BRITISH papermaker James Cropper is inviting visitors to London Packaging Week next month to discover the story behind 180 years of transforming fibre into some of the world’s most distinctive papers.
The experience begins with the first public screening of the official trailer for The Last Mill Standing at 1pm on Wednesday, 16 September. Offering a glimpse inside the UK’s last remaining specialist coloured paper mill, the trailer introduces a story of generations of skill, craftsmanship and innovation that continue to shape materials trusted by brands around the world. The full documentary will be released later this year.
At a time when British manufacturing is navigating rising costs, global competition and changing market demands,The Last Mill Standing asks what is at stake if specialist knowledge is allowed to disappear. Rather than focusing solely on machinery, it celebrates the people behind the material, revealing the precision, experience and passion required to transform fibre into paper that ‘inspires creativity and brings ambitious ideas to life’.
From there, visitors are invited to continue that story throughout the stand. The Colours of London invites visitors to capture their own Colour of London by writing it on a specially designed postcard before posting it into the stand’s pillar box. The installation celebrates the memories, places and moments that shape experiences of the city, while reflecting the role of paper in creativity, communication and self-expression.
Alongside the film and the Colours of London installation, visitors will also be among the first to experience the Paper Portal. Designed to spark curiosity and inspire new ideas, it offers a fresh way to engage with paper.
Jordan Scott, head of marketing at James Cropper, said, “People experience paper every day, yet very rarely do they get to see the extraordinary expertise behind it. We wanted to create more than an exhibition stand. We wanted to create a journey that begins with the people who make the material and ends with the ideas those materials make possible. Whether visitors are discovering The Last Mill Standing, sharing their own Colour of London or exploring the Paper Portal, we hope they leave seeing paper in a completely different way.”
