The Museum had a really nice, and valuable, donation of old programmes going back to 1942.
Speaking to the donor, not a fan, he got them with a lot of old stock when this couple closed their stationery shops in SE London and Kent
They're mentioned in some of the ads in the testimonial programmes and named in autographes.
I wondered if anyone knows or knew them.
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Webster's celebrates 40 years of business
Webster's Pen Shop, the group of six stores retailing high-quality pens and accessories in London and the Southeast, is celebrating its fortieth year of successful trading.
To mark the occasion – along with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics – the company is decorating the entire frontage of its very first store in Petts Wood with a timeline of colourful graphics that illustrate the milestones during those 40 years for Webster's, the local area, the UK and the world. From Britain joining the Common Market to world population hitting 7 billion – via the Thatcher years, Live Aid, the fall of the Berlin Wall and the rise of the Internet – the timeline is a fascinating snapshot of the history of the past 40 years.
Luxury products
As well as the timeline at Petts Wood, the company is installing anniversary window graphics at its five other stores, featuring a specially designed 40-year logo and the slogan, ‘Celebrating 40 years of self-expression'. Explained Andrew Webster, Managing Director of the family-run business, "We're delighted that our 40-year anniversary coincides with a summer of celebration for the whole country and that's why we decided to invest in our new window graphics. As well as our new store decals, you may also spot our anniversary advertising on buses in London and the Southeast."
A growing business
Webster's Pen Shop was founded by Andrew's parents, Len and Jacqui Webster, back in 1972 when they opened their first store in Petts Wood. Selling top-brand pens plus a range of stationery products, the shop was an instant hit with the local community. Len and Jacqui built on this success by involving other family members as the business grew and opening further stores – in the Glades shopping centre, Bromley, in 1993; the Whitgift Centre, Croydon, in 1995; the flagship store at Bluewater in 1999, managed by the Websters' daughter, Jo; the Brighton store in 2004; and another store at Bluewater in partnership with US pen and accessories supplier, AT Cross, in 2008. In addition, the business grasped the nettle of e-commerce in 2000 when its online store went live at www.websterspenshop.co.uk.
Personal service
"So much has happened in these past 40years," said Andrew Webster, "that the world is very different now to how it was back in 1972. I'm pleased to say, however, that the demand for handcrafted, luxury products has not waned over the years. In fact," he continued, "our company is weathering the storm of this latest recession remarkably well. I believe that the reason for our continued success is partly due to the quality of the brands we represent –such as Parker, Sheaffer, Waterman, Filofax,Cross, Lamy and Mont Blanc, to name but a few – but also to the level of personal service that we provide. People know that they can trust us to recommend the right product, retail it at a competitive price and provide any after-sales service that they might need."