Familiar Names

John Dickinson was a shrewd businessman and quickly realised that more money was to be made in producing stationery than paper alone. The mills were reorganised to avoid task duplication and feed each other. Print and bookbinding departments were later added. Apsley and Croxley became the stationery sites and many of the bands are still familiar names today. Each has its own story.

Basildon Bond
The company of Millington’s was a major manufacturer of envelopes based in Tottenham. At a Directors meeting at Basildon Park, near Reading, it was decided to make a new range of writing paper and envelopes with a high-quality watermarked paper to be sold at a [...]
The British Paper Company
The British Paper Company Limited was formed in 1890 specifically to make paper from waste paper. Despite its grand name, the company has only ever operated from Frogmore Mill. Initial production was concentrated on laminating ‘middles’, an inexpensive, bulky product used as the middle of [...]
The Lion Brand
The world-famous stationery rage was introduced in about 1880 in Calcutta, India, when different colours of lion were used so that the local population who did not speak English could tell the difference between different grades of John Dickinson’s products. The company took action against [...]
Croxley Script
Despite its name, most Croxley Script paper was produced at Nash Mills. Describing itself as ‘The Paper for Business’, Croxley Script adapted throughout the ages with plain paper produced at times to be suitable for typewriters, and later for laser and inkjet printing. The Croxley [...]
Challenge
To satisfy the needs of business users the Challenge range of business products was developed. These included cash and receipt books, notebooks, record cards, filing systems and many more.
Three Candlesticks
The need for up-market writing sets, attractively boxed in faux leather cases, brought the Three Candlesticks range to market. The name was derived from a monetary coin token said to have been found in 1799 on the site of the Company’s former head office at [...]
Black n’Red
John Dickinson and Company’s Black n’ Red, brand of books and pads is still available today. The familiar black covers with red lettering and red spine or wiro, are now distributed by the Hamlin Group.
Summit
An educational stationery range produced by John Dickinson & Co. Products such as A4 refill pads, ring binders, exercise books, and subject wallets were made for a target audience of schools and students.
Aldbury Cards
A range of printers’ cards first introduced in 1906, named after the Hertfordshire village. Aldbury created blank cards for printing, as well as purpose designed cards such as postcards, scorecards, wedding cards and printed pictorial cards.