Preston bookbinder and restorer gets ready to celebrate forty years in the trade

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If you’ve visited Leyland’s Worden Park Craft Centre, chances are you will have stepped into Peter Doyle’s bookbinding and restoration workshop. Peter, who grew up in Preston, became a bookbinder by accident after a neighbour mentioned that they needed an apprentice. Peter had just left school, needed a job and a lifelong career beckoned.

Peter began as an apprentice bookbinder at T. Snape & Co Printers & Bookbinders in Preston in 1976. After passing his City & Guilds exams, in 1980 Peter moved to the Lancaster University Bindery undertaking Journal and Thesis Binding and also restoration work on antiquarian books held by the University.

Peter Doyle, Bookbinding and Restoration Craftsmen

Peter has now been in business at Worden Park for almost 25 years. He commented, “the business has seen some ups and downs but there is still a demand for well bound books. I have produced books for cathedrals, local governments, television and sporting clubs as well as working on the Preston Guild Rolls.”

Next year Peter will be marking forty years in the trade and I expect that a celebratory book will be on the cards.