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Hello
Hi, thanks for sharing the link to this site. I have added a link to your site from the Benarty.org.uk site.
Thanks Mike at:
https://benarty.org.uk/
Thanks Mike at:
https://benarty.org.uk/
Posted by Mike on 17 October 2022
Apprentice
On a cold winter morning it was good to open the small door in the main loading bay door. The lights were switched on, then upstairs past the reels of paper to the clocking in machine. More lights until the whole print shop was brightly lit and it was warm as the storage heaters were on.
Often on my own for the hour between seven and eight when the floor had to be swept and the Linotype machines cleaned before work started at eight o'clock. At other times one of the other apprentices would be in to help with the cleaning.
After lighting the melting pots on the Linos it was best to start with the old wooden floor with its many splinters, usually covered in paper, bits of type and cuttings. The brush didn't sweep very easily - continually getting stuck in the wood. On occasion the small barrow, which was used to move around the metal ingots for the Linotype machines, would break through the floor boards opening up a space to the area that the mice and rats frequented.
Floor swept it was on to the Linotype cleaning. This involved brushing off all the metal cuttings, emptying the trays and generally tidying up the machines. If all this was all carried out speedily there may be time for a short nap on the paper reels in the small store before the men started coming in just before eight. Eight until nine was breakfast hour for the youngest apprentice.
Printer's Devil - usually the youngest apprentice in a Letterpress printing works.
Often on my own for the hour between seven and eight when the floor had to be swept and the Linotype machines cleaned before work started at eight o'clock. At other times one of the other apprentices would be in to help with the cleaning.
After lighting the melting pots on the Linos it was best to start with the old wooden floor with its many splinters, usually covered in paper, bits of type and cuttings. The brush didn't sweep very easily - continually getting stuck in the wood. On occasion the small barrow, which was used to move around the metal ingots for the Linotype machines, would break through the floor boards opening up a space to the area that the mice and rats frequented.
Floor swept it was on to the Linotype cleaning. This involved brushing off all the metal cuttings, emptying the trays and generally tidying up the machines. If all this was all carried out speedily there may be time for a short nap on the paper reels in the small store before the men started coming in just before eight. Eight until nine was breakfast hour for the youngest apprentice.
Printer's Devil - usually the youngest apprentice in a Letterpress printing works.
Posted by Jim on 16 May 2021
Have added website to our links page (online resources). I'm in the process of updating and adding to the website content so that is well timed!