Impressions of Place: Printing on the High Street

A Hazlehurst Studios project in development

Runcorn High Street has always carried traces of print. From the long-standing Stringers shop to the earlier Bellamy & Son, the High Street once hummed with the rhythm of local printing — everyday work, adverts, books, ephemera, and the quiet craft that held a town’s stories together.

Today, as the Camden Buildings move toward redevelopment and Stringers fades from physical memory, Hazlehurst Studios stands next door, ready to keep that spirit alive in a new way.

Impressions of Place: Printing on the High Street is a project shaped by two deeply felt moments for our community:

The loss of our long-standing studio member, John Bond
The imminent disappearance of an important creative landmark on Runcorn High Street

This project brings those moments together to create something hopeful, rooted in place, and full of creative possibility.

Meet John Bond

A life dedicated to learning, experimenting, and sharing the joy of print

John Bond, who passed away in 2024, was one of Hazlehurst Studios’ longest and most treasured members. He loved printmaking in all its forms — letterpress, linocut, wood engraving, and any new process he could get his hands on. What mattered most to him was learning, experimenting, and sharing discoveries with others.

When John died, his family generously donated his extensive collection of tools and materials to Hazlehurst Studios, along with a gift to help support future creative development. They wanted John’s passion for discovery to continue sparking creativity in others.

This project is our way of honouring that wish.

Notes to go with self-portrait – John Bond, 21st July 2021:

"I have been taking part in a Zoom portrait wood carving course with Leicester Print Workshop run by Sue Baker, in the last two days. Excellent instruction and company. Thanks.
After clearing the third bedroom on Friday in order to present a clean and tidy front to the world, avoiding a landslide in the second bedroom! I was aghast to see that because of the way the camera on the computer projected the first thing I saw was all the higgledy-piggledy boxes, rolls etc on the top of the cupboards. Well at least they couldn't see Grandad Bond’s massive Victorian metal tea set hid under the desk!"

Why Printmaking? Why Now?

Right beside Hazlehurst Studios stand the Camden Buildings — the former home of Stringers, the long-running Runcorn print shop. The building is now in very poor condition, and redevelopment means its physical connection to the town’s printmaking history will soon disappear.

For many in Runcorn, Stringers wasn’t just a business; it was part of the High Street’s fabric. A place you went for posters, tickets, order books and small jobs that kept the town ticking along. Before Stringers came Bellamy & Son — another layer in the story of local print.

If we don’t document and celebrate this history now, we risk losing it altogether.

Through this project, we will explore:

The Heritage of Print on Runcorn High Street
The Stories held within local memory
The Connections between past craft and future creativity

Working with Runcorn & District Historical Society, we’ll gather photographs, stories and recollections, ensuring this history is preserved in a way that belongs to the community.

This photograph shows the Camden Buildings in 2021 before any redevelopment work has started

A Living Tool Library: Carrying John’s Legacy Forward

One of the most tangible legacies of this project will be the creation of John Bond’s Tool Library — a shared, growing resource built from the tools and equipment donated by John’s family.

John collected tools the way some people collect stories. Wood engraving tools worn smooth from years of use, letterpress materials he swore he’d learn one day, and all sorts of objects that revealed his curiosity for technique and process. These tools became part of his creative identity, and now they will become part of ours.

The Tool Library will:

Give Hazlehurst artists and associates access to specialist printmaking equipment that is otherwise hard to come by
Support the CPD programme by providing the right tools for developing new skills
Remain at the heart of future workshops, studio experiments and creative collaborations
Grow over time, shaped by what our artists learn and need

More than a practical resource, it will stand as a working tribute to John — a space where people continue to explore, make mistakes, push techniques and discover new possibilities in exactly the spirit he embodied.

This photograph shows just a small selection of the many tools donated by John's Family

Investing in the Future: Introducing Risograph Printing

To carry this printmaking story forward, we plan to introduce a Risograph printer to Hazlehurst Studios — an environmentally conscious, versatile and artist-friendly process that sits proudly within the lineage of accessible community print.

With funding, we will:

Purchase and install a Risograph machine
Train Hazlehurst artists and studio holders
Expand our capacity for high-quality, in-house creative production

This step directly strengthens our ability to support artists, develop publications, experiment with colour and process, and create work that draws on both heritage and contemporary practice

Developing Skills, Growing Community Capacity

Through a series of specialist-led CPD sessions, Hazlehurst artists and associated creatives will explore:

Bookbinding
Letterpress
Wood engraving
Experimental and hybrid print processes
How Riso can sit alongside traditional techniques

This training is artist development only.
It is designed to:

Deepen skills
Strengthen our creative workforce
Support future community-facing work beyond this project
Ensure that John’s legacy continues to open doors for others

This photograph shows one of John Bond's Letter Press works in progress

Honouring the Past, Creating the Future

As artists explore Stringers’ history, John’s tools and the evolving landscape of Runcorn High Street, new work will emerge — shaped by memory, place, technique and experimentation.

These creative outcomes will form the backbone of a summer 2026 exhibition, aligned with Culture 26: Made in Halton. The exhibition will:

Showcase work developed during the CPD programme
Share stories gathered from the High Street
Highlight the value of legacy, community and craft
Present the Risograph’s creative potential

This will be the project’s main public moment — a celebration of learning, heritage and the layers of printmaking that connect Runcorn’s past and future.

This photograph shows one of John Bond's prints of a 'lost' building from the Runcorn High Street - the Scala, which was demolished in 2012

Hazlehurst Studios

Impressions of Place: Printing on the High Street is a project rooted in memory, creativity and community.

It honours a beloved artist, preserves a disappearing history and equips local creatives with tools and skills that will shape the future of Hazlehurst Studios for years to come.

This is more than a development project.

It is a way of keeping stories alive — in ink, on paper, and in the hands of a creative community that continues to grow.