Participant Info

First Name

John

Last Name

Tittley

Press Name

The Spearmarsh Press

City

Almeley

State

Herefordshire

Country

UK

Email

centurion3 AT onetel.com

Website or Blogsite

Year You Started with Letterpress

1954

How You Got Involved In Letterpress Printing

<p style="text-align: justify;">My interest in printing began when I was given a rubber- stamp-style printing kit as a present on my 10th birthday. At school I was introduced to lino-cuts and wood-cuts and the smell of printing ink. The fascination with producing an image on to a surface has never left me.</p>

Presses & Equipment

Cropperette, Minerva, Vandercook SP15

Education & Training

<p style="text-align: justify;">Joined British Army armoured cavalry regiment in 1950 - just in time to find myself in Korea in 1951. By the time my 12 years of military service had finished I owned a well travelled 8x5 Adana. In 1963 I acquired a Cropper Charlton on which I printed small jobs for a small town newspaper and printshop, before becoming the editor for two years. I was hooked on letterpress by then and enrolled on a degree course at The London College of Printing. After graduating I somehow got sidetracked and moved into main stream media and TV as a scriptwriter and producer. Now retired, I have two treadle machines sitting alongside a Vandercook SP15 in my garage space and I’m back to wood cuts, hand printing on quality papers and experimenting with photopolymer images, simply for the sheer pleasure I get.</p>

Work History

Other Interests & Hobbies

<p style="text-align: justify;">Joined British Army armoured cavalry regiment in 1950 - just in time to find myself in Korea in 1951. By the time my 12 years of military service had finished I owned a well travelled 8x5 Adana. In 1963 I acquired a Cropper Charlton on which I printed small jobs for a small town newspaper and printshop, before becoming the editor for two years. I was hooked on letterpress by then and enrolled on a degree course at (then)The London College of Printing - now part of the University of the Arts London.</p> <p style="text-align: justify;">After graduating I somehow got sidetracked and moved into main stream media and TV as a scriptwriter and producer. Now retired, I have two treadle machines sitting alongside a Vandercook SP15 in my garage space and I’m back to wood cuts, hand printing on quality papers and experimenting with photopolymer images, simply for the sheer pleasure I get. Sadly, not so active as I would like to be these days !</p>

Letterpress Group Memberships, If Any

BPS

Birth Year

1931

Your Photo or Press Photo