Regional press news – this story updated 14.6.2000

Printing manager retires with
memories of reel car trouble
by HoldTheFrontPage staff

Putting a rather large dent in the roof of the editor’s car was one of the golden moments recalled by Lincolnshire Echo printing manager Graham Tyson when he retired this week.

The incident happened during the days when the Echo had its printing works in Benedict’s Square, not far from the current offices at Brayford Wharf.

Graham and a couple of others were unloading some of the massive reels of paper from a lorry – with the editor’s car parked close by.

“Shouldn’t it be moved?” someone asked.

“No, it will be all right,” came the reply.

But of course, it wasn’t. A reel landed on the roof of the car.

Graham was able to smile afterwards, though, because it was left to the man who said the car didn’t have to be moved to explain what had happened.

Then there was the occasion when when Graham slowly worked out that it wasn’t cleaning fluid he’d put on the floor.

First the bristles fell out of his brush. Then the soles of his shoes came away. It was then that he realised that instead of cleaner, he’d put down acid. The floor came up a treat.

Graham further amused friends and colleagues at his send-off by recalling the fate of a new watch that his wife had bought for him. He proudly wore it to work – but the catch caught and the watch disappeared into a large vat of printing ink.

Graham retired after 32 years at the Echo, the last 20 as printing manager. He started out as a fly hand – sitting at the end of the printing press and taking off the papers – then became an oiler, responsible for keeping the printing presses lubricated, a brake hand and an assistant machine minder.

In retirement, he plans to spend time at his holiday caravan on the Lincolnshire coast.

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