Press On

Aim: A letterpress journey around Britain's public libraries by bicycle, printing bookmarks along the way.

Press On is an adventure that will take the printing bike from library to library across Britain printing bookmarks along the way. Each bookmark design will be inspired by the words and images of writers and artists in support of public libraries.

Our libraries have been under enormous pressure and have mostly survived by local support. I want to contribute to the work these communities do by visiting as many libraries as I can (as far as Orkney) and working with artists and writers to produce a limited run of unique bookmarks for each library, all printed in situ at the library itself.

The printing bike is a bespoke bicycle made for me by Robin Mather. It carries a letterpress Adana press, inks, type and blocks; everything for me to print a small print run at each stop along my journey.

I studied typography at Stafford Art College in the 1970s and spent a year in a letterpress printshop. Years later, when I heard the last commercial press in Bristol was closing, I opened the Letterpress Collective in a crafts cooperative in the Old City of Bristol. Here, I work with poets, artists, writers and musicians and pass on the skills to others through workshops and classes, to keep the craft alive.
In 2009 I travelled 6500 miles around the coast of Britain and Ireland on a bicycle recording the work and lives of crafts people. When I opened the Letterpress Collective I had the idea of doing a long journey as a Journeyman — a travelling printer — this was when the idea of a printing bike became a reality.

The money I raise in this project will be used to support the journey, it will go towards texts, illustrations, printing materials, and overnight stays to make the journey possible. Any money left at the end will stay in the letterpress to keep the presses turning and to allow people to continue to see and learn this amazing craft in action.

The photos below are of some of the rewards for supporting the project which are listed on the right of the screen.

Conversations from Land's End to John o'Groats
The little book records the last adventure with the Printing Bike.
More details in column right.

A letterpress workshop for groups
The group workshops all take place in the letterpress printshop in the centre of Bristol. More details in column right.

This project successfully funded on 1st July 2024