At Ross: Ink and Paper.........x

You might be mistaken or even led to believe the printed word is becoming a thing of the past. That your fix of local knowledge, cultural banter through the columnist, or opening your new book with the first crack of the spine was to be replaced by a shiny screen.

My grandfather was a printer. He originally ran a clunkity clunk printing machine with my great grandfather 'Cardigan Press' in the early 1900's. My grandfather went on the invent the gravure printer and later set up 'Greaves Gravure' that printed the glossy supplements in the sunday papers.

As children, we always I suppose had a vested interest in the amount of newspapers spread over the kitchen table. The smell of ink, and blackened fingers. Still to this day, its an important feature of my parents house. They still tear out columns, thoughts, passages, of interest. We all share knowledge, everyone does.

Somehow, that passage of knowledge just doesn't pass as easily on a tablet or Kindle. Book shop owner, Andy Rossiter and his wife, Victoria of this independent bookshop in Ross on Wye get this. I think knowledge is like a good loaf of bread, its for tearing pieces off and sharing. In one swift action, a thought, an idea passes on. A tactile experience second to none. The Rossiter's understand this too. Andy has had many years experience with the big high street, Waterstones book shop before bravely opening their own.

Their crunchy hand printed bags, with rustic book marks complete the sale. I feel like I wondered into a bookshop in downtown manhattan, warm, passionate and just slightly bohemien, in a polished way. I bought some books that I never intended to buy. Like a opening a box of chocolates, I reminded myself that I needed to have one.

Long live ink and paper....... x