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Thursday 15 September 2016

Did you know that a Paper Machine has a 

‘Wet End’ and a ‘Dry End’?





The "wet end" of a paper machine is a general term for parts of the system that involve a slurry of fibres, fillers, and other additives. When looking at a paper machine it is easy to identify the "dry end" where a roll of paper is being formed. The rough dividing line between the wet end and the dry end is often drawn at the wet-press section, the last place in which water is pulled from the wet web of paper. 






The Dry End is the part of the paper machine where the paper is dried, surface sized, calendared and reeled.

*Photos by Martin Poynur*


PRESS RELEASE

St Cuthberts Paper Mill acquired by F.I.L.A. of Italy



St Cuthberts Paper Mill has been acquired by Fabbrica Italiana Lapis ed Affini (“F.I.L.A.”) who is based in Milan and listed on the STAR segment of the Milan Stock Exchange.

With revenues of over €275 million in 2015, F.I.L.A. has grown substantially over the  past twenty years through strategic acquisitions and operates through  14 production facilities  (of which two are in Italy) a nd 32  subsidiaries  around the  world.  F.I.L.A.  is an icon of  Italian creativity globally  through its colouring, drawing, modelling, writing and painting tools, thanks to brands such as Giotto, Tratto, Das, Dido, Pongo, Lyra, Dooms, Maimeri and Daler.

St Cuthberts Mill (SCM) operates through its "Mill” production facility in Wells in Somerset and has had a long tradition of producing some  of the world’s finest watercolour,  print and digital  papers sold internationally to a wide range of longstanding loyal customers. The Mill benefits from  an enviable reputation for the quality of its products and the integrity of its customer service levels.

The sale follows F.I.L.A.’s exclusive agreement to purchase  Canson  (a  world  leading French distributor of paper to more than 100 countries) in October this year. The sale is a logical transfer of ownership into the F.I.L.A. family where SCM will be allowed to grow and expand its activities in an environment which, in technological and product terms, is more suited than its present ownership structure.

The sale after a period of profitable growth and successful investment in new plant and equipment is viewed as in the best interests of all parties including the Mill’s employees who will relish the new expansion  challenges  they face  in the  future.

There are significant opportunities  for growth  in the business which will continue under its present senior management to export to most of the 50 countries which F.I.L.A. sells into.

SCM has expanded its sales activities in recent times in the  Far East and  United States and  remain the leading supplier of watercolour papers in the UK. F.I.L.A.’s ambition and support will permit penetration into new territories via expanded sales and diversification of the products to be manufactured within the production capabilities in Wells.

Alan Walker, SCM’s Managing Director commented:

“We welcome F.I.L.A. as the new owners of this highly successful business. The long traditions of quality and service will continue into the future to an expanded audience all aver the world. My team has worked hard and deserve the opportunity to join F.I.L.A. whose leadership credentials are demonstrated on a globol basis. We all look forward to the challenges we will face  as we expand our horizons”.

For further information or enquiries please contact:


Alan Walker
Managing  Director
St Cuthberts Mill Limited Tel office: 01749 672015
Mobile: 07800 951151

Massimo  Candela Chief Executive Officer F.I.L.A.
Tel office: 00 39 335 645 0107

14th September 2016

Tuesday 6 September 2016


RWA Open show winner
Fiona Hingston


Artwork by Fiona Hingston


St Cuthberts Mill supports the Bristol RWA Open show with a prize of  20 sheets of Saunders Watercolour paper. Local artist Fiona Hingston won this prize in 2013 for her work Collection Box. She went on to use the paper for a series of woodland drawings that saw her win the Hauser and Wirth prize at the Black Swan Open last year.

Fiona has spent many years using earth as the basis for her drawings. With the addition of  ink, charcoal and graphite she builds up layers on a paper support and draws with a knife blade and improvised tools and erasers. Scraping back, constantly refining the subject and exposing stains and imperfections over what can be long periods of time, embeds an image both in the paper and in her mind.

Watercolour paper was not something she had thought of using, but with her prize of twenty sheets she began experimenting and realized that the paper would be perfect for a series based on woodland near her home. The soft smoothness of the paper absorbed the wash of earth leaving a sepia tone when erased. The thickness of the paper also meant that it could be reworked with charcoal and coloured pencils. 

These drawings will be on show at her studio for Somerset Open Studios during September. Venue 115.