The only paper company at IPEX!

Further to my post about IPEX (International Printing Exhibition) last week, it may interest you to know that this week I find that I am now at the exhibition all week!

I was contacted by our friends at the St. Brides Foundation and offered a space to display our products on their stand, which we gratefully accepted. It was lovely to be offered a great opportunity which we didn't want to miss out on, so I put together a stand to show our various paper ranges and set up for the week long exhibition.

On Monday, it struck me that there wasn't one other paper company at the exhibition, not one! Not a paper mill, agent or paper merchant in sight ...with the exception of Fenner Paper! Having conducted a quick bit of research, it seems that there have been paper companies at every IPEX since 1880!

 

My first IPEX was in 1988 when I was on the Scheufelen stand for the James McNaughton Paper Group. As in previous and subsequent years, there were many paper mills from around the world exhibiting and paper and print were in harmony! ...by that, I mean that there was an appreciation that you couldn't have a printing exhibition without something to print on!

 

I'm pleased that we were able to step forward and make sure that this wasn't the first paperless IPEX in history. If you are visiting ExCeL this week, please come and see us on stand N1 B130.

 

www.ipex.org

http://www.stbride.org/

Posted by Justin Hobson 26.03.2014

National Poetry Day 2012

 

Today is National Poetry day. I'm not a poet, so I'm not going to bother you with any of my poetry but I thought this might be a worthwhile time to mention that I've actually been at Fenner Paper for 20 years! (the actual anniversary was last month). I started as a paper merchant with the James McNaughton Paper Group in 1987 and after five very happy years, I met up with Chris and Tony Fenner ...and the rest is history!

 

One of my colleagues at McNaughton's was Debbie Wigglesworth, who over the years has also moved on in the industry, most recently working for that other, Hull based, paper merchant!  Anyway, at my 'leaving do' in 1992, she gave me a poem printed on translucent paper, mounted on a gorgeous piece of handmade paper made with flower petal inclusions. Needless to say, it's amongst my most prized posessions.

 

...and this is what she wrote (for the sake of context, I used to drive a VW polo):

Did you ever drive around London

and see a little tiny Polo with a long,

long man sticking out ...?

He was the local Paper Consultant

or something like that.

 

Before long it was realised that

not only were his legs unusually big

but his many talents were too.

In his new office , in front of him,

sat a new sign which read

'Advertising Manager' and was he!!

 

Very soon oodles of 'really good stuff'

was dropping through designers doors

splattered in magazines,

wacking printers between the eyes,

everyone was happy...

until one day, when his desk sign fell completely over

everyone tried to pick it up

but it wouldn't budge.

 

Across the city, some miles away,

a party could be heard.

Folks were preparing for the coming

of their new Marketing Manager.

The cleaning lady with her arms fully stretched

and balancing on her tiptoes

just managed to reach the new

name plate on the door

so she polished it until it sparkled

it read Justin Hobson.

 

So many people were sad to see him go

but liked him so much

that they had to wish him well...

...and so wish him well they did

and off he went to be a great success

 

My thanks to Debbie for the (v. flattering) poem and thanks to Fenner Paper for twenty amazing years and happy National Poetry day to you all.

Posted by Justin Hobson 04.10.2012