Dear Reg, It was sad to see that another couple of our former colleagues and friends had died.
Alan Walker I knew when we were school boys. He lived a couple of roads from me in Croydon, South London, so we often bumped into each other. About a year after I joined HMSO in September 1962 I saw him and said that I was working in London for HMSO. Alan was very interested because he was also like myself was in printing. I think that he was a machine minder, whereas I had been a compositor. He asked how I had got into HMSO and I gave him a form so that he could apply.
He got through the various interviews and joined in 1964. We often travelled up to London together as we both worked at Atlantic House. We used to go from Streatham Station to Holborn Viaduct Station (no longer there), and walk across the road to Atlantic House. Sometimes we went by car. That was a long time ago, and then Alan went to Norwich on dispersal. I used to see him from time to time as I was often in Norwich.
John Saville I knew well when he was in London and Graphic Design was only round the corridor from where I was working. When I was Chairman of the IPCS in London John Westwood, who was in charge of Layout and design often called me round to see him, to talk some of his problems over. That was when I first met John Saville who was also very affable and ideal to take over when John Westwood retired. I saw him a few times at The Wig and Pen when I came up to Norwich on visits after I retired. The last time was I think last summer when I came up with my wife Angela.
I hope to come up later this year and it will be sad that I won’t be able to see John. Rest in peace to both John and Alan.
Kind regards, John Barker
Hello John, Good to hear from you, albeit under sad circumstances. Time passes so quickly these days. I see that August is the month during which we lost Ernie Downs (2019), Bill Bissett (2015), Norman Frost (2015), Peter Bradbury (2014) and Brian Ekers (2020). On a happier note, it will be good to see you later in the year if you can make a Wig and Pen lunchtime, for old times’ sake. Best wishes to you and to Angela, Reg.