barnardo school of print 2

The Barnardo School of Printing today is quite different from the one we knew ten years ago when we first moved into our new
purpose-built School in Mead Lane, Hertford. The technological changes that have taken place in the printing industry and the shift
to lithographic processes from the old letterpress system have forced the hot metal printer to rethink.
The letterpress section has almost disappeared from the training schedules and we have retained a small portion of the once large
composing room. Hand setting of type is still taught and we believe it is the best method of introducing apprentices to spacing,
layout, and type faces.
Moveable type has been around for 500 years and the craft of hand setting survives in the small, back-street printers of the world.
The Linotype and Monotype composing machines have been replaced by a Compugraphic photo-typesetter known as the Edit
Writer 7500 which is capable of coping with all the setting the Barnardo organisation wishes to give us. In the spring we hope to
install a second Edit Writer making available greater training facilities for the apprentices. The demand for young photo-typesetters
fully trained is greater than the supply and apprentices with this training have a bright future.
The Planning Department (which has succeeded the old Composing Room) where all the paper paste-up, negative assembly, and
general design work is produced has moved into a completely new redesigned department. This section of the School has increased
with new additional equipment to cope with the work load which has increased considerably over the past four years. The training
given in this department must be of a high standard.
The Camera and Plate-making Department has not seen many changes for a long time and 1981 will see this department re-equipped
and designed to bring it up to date with the latest photographic and plate-making equipment.
The Machine Department are cock-a-hoop at the moment with their latest new baby - the SORKZ Heidelberg 2-colour Offset Press.
This machine is capable of producing 10,000 sheets per hour, printing 4-colour and close register work of high quality. The Barnardo
Review was printed on this machine before Christmas and the result was most pleasing. To make space for the installation of this
machine we sold our two double crown letterpress rnachines (these two machines are back in production somewhere in Greece). A
new small offset machine is on order and we look forward to receiving it in April.
The Finishing Department has not been overlooked and a new Cameo folder will arrive in May 1980. It will be capable of folding a
sixteen-page booklet and of course all the other different shapes and folds the modern graphic designer can think up.
There are twenty-one apprentices in training at the moment and we hope to increase the number to twenty-five, which is the
maximum.
Teachers - Mr Barringer (Deputy Principal), and Mr Archer, take the apprentices for their classroom work and the boys spend at
least eight hours a week in theory.

Mr Trevor Powell, the Works Manager, has settled into his new
office. He has a lot more room to move around and the frequent
interruptions are not quite so frequent. Mrs Joan Pidgeon, School
Secretary, has the front office to herself and she deals with all
inquiries and the many visitors.
For the benefit of Old Printing School Boys here are details of staff
retirements to date - there have been many and some of the
names may bring back a few memories:
Mr Jim Taylor, Finishing Department. Mr Frank Stevenson,
Composing Department. Mr Les Mondin, Reading Department.
Mr
Phil Davey, Machine Department. And last, but certainly not least,
Mr Ron Stack-wood, Principal, after more than forty years'
service with Barnardo's.
An Open Day and Old Boys' Reunion was held on Saturday, 6th
October 1979. The day started at 9 am and the first visitor through
the door was an Old Boy from Carlisle - Len Brotherwood - he had
travelled overnight to get here. The highlight of the day for Len
was at 2 o'clock when Mick Lang from Nottingham arrived. They
had not met each other for twenty-seven years. This was an
emotional moment for both.
At 10.30 am the Mayor of Hertford, Councillor Charles Nesbitt-
Larking, unveiled a plaque in the new First Aid Room in memory
of Albert James Hopcroft (Jim died in a road accident on 26th
January 1979). Mrs Hopcroft and her two children attended the
ceremony. Miss M. G. Joynson, OBE, Senior Director and Director
of Child Care, and Mr K. L. G. Manley, Finance Director, also
attended the unveiling.
Thirty-two Old Boys, their wives and children came along from as
far afield as Derby, Nottingham, Peterborough, Carlisle, High
Wycombe, Norwich, Stevenage, and the Hertford area. Over one
hundred people signed the visitors' book. Tea, coffee, and biscuits
were provided and all agreed it was a most enjoyable and worthwhile
day. The Open Day and Reunion will be held this year on
Saturday, 4th October. Please make a note in your diary.
SAMUEL EDGAR Principal

From Barnardo News
Two recently retired members of staff of the Barnardo School of Printing, have between them clocked up more than sixty-one years
of service.
They are Mr Ron Stackwood, the School's Principal, who joined the organisation in 1938, and Mr Les Mondin, reader/instructor,
who joined in 1958.
Mr Stackwood came into Barnardo's as a printer at the old William Baker Technical School, Goldings, Hertford. After war service,
during which he attained the rank of BSM with the Royal Artillery, Mr Stackwood returned to Goldings and became technical
teacher of printing.
Goldings closed in 1967 but it was decided to retain the print school. Mr Stackwood became the first Principal of the new Barnardo
School of Printing and he was responsible for the smooth transition of the school to its new home at Mead Lane, Hertford. After his
official retirement last year he returned to the school for a further six months to assist the new Principal settle in.
Now enjoying a well-earned retirement Mr Stackwood is keeping himself busy with Scouting activities and gardening and he is
looking forward to cricket and bowling in the summer.
Mr Les Mondin joined the School in 1958 having spent the previous twenty-eight years in the printing trade in Hertford. He joined
enthusiastically in the out-of-school activities and his ability as a pianist was invaluable to the organisers of the various pantomimes
and stage shows so much enjoyed by the boys at the School. For twelve years he was secretary of the Hertford Branch of the
Typographical Association and is the present Hon Secretary of the Hertfordshire Printing Apprenticeship Board. He is also a member
of the East Hertfordshire Careers Advisory Service.
Mr Frank Stevenson, for twenty-five years an instructor in the composing departments at William Baker Technical School, Goldings,
and the Barnardo School of Printing, retired recently.
Staff and apprentices gathered, traditionally, around the stone when Mr Keith Manley and Mr Ron Stackwood paid tribute to Frank's
loyalty and devotion to the School. During his service he had always been actively associated with all sporting activities and at one
time was honorary secretary of the Goldings Old Boys Football Club. He was presented with a barometer and Mrs Stevenson was
presented with a bouquet. Frank said how happy he had been during his time at the School, although he had been a little depressed
to see the traditional craft skills being replaced by new technology during the latter part of his service.
There are many printers throughout the world who will join us in wishing him a long and happy retirement and rewarding results
from his chief hobbies, his garden and his greenhouse.
Fare well and welcome - 1979