Page 14 - CC Dec 2020 Med RGB

Walking in a Westerham Wonderland

In Bygone Days... The remarkable Mr Hooker

? Bill Curtis Charles Hooker was a man until Westerham had a printing
of many parts who had several works which could handle its
ON December 29 1961 the Chronicle irons in the fire. One of these every need… [1]
and Courier newspaper devoted a was an active interest in the
whole page spread to the Hooker building business, and it was But with an entrepreneurial spirit
Printing business, as recorded here... this that led him, with direct which gripped many men of ambition
labour, to build the shop on the at the time, Charles Hooker diversified
Family business corner of Stratton Terrace. in his business. Not only was he now
At first he only dabbled in
owner of the ‘Herald Steam Printing
handed down - sons printing, with a small platen Works,’ he was the local Agent for
press operated in one of the
the ‘Accidental Insurance Company,’
took over from father back rooms of the stationery ‘The Royal Exchange Assurance
HANDED from father to son since shop, but bit by bit, this small Corporation’ [2] and a retail agent for
beginning was implemented
1857, the business of Hooker by a fount of type here, or an ‘Patent Stitchwell’ lock-stitch Sewing
Brothers Ltd at High Street, extra bit of machinery there, Machines! [3] He offered a picture
Westerham has provided a valuable framing service ‘at London prices’ and
service to the local community for every kind of bookbinding and ledger 2
more than 100 years. ruling, and arranged and managed
Hookers are printers. Their concerts and entertainments which
premises actually ‘contains’ were held in the adjacent Town Hall.
the Westerham office of the Eventually his sons Charles William
‘Sevenoaks Chronicle,’ and and Alfred joined the firm and,
their shop, beside the Drill Hall, following his death on May 15 1900,
deals mainly with stationery, they continued the main business, but
while the rest of the building is wisely shed many of the diversities
packed with machinery and the offered by their father. The brothers
requisites of the trade. did, however, continue with the
The original business was Westerham Herald, the broadsheet
started by Charles Hooker, of local news which their father had
who commenced a stationery published every month since June
business in part of what is now 1882, proclaiming proudly “It circulates
known as the Manor House, largely amongst the Aristocracy, Trade
only a few yards up the High Agriculturists &c., which makes it a
Street towards Market Square. 1 most valuable Advertising Medium”. 3

14 THE COUNTY CHRONICLE • DECEMBER 2020