Your paperweight photo made me smile – talk about triggering memories – I was the one who had to sit in a cold draughty glass factory in Wath upon Dearne for 3 days inspecting hundreds of blank paperweights ready for the transfers to turn them into the Bicentenary paperweight ‘special edition’. Only the best were good enough I’d been told. I felt I was on some secret mission behind enemy lines. The factory managed to produce some good work considering their usual product was a plain old milk bottle and then I left. Unfortunately, when the completed paperweights were despatched to HMSO, too many weren’t up to scratch so I had to go back and do it all again! We just managed to get enough.
Oh, those were the days!
Jane
Hello Jane, As you say, amazing what will trigger the memory. We’ve added your interesting note to HMSOldies for historical reasons. Stationery aficionados in years to come will be curious about our work procedures! Best wishes, Reg
Fred Stubbs adds: I have one of the coloured versions (below). I feel sure that I was given it because I was involved with some odd bits of design work – maybe menus or invitations for various lunches. The colours are really fast they have not faded at all. An edition of 350 paperweights was made. I also got a key ring. Bill Sharp got me involved with a number of the events for the anniversary.
