Copyright caymancompass
Walwin Clarke is one of the company’s longest serving employees, joining the newspaper in 1971. He worked as both a newspaper pressman and commercial printer, witnessing many changes in technology over the years. Compass Media sold its commercial print division in 2023, with Walwin continuing to work for the new owner. In 2025, he marks a milestone career of 54 years in printing. This story was originally printed in the Caymanian Compass in 2010, when the newspaper marked its 45th anniversary. My favourite memories of joining the team at the Caymanian Weekly are of good times spent together, no pressure and a pleasurable working environment. Things were just nice. Everyone knew what they had to do and got on with the business at hand. I remember putting the first paper together. Every column was cut out and placed to fit on each page by hand, burned on a plate, attached to the press, printed in single sheets and folded and collated by hand. The newspapers were printed small in those days. Only 20 pages and measured only 8.5 inches x 14 inches in diameter. A press run would be quiet in those days with just a tiny whisper from the press, being it was so small. Today I have to wear earmuffs to drown out the noise when the press is running at full speed. Most staff meetings and get togethers were held in the pressroom, being that was the largest section in the office at that time. Back then newspapers were sold by school children, and local residents, on the street in various districts for a percentage. I still laugh when I remember distribution seller William Nixon’s favourite jingle: “Read them! Compasses hot off the press!” It got the attention of everyone and made him our No. 1 newspaper seller back then. Whether there was rain or sunshine, Mr. Nixon never failed to turn up for his batch of papers. He would sit patiently in the pressroom until the papers were put together so he could receive the first bundle of newspapers to take to his readers. Learning the ropes I arrived at the Caymanian Weekly in 1971 at age 22 from a little liquor store in Jamaica. Those days I knew nothing about running a press but after securing the job, quickly got shown the ropes by seasoned pressman Lendel Sharpe in the little press room located in the old Comart Building in downtown George Town. In those days the company was owned by Billy Bodden. In later years when Brian Uzzell took over the company, he moved it from the Comart Building into the Foster warehouse on Airport Road. The name of the newspaper changed to the Caymanian Compass. I remember my workmates … Cleveland Ferguson, Marjorie Bush, Jewel Levy, Karen Ryan… and those who moved on to other pastures like editor P. Anthony White, David Parchment, Easton Russell, Sandra Archer, Ray Myles, Sandra Parchment and sisters Ann and Marie Haven, and a few others who made up the team in those days. I was around to see the paper move from being printed in black and white to colour. Printing the telephone directory was a challenge, having to go through several processes to get the colour. Surprisingly we never had many press break downs in those days and when it happened, we tried to fix it the best way we knew how to. On Thursday nights after we put the paper to bed, we would gather around and chat about the week and what excitement held in store. Some would crack open a six-pack while some would make jokes of the day. Many people today might not understand that fellowship we entered into, but what mattered to us was we had all put out the paper together. Now we would have a beer.
