I was born in Dartford Kent and moved to Whitstable with my parents in 1965 aged nine, after finishing school I started an apprenticeship in Letterpress at Oliver & Sadler Printers in the town, after fourteen happy years I moved on to The Riverside Press which then became St. Ives PLC I spent fifteen years working there until the firm shut down in 2002
From 2002 until 2010 I worked in London as
a newspaper printer printing The Financial Times and many other smaller publications. After eight years commuting to London and back I’d had enough and took voluntary redundancy and started up a small wood craft business (Down The Woodshed) this was short lived due to the recession. For the next two years I worked part time as a Bakers Assistant whilst collecting bits and pieces of anything 'Letterpress’ wood and metal type, quoins, furniture and eventually a Cefmor Proofing Press. In March 2014 I bought and restored a Golding Pearl foot treadle press, Letterpress had now become my main hobby and I was printing bits and pieces for family and friends ....... it felt great to be back into Letterpress. At the beginning of September 2014 I was offered a Crown Folio Arab for a price I could not turn down, like the Golding the Arab was foot treadle but could print a larger sheet size A3 whereas the Golding could just manage A4 the Cefmor and the Golding have moved to new print shops leaving me with the Arab and a lot more scope. As September turned into October 'The Inky Beard Press’ was born, I had acquired a lot more type and a small guillotine ......... the plan is to print business cards, letter heads, posters, wedding invitations in fact anything Letterpress ......... all I need now is customers. Glenn October 2014
NB: Glenn is a member of The Kent Guild Of Printers.
