Series nine of the popular BBC programme kicked off just before Christmas with a seasonal special about chocolates, featuring fresh host Paddy McGuinness alongside the established team of Cherry Healey and historian Ruth Goodman.
Tonight’s show involves McGuinness returning to the Warburtons bread factory where he had one of his first jobs more than 30 years ago.
However, printing industry aficionados should make a diary date for 28 January (brought forward from original date of 4 February), when the ‘Hardback Books’ episode featuring Clays is set to be broadcast.
McGuinness and Healey visit the Bungay printer – the UK’s biggest single site book production operation – to see a hardback version of Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice being produced for publisher Penguin.
Clays typically produces around three million books per week.
Clays printing general manager David Hancy hosted the visit from McGuinness and Healey, with the duo wowed at the scale and speed of operations – including the 750kg reels of paper used, the size of the printing and binding setup, and the complexities of the different processes involved including a luxurious olive green cloth cover with foiled design.
Clays sales director Vicky Ellis-Duveen told Printweek that it was “brilliant” to have the Inside the Factory team on site, and to see what takes place behind the scenes during the making of the programme.
“We are deeply honoured and thrilled to have our company featured in the BBC's new series of Inside the Factory,” she said.
“This opportunity allows us to highlight the meticulous process behind the creation of these beautiful books, while also offering viewers a broader understanding of the intricacies involved in book manufacturing as a whole.”
The episode also includes Healey visiting an optician to learn how our eyes read the text of a book, while Goodman highlights the extraordinary achievements of braille creator Louis Braille.
Note: the transmission date for the Hardback Books episode could be subject to change.
