

By: Steve Hanscomb

Steve Hanscomb — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 10:08:52 +0000

The shop has gone now. It’s a homeware shop now. Super article. I do hope that all that history didn’t just end up in a skip.

By: David Harrison

David Harrison — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 09:56:40 +0000

No unfortunately Gary retired a few years ago, I think his old shop is a tattoo parlour now.
wonderful to re-read the Gary Arber blog, he is a real character, full of stories, anecdotes and wisdom.
I went into the shop a few times and shared with him a love of bird watching (just one of his extraordinary range of interests) and particularly the birds he’d seen in the re-wilded garden at his home. ahead of the trend as always, and be-moaned the decline of species in the East End.
I had the honour of painting a portrait of him; that I’m pleased to say he liked.

By: Mathilde Grange

Mathilde Grange — Wed, 28 Aug 2019 09:35:57 +0000

A Heidelberg! They were fantastic, glorious! Happy third birthday Wednesday.