A historic printing press that may be the only one of its kind still in circulation has been delighting residents in Addingham.

Printer and print historian Brian Aldred, of Moor Park Drive, was given the metal Victorian parlour press as a gift while he was working for Sheffield University’s Hawley Collection.

He has now restored the machine, which would have been used for printing items such as calling and gift cards, to full working order and it is causing a stir in the printing world.

He said: “No one can find another one and it’s causing quite a bit of interest. It’s the only one we can find, and we’ve had the British Library, the Oxford Guild of Printers and universities and museums all looking.

“There are one or two wooden ones but they think this might be the only metal one.

“It was made in 1870 by a Jabez Francis of Essex, it cost three guineas and weighs about 50lbs.

“It came to me when I was working for the Hawley tool collection and one day they said ‘do you want an old printing press?’ and I said ‘yes please’, and Ken Hawley came out with this from his garage.

“It was red rusty but I’ve restored it and taken it to quite a few places now to let people – kids and adults – have a go using it.

“I have a tray of blocks I take around with me and they pick the ones they want – there’s ones with views of Bolton Abbey and Pateley Bridge, bikes, dragons, and all sorts – then I do the inking up and let them print them out.

“The look on their faces is better than any medicine.”

Now 72, Mr Aldred has had a passion for printing all his life which began with him working with his father when he was seven years old.