One from my extensive back catalogue dragged up from the depths of Flickr.

Harrison and Sons Limited was a major worldwide engraver and printer of Postage stamps and Banknotes. The company was established in 1750 by Thomas Harrison and it obtained its first Post Office contract in 1881. The company won the contract to print the single colour United Kingdom Edward VII stamps in 1911 after the Post Office decided not to renew its contract with De La Rue. Initially, using printing machines manufactured by Timsons of Kettering it went on to produce most of the British stamps over the 60 year period from the 1930s until the 1990s, including the first UK stamp using the photogravure method in 1934 and the first photogravure commemoratives in 1935 for the Silver Jubilee of King George V. The first UK Christmas issue in 1966, on the specially designed Jumelle press, was also printed at Harrison and Sons. They printed their last British commemorative issue, referred to as ‘Queen’s Beasts’ issue, in 1998. The stamps actually being printed one year before they were issued to the public. The company (abbreviation H&S) also printed stamps, banknotes, passports and gift vouchers for over 100 other countries from 1881 until 1997 when it was acquired by De La Rue security printers. Harrisons had made significant inroads into De La Rue's banknote business - hence the DLR take-over. Some Directors and senior executives from Harrisons such as Roger J Edwards, Chris R Hume, Brian P Janes and David J Johnson, were kept on for a short period of time before being made redundant. De La Rue took over the site in 1997, and took over the printing of banknotes and stamps at it's High Wycombe site before it closed in 2003. De La Rue are still an operational company printing banknotes and papers for many banks worldwide, as well as producing travellers cheques, passports, driving licenses and vouchers.

It was a huge site and one I thought had been demolished a long time back before I eventually got round to seeing it a few years ago. The factory was totally demolished in 2012.





The enormous vault, pictures and words can't really describe just how massive this room was. It was protected by an equally massive and very heavy steel door.

























Amazingly, despite how thoroughly the rest of the place had been stripped the boiler house was totally intact, probably due to it's location right next to the security hut!









Oh hi securitrons