Informal names at Williams Lea , Worship Street, London

[Malcolm Archer]

SHIP: The compositors responsible for producing the completed pages for a particular magazine.

There would be Advert Ship, making up the adverts in type and the Editorial Ship responsible for making up the complete pages including adverts, editorial content and eventually imposing all pages on the stone, 16pp or 32pp usually by the stone hand and from there the forme would make its way to the press room. The person in charge of the individual SHIPS was known as the CLICKER.

There were many other names and traditions I remember from my 50 years in the trade Starting in 1957! (Dog's cock) but what I still remember is that I loved every day I was a member of that great bunch of intelligent and fun loving people. I don't want to sound an old ruddy daddy but I do not think those sort of days will ever come back again and that is a loss to our younger generation.