Kestrel Printing Limited 1970 – Present Day

29th January 2014

Well here we are in 2014 still trying to diversify into new areas and trading away as hard as ever to give you the service that you have become accustomed to.

Having moved from a garage in the early days to our bespoke print works where we are now, a lot has changed in both the Industry and people. The change in equipment has been vast as well in the past 44 years with the grand litho presses made by Hiedelberg, Komori and Roland to the newer Digital presses by Xerox, Cannon, Konica and HP. This all goes to show how far technology has progressed in our lifetime.

In 1970 when Kestrel Printing was born, several less important events were also noted.

The Half Crown Coin ceased to be legal tender
A Boing 747 landed at Heathrow Airport, the first jumbo jet to land in Britain
Paul McCartney announced his departure from The Beatles, who later split in December 1970.
The General Election was held, the first in which 18-year-olds could vote, and was won by Edward Heath’s Conservative Party
The first Page Three Girl appeared in The Sun.
The Cost of Living was also very different:
A loaf of bread cost 9p
The average weekly wage was around £32.
You would expect to pay £4,975 for a house.
The Range Rover, which was launched in 1970, could have been yours for £1,998 and the Mini, which celebrated its 11th birthday in 1970, cost around £600.
A trip for two to the cinema cost less than 90p,
A bottle of plonk was about £1.
For those with more spirited and extravagant tastes, a bottle of whisky cost £2.69
A pint of lager in your local was 20p,
Cigarettes, which enjoyed a lot more popularity then, were 20p for 20.
Still, it’s not all doom and gloom. Prices have gone up but so has our spending power.
And some things have even risen for the better. In 1970, the average life expectancy in Britain was 72. Today, it is 77 – giving us five more years of spending.

There are some good memories:

Of a few people who have worked and some who are still working with us at Kestrel Printing Limited:

Cliff – Our mad van driver who went through life leaving late BUT getting back early………..

Sandra – Our old receptionist, who didn’t realise that a ‘Wet Paint’ sign meant exactly that and clasped her ‘accidentally painted hands’ to her face in amazement………………………….

John and Keith, who contributed so much during the growth years.

Bob & Malcolm – Lifelong Directors and Shareholders who started the business all of them many years ago with a potato, sharp knife and some ink !!!!!!.

Janet – Old secretary who inadvertently jumbled up client’s names from phone calls.

Dave – who, whilst messing around with the lads on the factory floor, mistakenly showed his hairy posterior to the MD’s wife…

Paul – who spent most of his apprentice years taped to a chair out on the pathway.

There are many more – perhaps to be mentioned at a later date.

Of Customers:

Brian of CDS – who had a canny knack of sending over orders with incorrect prices on.

All of the Meat Markets in London – who we have to deliver to at 3am in the morning.

Oliver Dimdore Solicitors – who had thermographed letterheads 25 years ago that caused a few anxious moments with fire extinguishers.

To all of the major banks in London in the 70’s that used to take our deliveries in from our mini estate car…………

Beverley at Office Stationery – who has a wicked sense of humour and is great to have a chat with.

Of Events and Projects:

Andy of Antalis – who is great company and can keep an audience on the edge of their seats whilst portraying some of his stories. Had some great trips away with him.

Of Print Management Companies that still give us ‘Due Dates’ which have expired before we get the Order…………

Moving the business to our current Location from our older smaller premises in a residential area.

Enough of that. To all of our existing customers and friends, many thanks for your past and continued support. What a long, strange, eventful trip it’s been from 1970. Overall it has been a good ride and we value your new and existing business for many years to come.