Cossar Pics

[les deacon]

Hello inkyfingers everywhere!

having worked in metal type for my first 30 years working history, from 1965 onwards, if there's anyone out there still watching this site - hello!

I've only just discovered this site after randomly typing in "cossar" on google.

My first task ever was to make the tea - usual - My second? do the melting. Turn on the gas, light the burner, EXPLOSION!! get my eyebrows burnt off, sound familiar?

If anyone's interested in re-living old times my e-mail is les-AT-perl-solutions.co.uk

I have 2 pics of Cossar presses, one from Ripley & Heanor News, Derbys. Including my ugly face, and one from Dursley, Glos.

Regards

[Dave Hughes]

Hi Les, welcome to the Metal Type Forum 

Yes, there are one or two people still watching this site, approximately 100 per day at the last count.

I got your email and shall add you to the mailing list. You will need to respond to the email you receive, as it is a double opt-in system.

I'm sure people would like to see both your Cossar pictures. I've noticed you posted one already. Perhaps you could fill us in with a few details about them.

[welshwiz]

Greetings Lead People,

Further to my earlier pic submission, this photo was taken at the premises of the Bailey Newspaper Group based at Dursley, Gloucester. Probably in the mid 80's, I can't be sure because, at the time, I wasn't there, I was still working at the Barry & District News, South Wales, trying to sort out their Cossar-peculiar printing problems which as any Cossar minder would remember were many and varied - the worst was streaking, white lines across the middle pages at speed, due to too hard ink rollers, but that's old history and completely irrelevent nowadays, in fact I don't miss it at all!

My second pic(s) have yet to be copied from their original centenary book form, I will need to scan them in before I can post them on, but they were taken during my days at the Ripley & Heanor News, Derbyshire, in the 70's, a particularly enjoyable 5 years in my lifetime of hot metal - I have a lot of stories to tell from that era, including the epilectic melting apprentice, but you probably don't want to know.

I look forward to a reply, at our age any reply means that someone out there is still going and now using new technology to communicate.

p.s.  anyone heard of the apostrophe appreciation society?  Does anyone care any more?  It really annoys me to see apostrophies used willy nilly in plural's etc. <See what I mean?

[Dave Hughes]

Thanks for that Les.

Look forward to seeing your other pics.

Know what you mean about the apostrophes - why is it that shopkeepers in general, greengrocers in particular, seem to be the worst offenders with their hand-written signs? 

[Dave Hughes]

While we're on the subject of Cossar presses, I'm not sure if Les spotted the video on Metal Type of the Cossar Flat Bed Web press at the Strathearn Herald in Scotland, here's the video:

More photographs and details of the press appear here.