There’s life after printing, or so the story goes, but only if you stay in touch with your industry friends. That's the rationale behind the UK-based association for retired printers, Old Friends. The NSW branch was given the nod a few years ago.
On Tuesday night it hooked up with the LIA, the Press Gang and the Penrith Museum of Printing for dinner and a night of nostalgia, reminisces and delight in recalling a few old grudges.
What do you do if a major, well-known printer refuses to pay your bills for printing rendered? If you’re Jim Richardson, formerly of MacArthur Press, you ask politely for a few months but he tells you the customer hasn’t paid him yet. Then the customer pops his head around the door, asking if you have the film for the job. He wants a reprint and he’s paid the aforesaid major, well-known printer a couple of months ago.
So you summon up a couple of mates: one of imposing stature to accompany you to the interview; the other to park his cement mixer next to the swanky limo parked outside.
“So what, what are you going to do about it?” barks the major, well-known printer.
“C’mon over here,” sez Jim. “You see that bloke with the cement mixer? You see that car? That’d be yours. What do you think I’m going to do about it?”
A quick signing of a cheque minutes later and it’s done and dusted. Laugh! And that was the second time Jim got the better of the same major, well-known printer.
There you have just a taste of the tall tales and true, the well-honed personal histories and the oft times humorous recollections that are the reason for being of the Old Friends. Under the smooth interviewing style of Scott Telfer, three notables of the printing industry from former time recalled their progression through the ranks: Cliff Garrett, Des Hayes, and the redoubtable Jim Dickerson.
Cliff ‘Mr Paper’ Garret spent a deal of his career as general manager of Finnish paper company, UPM, in the region. Yet he nominated the arrival of Compugraphic typesetting via Gerard Brangeis, as the single most significant advance. Des Hayes may not have much time for the science of climate change, but the former W.J. Cryer cadet, long-term PATEFA director and Norris Print proprietor could not recall a single serious argument with his business partner of 25 years, Graeme Ross. And apart from his unusual credit control methods, Jim Richardson recalled bringing to Australia the first two-colour Heidelberg, the first Lithrone web and the second Timson two-colour web press in the world.
While nostalgia may not be what it once was, there’s undoubted satisfaction in getting together with former colleagues and peers to hear their yarns. Where else will you hear of the fine distinction between letterpress printers and offset machinists?
A good 30 plus, mostly ancient types, turned out for the inaugural Silverwater dinner organised by Old Friends, Scott Telfer and James Cryer. More of you are cordially invited for subsequent events.
Old printers and their friends never die - but they get together to discuss the pro and cons of alcohol-free printing.